WITH THE GALLOPERS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 380, 15 November 1932, Page 6

WITH THE GALLOPERS

waikato prospects ANTIQUE HAS GREAT CHANCE IN CUP EVENT SENORITA LIGHTLY TREATED NOTES BY "GANARD" 0 The early favourite for next Saturday's "Waikato Cupi is Antique. Iri this event the Tonbridge gelding has 9.9, or a drop of 31b on his Mitchelson, Cup impost, and in that race^ he finished right up fourth, not much more than a length from the winner. j In the autumn, Antique won the | A.R.C. Autumn Handicap,- one and a half miles, with 9.8, and then. he went into retirement for the winter. His next appearance was in last month's Avondale Cup, and with 9.12 he went a fine race. He and Bronze Tray were tailing the field into the home stretch, and then they both set out togeth'er to gather in the leaders. Bronze Tray getting through on th'e rails and the other horse having to go through the middle of the field. Whilst Bronze Tray received an uninterrupted run on th'e inner, Antique ran into trauble and he did really brilliantly to get so close, being well up in sixth position. The Te Aroha gelding was not produced on the second day, but was given a run at Cambridge on Labour Day, and as expected this smaller course was unsuitable to a horse with his big stride and hefty weight.' Went Great Race Antique ran what was probably his best race in the Mitch'elson Cup>, for with his 9.12 he was simply flying at the finish in fourth place, barely a length behind the place getters. It was a phenomenal performance. On the second day at Ellerslie he ran another fine race in a large field to get fifth at the post. On those sh'owings Antique is entitled to the greatest respect in the Waikato Cup with 9.9, or one pound more than he won the Autumn Handi- , ' cap with last Easter, and with opposition not to strong. He meets the Mitchelson Cup victor, Royal Artist, at an advantage of 131b, and that is a lot and on the face of it, it ought to give Antique a wonderful opportunity of bridging that gap> of a length to reach Royal Artist. As Great Emblem and View Halloo (the pair that split Royal Artist and Antique in Ihe Mitchelson Cup) will be absent, not having nominated, it looks as this is the topweight's one big chance to get another good stake in. The field is not strong, far from it, but what may prove the most likely factor to bring possible defeat to Antique is interference from some of the lightweights when they begin to drop back beaten in the final stages of the race. That was one of the reasons why Antique failed in the Avondale Cup The Te Rapa course is one that will suit Antique splendidly, for it is one of the best in the Dominion, with its long straight and negotiable bends. Outside of the topweight, Royal Artist, Speedmint and King's Areher are three that are in demand, and the . first pair are in the one stable and both may not run. Senorita in Light. It is to be hoped that the presence of Senorita's name among the horses weighted for the hack six furlongs at the Waikato meeting next Saturday does not scare all the other horses and frighten their own^rs against making the acceptance. For on form it looks as if th'e Waikato handicapper has handed joint owners of the Whirlwind filly a silver p latter containing the first money in the Taupiri Hack. However, the times are too bad to keep horses in their boxes without giving them a chance to earn their keep, and so it is more than probable that these owners will insist upon their horses keeping their engagement in the Taupiri Hack next Saturday in the hope that Senorita will either break down or fall down. If therTis anything in form it looks as if a mishap will be necessary to prevent Senorita from winning. It was very surp-rising to northern sportsmen to s>ee Senorita start in the Great Northern Guineas, for it was generally considered that this event was much beyond her. But there was a real surprise in store, for the filly ran rather a wonderful race for a horse whose sole claim t6 recognition was^an easy victory from an unpretentious lot of maiden platers at Marton a month or two earlier. As the Guineas field was making for the straight at Ellerslie Senorita was notieed very wide out, probably as much as half a dozen horses away from the rails — why she was there only her jockey knows — but despite this fact she came home very strongly and finally finished fourth. Lost a Good D'ividend. Backers of Senorita had every reason to be aggrieved at the poor judgment exhibited by her rider, for they were really entitled to a double figure dividend for second. Had she been kept reasonably close in on the top bend she must have finished second, for she was not a length' behind Pillow Fight, the second horse. Among those behind Senorita in the Guineas finish were Jonathan, Midinette, Prolyxo, Greek Gold and Aeseulus. Jonathan, earrying 812, ought to have beaten Carfex wit ha good run in the straight the second day; Prolyxo went a good race in the h'ack seven the same day, right up on the heels of the placed division; and Greek Gold finished third in the open sprint, Yet- these were the horses that Senorita finished in front of, as well as being almost up* in the Guineas with Pillow Fight and Tea T'rader. In this manner was Senorita "shown UP'' to observa.nt backers, who are on their toes now waiting for her to malce her next appearance. But if the filly was shown up to Ellerslie patrons the Waikato handicapper was blissfully ignorant of her great effort in town hall class, for he allotted her 7.6 in the Taupiri Hack, six furlongs, at Te Rapa next Satur-

: day. Just how this appeals will be recognised when it is stated that th'e . Auckland handicapper awarded her . (after the Guineas) 8.6 in the Norman- ; by Handicap, and naturally she did ; not accept. In the Taupiri Hack, Senorita has 7.6 only, or no less than 141b less that the A.R.C. ofncial, who saw the Guineas contest, gave her. On these fig- ; ures one could not name the odds about the Whirlwinw filly for her Te Rapa engagements next week-end. It is like a gift from the gods for the two owners of Senorita, and it is fully expected that they will take full advantage of the chance presented to them, if they do not want to wait for a bebter stake than that offering at Te Rapa. Obviously the Waikato handicapper was not present at the racing at Ellerslie, and it would be exceedingly interesting to hear the comment of owners and trainers with horses engaged in the race in being called upon to give away weight to Senorita, whose handicap is a ridiculous one.