Hardest For Years— The Wellington Cup

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 257, 20 January 1928, Page 6

Hardest For Years — The Wellington Cup

WELLINGTON. Thursday. The Wellington Cup will be run at Trentliam on Saturday, and at the time of writing there is every reason to believe that a big field will go to the post and that the race will be run on a course as hard as concrete and exceptionally fast. The only chance of the course being in other than this condition is a fall of rain at the eleventh hour or a thoroughly good watering. There is a good carpet of grass on the course, but beneath this carpet the ground is as hard as ground can become. The race is one of the hardest in the country to win, and this year's contest is generally voted to be one of the hardest for years past on account of the comparative evenness of the field and the excellence of the handicap. There have been better fields, perhaps, but not fields that have presented greater difficulties to the speculator. THE MOST FAVOURED Though top-weights have not fared well in Wellington Cups and tliree-vear-olds have not won many of the contests in recent years, the topweight, Star Stranger, and. a tliree-year-old, Laughing Prince, are almost certain to be among the favourites when the machine closes on Saturday afternoon. All recent form points to Star Stranger having a big say in the race,

(Special to THE SUN)

•and as lie will have tl R. Reed, he will be well S€rv **s > .score of horsemanship «a *1 i will have to carry is not a „ *•* i. weight and lie will be £ Prr *ibin,! his favourite distance 5 which seems to suit hi a, L®, any in New Zealand. °* u 'r tkj. One of the favourites i. the Manawatu mare who string ot important races 4 *l>s, Those who saw her at pC did not see her at MaiuSS? ** stratrord at holiday time fill if she is as good as «il. dc5 Vbe. There is reason for but she is much better now was in the spring, and if nro*?® well as her trainer expects***!'*? *» her she will run a big rare ° ‘“* T be finishing on when most ot will have had enough. M fcfc , MAS <’S PROSPECTS Wanganui is exceptionally w the prospects of Mask, and tC” 1 bred gelding should run the of her career on Saturday , !*» he will have to do that ~*» *** is expected by his friends to Btile full journey, and with slS®'patient rider as F>. H. Morris eT* » him he might do so. H e L*° those with a good chance °°' *t Here we kr.ow very little of Se, c but we do know that the South hirers think well of her chance judgment should be respected’ Ij ing Prince is better now Ulan TT*' other stage of liis racing carm? “ T under 7.13 he should run a In fact, if he improves a shade Derby form, as he ought to must be one of the hardest hniT the whole field. H. Wigging w® ? his rider. 1 « Of Joy Rird it can be said that l is remarkably fit, but it is if she is quite class enough. ment has to be taken on trutt , David Garrick does not look enough for the company. Papata worked well since' coming to freiiUi.. and he seems a possibility. ,yrk Black Mint and Overhaul also worked well within the last few 4?" and cannot be altogether ejected. ' Still, when it comes to fining it dm, Piuthair, Star Stranger and LaiwhtaPrince appear to be the pick of difficult field.

HUIKAI SCORES AGAIN ATARERIA IMPROVES WAIROA MEETING CoNClffl» Press Association. /, WAIROA, Thursday - . The second day of the Wairoa a**, ing Club’s mee ting was held tM» in splendid weather, and before a W attendance. The totalisator £9.496, a decrease of £746 CGmpanti with the second day last year, tin total for the meeting was against £19,054 last year, a decrease of £743 for the two days.