THE TWO CUPS

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 142, 6 September 1927, Page 11

THE TWO CUPS

dual winners fOUR PREVIOUS SUCCESSES WILL IMPRINT MANAGE IT? At varying intervals the deci- ... of the National Cup, the prin!Ml event on the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s August programme, has acted in the nature of a guide to the ulti- ; mate winner of the Dominion’s most important event, which is run three months later. rE records show that in 1905 Birchmark, a four-year-old gelding by Birchvvood from Marksmaid, who belonged to the Allendale Stock Farm Company, gave the first cue in this direction. At the August fixture, D. J. price drove him home a winner, and in November he repeated the performance in the big event of the year. GOOD MARE SUCCEEDS It was not until 1919 that a candidate again succeeded in pulling off the double. Mr. W. H. Norton’s bonny are Trix Pointer accomplishing the trick. After the daughter of Demonio —Bally Pointer had won the National Cup in attractive style, her trainer, Fred Holmes, made no secret of his belief in her ability to add the New Zealand Trotting Cup to her list, and she justified his good opinions. A TRIPLE WINNER Three years later, Agathos, a solid na ft er by O. Y. M., from a Ha Ha mare, gave his supporters encouragement for success in the rich Dominion prize, by winning the National Cup in a manner that left no doubt as to his qualifications for the November contest. A. Butterfield landed the son of O.V.M. at the post in excellent condition and he never left the issue in doubt, defeating a solid field. 1922 was a prosperous year for Agathos, who recently “went west,” as three months prior to the National carnival he took out the first prize in the New Brighton Handicap. IMPRINT’S PROSPECTS No horse has succeeded in securing both cups since that date, but the National winner of the present year, Imprint, must be given a reasonable chance of repeating the performance of the quartette referred to. There has been a lot of comment on the manner of the Nelson pacer’s win in the big August Handicap, several considering that the son of Denver Huon was lucky in getting a “short cut” run. It has been freely stated that the reason Berkett was able to get the rail* was because no one else would take on the inside track, where the going was at its w orst. PROVED A CHAMPION This proves what: a champion Mr. T. B. Louisson’s horse must be to wade through the worst of the path and win in hollow fashion against a high-class field. Berkett may never get the opportunity again to crib the inner, and if he follows his customary policy of "scouting” on the extreme flank of the field the chances of Imprint annexing the New Zealand Cup will certainly be substantia-:ly discounted. These tactics have already cost the connections of the game and the brilliant son of Denver Huon one or two good stakes, but taking Imprint at his real racing vaTue it mi st be admitted that iru the forthcoming big handicap the Nelson representative has good prospects. He may make another bid to add to the list of dual Cup winners.