THEY ARE THE SEASON'S BEST
Good Money Is Offered, but Only Mediocre Collection of Three -Year-Olds Are There To Collect
As there are fat years, there must also be lean- years. This season is one of slender proportions when it comes to consider the crop of classic three-year-olds. . * .
NOT for many years has there been such a mediocre collection of three-year-olds, and stake-money has gone to horses, which, m an ordinary year, would have have been considered m the wrong, street. The New Zealand Derby was won by a hack, and, m scoring his victory, he had practically a hack field against him. That Nightmarch is useful is admitted, but that he is up to the standard of years gone by is so much rotNot engaged m the Great Northern Derby, Nightmarch left the field clear for another. It turned up m Red Heckle, which won a race that was nothing more nor less than a sprint home. : ' Red Heckle is also of the useful type and may at the end of the season be entitled to be known as the best of his year, but what a year! There are still two classics for the three-year-olds. The New Zealand St. Leger is run at Trentham next month, and a fortnight later, at Ellerslie, the Great Northern St. Leger will be decided. Looking through the horses engaged it can be seen that the two events are going 1 to be dismal affairs. The same old lot are engaged and it is too much to expect that one or two mniiiimimiiiimiiiiuMimniiimniiimiiiiimiiifiiiiiiniiimimimmiiiiHiiiiiunm:
!of them have developed into champions since they were last ,seen" out.- Miracles are not performed these days. Nightmamh is m neither race, but the Ellerslie winner, Red Heckle is m both. ; . With a mile and three-quarters to be traversed his blood appears to be against him. , His sire, Warplane, though by the mighty Martian, was only a brilliant horse. '■.-■■ Still, Red Heckle will have it m his favor that^Legers are often run at a dallying pace. That sprint ' home would suit him. Getting down to real" staying blood Concentrate would- be the winner, but somehow ■or .< other he lias met with bad luck m the Derbies. That this was so he showed m subsequent races. ' , Prodice. is not engaged at Trentham, but she will be a runner at Ellerslie. She is consistent without being anything wonderful, and: perhaps down to a question of real merit, she is the best of her age. > • - . She has won two Guineas, and was second m the Northern Derby, while m handicaps she has always been In the finishing bunch. . /..,'. Perception is another that can only compete at Ellerslie and,- as he is at I present spelling up north, his Sydney
owner may elect to allow him to remain and have another try. His jockey avers that with good. ground he would have won on Notv Year's Day. When his chances are left behind the remainder of likely ones are moderate indeed. Such names as Toxeuma, Stanchion, High Falutin', Toawai, Mjoorgas, Rpl de Val, Boston and Metullns are m the entries. . : ' ,•" . . •..•■ '•:'■ Outside Toxeuma, •which is a good solid second-class handipapper,' ; and Moorgas, they would have to climb the highest mountain to get up ito the necessary standard of . wh3.t . makes a good three-year-old. ; ' ' The outstanding piece of bad luck ' was, of course, the injury that Prince Humphrey sustained when . he contested the V.R.C; Derby. The mistiap put him out of court for good. Winner of an A.J.C. yDerby, arid conqueroc of the mighty Mollison, his presence would have' been most welcome. ';.-.■ ' ; -• It is hard to say, but perhaps he was the class horse of the yeai*. He won. his Randwick Derby by shifer staying power, and he would have needed little of that desirable asset to have cleaned up the New Zealand classics. " ':'.' . In the cloud of gloom that has enveloped the country this season there is,-' however, one bright ray breaking through. . Next year should be better. Honour 1 is the one to bring back the prestige. All going well he should be a worthy successor to- Desert Gold, Gloaming, Duo, and other real horses of .the past.
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NZ Truth, Issue 1210, 7 February 1929, Page 11
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695THEY ARE THE SEASON'S BEST NZ Truth, Issue 1210, 7 February 1929, Page 11
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