Pointers On Avondale Weights

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 149, 14 September 1927, Page 10

Pointers On Avondale Weights

As a two-year-old last season High Finance ran second to Cimabue in the Avondale Stakes, won the Wellesley Stakes at Trentham, second in the Welcome Stakes at Ellerslie (beaten a neck by Laughing Prince), and was second with 8.10 to Eulalie (9.3) in the Criterion Handicap at Ellerslie at the summer meeting. High Finance is engaged in the open sprint at the Avondale meeting next week, and it is surprising to find - her figuring on the minimum. There is no doubt as to the filly’s pace, for her form last season was at times brilliant, and on the seven stone mark at Avondale she is entitled to be the favourite. When High Finance met Laughing Prince in the Welcome Stakes at Ellerslie last November there was only the five pounds sex allowance between them, Laughing Prince winning by a neck. On Saturday week Laughing Prince has 8.6 and High Finance 7.0, and even allowing for the success of the former in the Eclipse Stakes last Saturday, High Finance is in remarkably light. MASTER DOON’S TREATMENT One that reads really well in the Avondale Cup week is the consistent Master boon. He has been awarded 8.1, and at that seems to have been treated most handsomely, considering the fact that last season he won five races in open company and was placed in six other events. He scored in the York Handicap, one mile, with 9.6 at the Auckland winter meeting, and followed this up with a third under 10.2 in the Wellington Parliamentary Handicap, 12 miles, and a second two days later in the Winter Oats, one mile, carrying 10.4. At the Pakuranga Hunt gathering Master Doon carried 10.5 and won the Jellicoe Handicap, 12 miles. Te Kara was well beaten into fourth place, and he is allowed but five pounds, while Queen Arch (second) comes in on a couple of pounds better terms. The company in the Avondale Cup is stronger than that experienced at the winter meetings, and yet with the going as soft as It appears certain to be the Master cannot be overlooked. MASK AND ALLOWAY In. the Marangai Handicap (8| furlongs) at Wanganui last week, Mask conceded Alloway 181bs. and a head beating. In the Avondale Cup there is now 201bs. separating them, Alloway being allowed a couple of pounds for

that head. Mask can improve on his Wanganui effort a bit mofe than Alloway perhaps, for it was his first race since Easter, and in consequence there is every reason to expect Mask to run a great race in the Avondale Cup. There seems little doubt that he will stay the mile and a-half, even if a distance beyond that is outside his compass. WELL UP IN WEIGHT Te Monanui has to pay the penalty of his third in the Marangi Handicap at Wanganui last week, for his weight has come down two pounds only, while the imposts on others in the same race that finished behind him have come

down as follows in the Avondale Cup: Degage 91b, Beacon Light Sib, Eden Hall 101 b, Imperial Spark 141 b, Royal Mint 91b and Mint Leaf 61b. Those that have gone up are Mask 41b and Alloway 21b. When Delightment won the open sprint at the Pakuranga Hunt he. had 10.9 with a 9.0 minimum. Now at Avondale in a similar event he has 8.11, and is right up among the good ones. However, as the track is certain to be soft on the day he will still take some beating. One that might bother him is Covent Garden, who showed at Wanganui that he is a smart sprinter. As it stands at present the field is rather too unwieldy, but it will be considerably reduced by acceptance time —5 p.m. on Friday next.