ROUND THE RACE-TRACK AT RICCARTON ON SATURDAY

NZ Truth, Issue 1196, 1 November 1928, Page 13

ROUND THE RACE-TRACK A T RICCARTON ON SA TURDAY

TWO MILES, AND THE WEIGHT TO CARRY

booking to Star Stranger Was His Lot Twlve Months Ago

QRATRIX, AND HER SECOND IN METROPOUTAN

PR^a multitude of. reasons the handicap (creates less enthusiasm with

• each, succeeding year, and now therVare only hundreds wagered m ante-post . betting where, m former years,- there were thousands expended.

The position of absolute favorite rests. with Oratrix.

Taken to Sydney m the early spring the Kilbroney; mare did not do anything to cable home about, and it was something more than a shock that was felt when she ran second m the Metropolitan. '

Prior to this race her chance appeared to be a forlorn one, indeed, and she was -at very .long, odds, yet on the day she came 'out and ran a gallant race to -Jocelyn; ■ • v

And f urthermore she was considered most unlucky to get interfered with at the crucial stage of the'event.

In the Metropolitan, Oratrix carried I eleven pounds more than she will be saddled with on Saturday — a very big consideration. There is, another three fur--111111111111111111 l

l| To-day, and the New Zealand Cup candidates will f| || finish the hard part of their training. Thirteen are |f If left in— is somebody to be unlucky before the day ? jj || —and wagering is very restricted. Those little slips j| || of paper that show the feeling of the market are |j || very decided on this point, for only three horses are if || m dernand — Oratrix, Star Stranger and Rapier. The || || remainder are at, for New Zealand, good prices. ||

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longs to traverse — also a big consideration. - -

There is no reason why Oratrix should not stay. . By. a great stayer, she is out of a mare that won the Cup m 1920, and is now at her best age.

Notwithstanding that everything possible is m her favor there is just a little doubt about her.

Her honesty is questioned m some quarters, but this is hardly fair— at least on what she attempted last autumn. . . . ■

Next to enter into the discussion is Star Stranger. ' '

He is attempting to go one better than he did la.st year, when he ran second, conceding twenty pounds to Rapier.

The race has a dead set on topweights — perhaps for the reason of the trying course' more than anything else — -and the last two years both Rapine and Star Stranger , looked likely to break the spell. A fourth and a second respectively was their share, however. Saturday and Star Stranger should upset the old order. He is a better horse this season, m that he is more forward than twelve months back. ' ■ He certainly only ran third m the Harcourt Cup, but, after allowing m for the muddling pace, little else could be expected. , . .... In these days horses do ' hot win a Cup two years m succession and for that reason Rapier comas m under prejudice. .

Twelve months back he started to sweep the board, but m the autumn he failed to give, or show,, his best..

v He has started off all right again this season, and, on ■ looks, he is as good as ever.

He showed he is still as game as ever at Trentham when he worried a' bull dog out of the Harcourt Cup, but that race was a sprint, not a test of endurance!

Gone to the pack is- how they are, summing up Count Cavour, and after his dismal showing at Motukarara on Monday he will need to perform a miracle to get m the money,-. let alone win. ■ •■-... . ■■■'-.

His form on his Sydney trip, prior to his return home to win the Cup, was poor, but he did at least show up m one race. s . . .

That 'was when he won the handicap at Hawkesbury.

But this year he has hot shown anything at all, and that lets him out.for most.

A real horse, cursed, with bad legs, Beacon Light has many friends.

He. had two races at Trentham, ran fourth m one, and then ran last m the welght-for-age Harcourt Cup.

The handicap form is the one to believe, and it has to be borne m mind he had none "of the best of the running m that race. •'•••.

Just whether he can be got ready, to win over two mile's with such a limited preparation is doubtful and "N.Z. Truth" is inclined -to the view that it will be later m the meeting when his turn arrives. . ' . :

; By the way, his legs are all right, to the. eye, and good enough to carry him through a campaign.

There is nothing to say Set Sail will run out a two-mile race: To date she has shown that twelve furlongs is as far. as she cares to go.

A wonderful mare, it seems that a Metropolitan, or a Fendalton, would suit her more than the Cup. .Last year Pink Note made the pace, to be edged out of a place. He is a better horse these days, but it Is not likely that his staying, ranga has increased. Two miles, and Paper Money blood, do not blend well. Black Mint has a luxurious weight for one of his proportions, but m getting a boy to ride and get the best out of him under that poundage is a hard job: . •

For Black Mint needs plenty of riding, and a boy, at 7.5, has not much m his favor when it comes to kicking the big gelding alorig.

Five remain on the minimum and at least two' I ' -are thought to possess chances.

Hoy-lake, : notwithstanding his Wingatui ' failures, is well liked m Christ» church, and it has to be admitted that

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the track will suit him better .than most others m the South Island.

Tom Lloyd won the Cup with Sunart arid he knows what a horse needs, and for this reason there is respect for the Irish horse.

. Up north, backers reckon Hoylake is too moody for them — it re-

mains to be seen who is right.

Rotor was runnjng on m his races at National time, and he has done fairly well since. •

Not a great deal has been asked of him, and it is on this light treatment that he does best.

The remainder are made up oJ Shining Armour, Beau Geste and Kucy Lockett.

Not much danger is expfected from this trio and if there is to be a surprise Shining Armour is the one tc bring it about.

A narrowing down of the field brings the probables to two — one with all the weight and one wl'th a pound above the minimum: .

STAR STRANGER and ORATRIX.