RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 26, 23 September 1931, Page 6

RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

(Specially Written for thej "Post" by the Judge.)

The two-year-old Bell Topper is coming to hand so fast now that he . is being discussed in connection with " the babies' classic, the Avondale Stakes, to be run next Saturday. He is in J. Gray's stable and will be ridden in the classic by that mentor's father, H. Gray. Bell Topper is by the Australian horse Canusa, from Marriage Bell, this mare being a half sister by Tea Tray to that one-time good horse Amythas. Bennie is doing good work at Ellerslie, so that he ought to show up in his engagements at Avondale and . Auckland. Bennie has won one race only to date, and that was as a two-year-old, at Ellerslie, but judging by the way in which he has dashed over his sprint efforts at headquarters he should get on the winning list again this season. Perhaps his turn will come on the country circuit, for he will require. careful placing. After getting left in her race at the Pakuranga Hunt fixture at Ellerslie last month, the Te Aroha trained filly Lady Musk revealed a lot of pace when she settled down, and finally finished close behind the placed horses (Taurua, Wild Country and Grand Spirit). The Musketoon filly is among the 38 acceptors for the Maiden Plate an Saturday at Avondale, and if she does not lose ground again at the start it would occasion no surprise to see her getting in the money. Jack Abbey Gelding. One start, one win, was the record standing to Union prior to the Paku- j ranga meeting last month. The Jack i Abbey gelding was given his second ! outing at this latter fixture, and he I was one of the paeemakers to the | home turn, to finish fourth. This indicated that he has the speed, and as he is now seasoned he ought to get the mile over which the Swanson Handicap event is run next Saturday at Avondale. A horse with more than outside prospect of winning the Kingsland Hur- i dles at Avondale on Saturday is ! Whakama. At the last Franklin | meeting, nearly five months back, j Whakama displayed a lot of pace in ' the obstacle race, this being his first j attempt over the battens, and he. was j still going strong in front when he j fell five furlongs from home. That ] was a particularly promising debut, j sufficient to cause interest in the chestnut's showing this week. Avondale Cup. j I The big event of the opening day I at Avondale, the Avondale Cup, pro- i mises to be a real problem for in- j vestors on Saturday, for the field j is a good one, comprising as it does j seventeen acceptors, and probably every one of them liable to start. The list is headed by Historic, and at his present weight, following on his success at Riccarton last month, he can- j not fail to be respected. He won this race two years back, and the big j track will help him. Lady Pam is a brilliant filly at her best, and she will

require to improve a bit on Wanganui running to beat this lot. Taneriri has raced well throughout the winter, and what is more he is^galloping in dashing style on the tracks. Yalroe is a good horse, whose best to date has been registered over mile courses. With a comparatively light weight now he ought to be able to see out the ten furlongs, in which j case he is a good outside prospect, r Motere is working well at Te Awa- ! mutu, but it is expected that he will j require a race. True Blood will be j bothered by the hardening tracks ! now, and so too will Maori Boy. Gay ( Cockade is still working nicely at , headquarters, and with his light imI post he will go well, especially if his j new rider can keep him together. [ Standfast is at his best over a mile, although he has won over this distance. Te Hoia needs, a strong horse- ! man, which he will not have with his j present weight. Malashat won too i easily at the Pakuranga Hunt meet- | ing to be passed over lightly, but now j he meets those he beats on very much worse terms. Cessation, the Wanga- | nui winner, is in form, and she is a | likely sort for the early spring. Little j Doubt is the best of the others. Tane- ! riri, Historic, Lady Pam, Gay Cockade and Valroe are most fancied at this juncture. Flying Stakes. Another fine lot are engaged in the Avondale sprint, the Flying Stakes, seventeen being left in, including j several smart three-year-olds, namely, | High Comedy, Croupier, Tea Chat, Golden Wings, and King Colossus. Supremacy is going great guns in his efforts at Te Awamutu, and at the slight difference in the weights he ought to account for Lady Quex. Paganelli is not fancied greatly, but Oropai is in good fettle and is worth serious consideration. Of Silvermine, Gold Money and Refresher the last named is pref erred, this notwithstanding Silvermine's penchant for the Avondale course. H'gh Comedy's fourth in the Pakuranga sprint five weeks back is still remembered, and he is better now, so that he will Rave to be seriously considered. Manawhenua is working as well as ever, and if further rain falls his prospects in this class will be considerably enhanced. Hunting Day has failed too often, but Croupier is a horse of a different colour, as his very easy Wanganui Guineas victory indicates. His brilliancy cannot now be doubted, and he has a light weight. Tea Chat is not running on in his work, but Golden Wings was one of last term's good two-year-olds, However, he ought to be held safe by Croupier and High Comedy. Kizan, Honiton and King Ford are all smart, and King Colossus is going to develop into a smart three-year-old. It is probable that the three-year-olds will carry the day through the agency of either High Comedy or Croupier, with Supremacy and Orapai the best of the older division.