RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 60, 2 November 1931, Page 5

RACING NOTES AND FORM PROSPECTS

. Of the twenty remaining in the New Zealand Ddrby, seven have firstrate chances, another half dozen eould be eonsidered possibles, and the remaining seven possess Buekley's prospects, The latter contingent represent the forlorn hopes, but perhaps they are in the field for one of two reasons: Their owner's desire to be represented in the Derby, and owner's oversight in leaving them in the classie. But whatever happens, it is pretty obvious tbat the field at Riccarton on Monday, November 9, is going to be a good one at least in point of numbers. There is one regrettable feature, and that is the absence of Croupier from the field. He was never nominated, an unfortunate result of breeders' economy carrying its warning to others, for the classic carries a prize of £1500, of which the winner takes £1050, a great stake these days. Three-year-olds possessing the firstrate chances are Yiew Halloo, Fiji, Gibraltar, King Colossus, Bronze Eagle, Golden Wings and Cricket Bat, and their form of late can be discussed fully in view of their Derby engagement. The "next best" division includes Gay Court, Peter Jackson, Ruling Light, Esteem, Gallant Fox and Night Guard, and of this division there may well be one or two that will improve sufficiently to warrant their inclusion in the first "division." The latest faney in a Derby. connection is Gibraltar. Here is a horse that has improved immensely during the past month, and he is going to prove a very live candidate for classic honours. He beat a good hack field over a mile at Ellerslie a month ago, carrying the steadier — for a three-year-old — of 8.10 and conceding 111b to Peter Jackson, whom he beat without being asked to do anything like his best. In fact he won with something approaching a stone in hand. At the recent Marton meeting Gibraltar was produced in the mile and 137 yards hack event, carrying 9.5. This event he won easily, and Nightmare (9.7) was five lengths back in third place. Thrasher (who had won the Bracelet under 10.12 earlier in the day) was second when in receipt of 311b, and he won at Waipawa at his next start. Nightmare too won at Trentham, registering a brilliant performance. This form suggested that Gibraltar was above the ordinary. This view was confirmed in no uncertain manner at Waverley on Labour Day, when Gibraltar won the Cup under 7.13 from that fair handicap performer Richfield, 8.6, and Habit (winner of the big handicap at Marton) 7.11. The Taranaki three-year-old waited on the leaders to the straight and then he cut them down in simple fashion to score easily. He had to be shaken up at the finish, but he is a lazy customer and has to be kept up to his work. Gibraltar is by that successful and now-boomed sire Lackham; and he should see out the mile and a half a good deal better than most of his opponents. He has plenty of size, and that is no small factor when they have 8.10 to carry. Bronze Eagle will have a lot in his favour, for Gray will be in the saddle, and he can be depended upon to conserve his mount as much as possible for that last pinch. However, Bronze Eagle is not fancied as an out-and-out stayer, although none can deny his brillianey. In the Harcourt Cup he was too far away from Croupier to satisfy his admirers in a Derby connection% Golden Wings registered a pheno'menal performance in the Great Northern Guineas, the best for years. He is a very free galloper, and his brillianey may take him a long way. He must take rank with Bronze Eagle, for there will not be much between them at a mile or more. One recently remembered seeing Honour lead all the way in the N.Z. Derby, but the opposition on that oecasion was somewhat weak. Fiji has carried all before him among the hacks of late and there is no reason why he should not stay. His dam, Isabel (by Hallowmas) was a N.Z. Oaks winner, and everyone knows that his sire, Nigger Minstrel, was a great three-year-old unlncky enough to hump up against other good ones in what was a vintage year. There is a vivid memory of Heroic, Spearfelt and Nigger Ministrel passing the post in the A.J.G. Derby at Randwick with heads only separating them, after Nigger Minstrel had had an interrupted preparation a f ew days before the big classie. The subsequent deeds of Heroic and Spearfelt consoldiated Nigger Minstrel's claims to rank as one of our best three-year-olds, although unsoundness prevented him showing New Zealand sportsmen what he was capable of on all but one occasion — when he dead-heated with Gold Light (what a boniiy. mare she was) in the Eclipse Stakes at Wanganui. Should Fiji follow in the footsteps of his parents it would not occasion surprise. Both Yiew Halloo and King Colos--us improve when it comes to a Derby review, for they were both running on at the finish of the Great Northern Guineas, after they had been xun off their legs by Golden Wings. The latter is very well,. but it was unfortunate that a mishap at the barrier prevented him from showing just what he could do. View Halloo strikes one as a better Derby proposition than most of those engaged, for he might have been susceptible to a bit more improvement when seen out last. It is nine years since trainer F. Tilley won the N.Z. Derby, when Euthusiasm scored for Mr. T. A. Duncan (who is represented this time by Fiji, now trained by L. G. Morris) . Last but not least of the seven selected earlier is Cricket Bat, conqueror of Nightmareh last autumn in the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes, seven fur- • longs, a victory in which stamina played a big part. Cricket Bat this term has won over eight and a half furlongs at Wanganui, and also the Dunedin Guineas, while he ran a very fair race in the recent Wellington Handicap. This Crokebore representative has all along been rated high as a Derby proposition, and if he is landed at the post bright and well he will be one of those that will be always in the running. An this juneture Gibraltar impresses most as a Derby proposition, for he takes the eye as the ideal three-year-old for a classic of this'type. Cricket Bat is the present second ehoice, and it would not be surprising if this paif decide the event at Ric-

carton between themselves, with View Halloo substituted for Cricket Bat if the latter's Trentham injury pus him out of the running. As for the' others — View Halloo, King Colossus, Bronze Eagle, Golden Wings and Fiji — they have the speed bnt may be eonsidered as somewhat lacking in Stamina, with perhaps Bronze Eagle and King Colossus the best of them in this connection. No doubt the big field in the Riccarton classic has beeh brought about by the absence of Ammon Ra, for it may be the opinion of owners tbat the N.Z. Derby will be easier to win than the Great Northern Derby on New Jear's Day, with Ammon Ra almost a eertainty to run. in the Ellerslie race.