Mitchelson Cup Weights Compared

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 162, 29 September 1927, Page 6

Mitchelson Cup Weights Compared

With practically the same fields entered for the Mitchelson Cup that he had handicapped for the Avondale Cup, Mr. McManemin did not have a very difficult task in framing his adjustments for the big and valuable mile and a half event to be decided at Ellerslie next Saturday week. To Kara, winner of the Avondale Cup, has gone up nine pounds, whereas Royal Mint, fourth in that event and winner of the Plumpton Handicap, ten furlongs, on Monday, has been raised eleven pounds, so that he actually meets, Te Kara, his conqueror of Saturday, on a couple of pounds worse terms. Making every allowance for Royal Mint’s defeat in the Avondale Cup, it is obvious that he by no means has the best of it as compared with the top weight. The only newcomers in the Mitchelson Cup are Tresham and Nippy, and neither on last week-end form should be very troublesome. The former added to his record for erratic performances by his failures in weak company at Napier. One of the most notable features of the handicap is the fact that Mask has been dropped four pounds, which is more than any other horse has been allowed. However, Mask's form in his two outings at Ellerslie were nothing

if not poor. He is now back to the weight he carried when he scored at Wanganui on a dry turf. The following list shows the actual weights given (and carried, in the case of Master Doon and Mint Leaf, their riders carrying over-weight) in the Avondale Cup and the Plumpton Handicap, together with the finishing position occupied by each horse that started in either of these events (where no figure is shown the horse did not run), and the handicaps allotted for the Mitchelson Cup. The Avondale Cup and Mitchelson Cup distance is one mile and a half, and the Plumpton Handicap a. mile and a quarter. Here is the table:

M.C. A.C. P.H. Te Kara .. .. . 9.7 8.12 (1) — Star Strailg-er . 9.4 9.5 9.5 (15) Te Monanui . 9.4 9.5 (11) Beacon Light . 8.10 8.10 Ma sk . 8.8 8.12 <6) 8.11(13) Transformer . 8.7 8.8 Eden Hall .. . 8.1 8.2 (3) 8.3 (11) Master Loon . 7.13 8.2 (12) 8.2 (9) Tresham . 7.12 Royal Mint . 7.12 7.1 (4) 7.1 (1) Desert Glow . 7.8 7.10 (10) 7.9 (12) Cohesion . 7.5 7.0 (2) Delightment . 7.4 7.4 Alloway .. .. 7.6 (7) Lord Star . 7.1 7.0 (9) Llandudno .. . 7.0 7.2 Phaola . 7.0 7.0 Mint Leaf .. . 7.0 7.3 (5) Queen Arch .. . 7.0 7.0 (8) 7.0 (8) Nippy . 7.0