Puzzle of The Thompson Handicap

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 303, 14 March 1928, Page 10

Puzzle of The Thompson Handicap

TO-MORROW’S CONTEST AT TRENTHAM

THE principal event at Trentham to-morrow —opening' day of the Wellington autumn meeting—is the Thompson Handicap which, with its exceptionally brilliant field of 23, promises to provide a stirring tussle, but there are several other impor tant races to come up for decision. The first day's programme is reviewed below.

THE course should be in fine order A after recent rain, and this splendid racing track promises to be the scene of many stirring contests tomorrow and on Saturday. The first race ils the FIRST HIGH-WEIGHT Of £260; 11 miles „ , , _ st lb st lb Bright Day .10 11 Panorama . 9 8 Ural la . . . 10 10 Lady Gay . 9 6 Quarter Lancer .... 9 3 Deck ... 10 3 Fallow .... 9 0 Nucleus . . 912 Northeners have a particular interest in this race, for there is an excellent prospect of the stake coming North. Bright Day, Uralla, Quarterdeck, Panorama, Lady Gay and Lancer are a few that will not lack support, but recent form points strongly to BRIGHT DAY and URALLA. Next is the three-year-old classic, the NEW ZEALAND ST. LEGER STAKES Of £1,000; 1| miles. Damaris Satrap Discourse Shalimar Doree Talisker Great Charter Wild Pigeon With Agrion, Martarma, Laughing Prince and a few others of the good three-year-olds out, the field seems to be of second class only. Those that could be recommended are Great Charter (who will be bracketed with Doree), Damaris, Discourse, Satrap, Talisker and Wild Pigeon. It will be interesting to see how the betting goes in this even field, but perhaps SATRAP and GREAT CHARTER will be found carrying most money. No less than 23 figure in the PLUNKET NURSERY Of £300; 5 furlongs Tea Miss . . 810 Cashier ..76 Mithra .... 8 7 Prickles ... 7 6 Marion’s Armourette . 7 5 Birthday . 8 7 Clarendon . 7 3 Mooregas ..87 Boston ... 7 3 Flying Hero . 8 5 Tcheka ... 7 2 Knightlike . 8 2 First Ruler . 7 2 Banket ... 7 12 Gold Bag ..70 Royal Duke . 7 12 Kentish Miss Ransom 7 10 Lady ... 7 0 Flicker ... 7 10 Dancing Star 7 0 Briar Root . 7 7 Degree .... 7 0 Jet Black ..76 There are several that can be accorded chances, among them Tea Miss (who will find this track more suitable), Mithra, Marion’s Birthday, Mooregas, Flying Piero, Knightlike, Banket, Royal Duke, Miss Ransom, Flicker, Briar Root, Prickles, Clarendon and First Ruler. The most money will probably be found forthcoming in support of MITHRA and FLYING HERO. The youngsters put away, the way is paved for the big event, the THOMPSON HANDICAP Of £1,000; 1 mile Hynanna ..94 Bright Glow 7 11 Star Le Choucas . 7 11 Stranger . 9 4 Goshawk ..78 Rapier ... 9 2 Duke Abbey 7 10 The Hawk ..92 Joy Bird ..78 Set Sail ... 9 0 Doree ... 7 8 Kiosk .... 811 Vertigern ..76 Mandane ..85 Sudden Laughing Storm ... 7 6 Prince ..83 Lady Limond 7 4 Joy King ..83 Cerf .... 7 0 White Fang 8 0 Twlnlc ... 70 Tresham . . 7 12 Don Jose ..70 It is probable that no field of this strength has ever contested this race, which will provide: a wonderful contest, in which the s!.ow beginners would do just as well if left in their stalls. Ten that should at least play a prominent part a.re Hynanna, Rapier, Set Sail, Kiosk, Laughing Prince (or if abseht his stable mate Mandane), Joy King, Tresham, Goshawk, Le Choucas and Doree (who will probably be started here in preference to the St. Leger). It Is an exceedingly difficult task to reduce them still further, but a couple that promise to be in big de-

mand by backers are LAUGHING PRINCE and JOY KING. Next is the NORTH ISLAND CHALLENGE STAKES Of £1,000; 7 furlongs. Civility Lysander Concentrate Prince Humphrey Crown Area Reremoana Eulalie Phillipic Gascony Shirley Kiosk Raasay Laughing Prince Swoopalong But for the full penalty, which places him at the top, one would prefer Kiosk’s chances, hero to the Thompstarted he may be encouraged to go on with it. £ Has Run Well Lately How a horse will rise from obscurity into prominence is instanced in the case of Star Comet, who has recorded two wins and a similar number of seconds in his last four starts. At the recent Te Aroha meeting he showed himself in a new light when he won the Champion Hack Cup and on the concluding day registered a second. He was expected to give a good account of himself in his engagements at the Franklin meeting, and after running a good second to Piet in the Onewhero Handicap, on the first day, was produced in the High-Weight on the concluding day, in which he scored a meritorious victory by a small margin from Uralla. Star Comet is an improving gelding and may be expected to win in much better company *than he has met up to date. Macroom Is Consistent Consistency has been the feature of Macroom’s running since he ran a dead-heat with Ti Tree in the Takapuna Plate at the spring meeting of that club. With an allowance of 51b. in the Tuakau Handicap on the first day he did not command a great deal of support, and was allowed to go out at an acceptable price. A smart beginner, Macroom soon established a nice lead, and was in t’*-; van when turning into the home sketch. Prince Otto threw out a challenge at the distance, but was unable to make an impression on the winner. The daughter of the defunct Archiestown figured among the starters in the Massey Memorial the second day, and probably if she had not been made too much use of in the early stages of the race may have improved upon the creditable fourth she registered. There is a disposition to regard Macroom as a sprinter, but a middle distance will suit her later on.

son, although it is probable under these circumstances that he will start in the handicap. Here, too, we come across Laughing Prince again, and if started he will be among the best backed. In the Australian-bred colt’s absence, however, there is another three-year-old that promises to be on hand, and that is Gascony. Then there are the two-year-olds Raasay and Prince Humphrey, not to overlook Reremoana. To sum up backers may be found going for (in Laughing

Prince’s absence) GASCONY and PRINCE HUMPHREY. The mile hack race follows. SILVERSTREAM HANDICAP Of £300; 1 mile. Greengrocer 9 0 Fair Keddar ... 8 2 Exchange . 7 2: Rotowhero . 7 9 Court Kindle ... 7 6 Jester ... 7 0 Star God ... 7 4 Clavers . . 70 Wild Work . 7 4 Spearmiss . 7 0 Hymestrason 7 0 There is nothing outstanding in this event, and therefore it will be illuminating to find what is the actual favourite. Probably those to be best supported may include KEDDAR and GREENGROCER. The open sprint is next. RAILWAY HANDICAP Of £500; 6 furlongs The Hawk . 9 6 Arrow Lad . 7 6 Money Order 9 1 Singlespear . 7 2 Cimabue . . 810 Kilperon ..70 Shirley ..84 Silver Coot . 7 0 Limited ..79 Kilmoyler ..70 Broad Acre . 7 7 On his last showings at Trentham The Hawk cannot be ruled out of it

with this weight. Money Order, good sprinter that he is, is also climbing up the scale, but he is in great nick just now, and it is something to know that Green is to have the ride. Cimabue, too, may be expected to do well since his change of stables. Shirley failed badly at Napier, and will have to improve considerably; the second day at Trentham usually sees her at her best. Limited and Broad Acre should be prominent, and of those on the other side of the handicap a good word can be said for Arrow Lad and Silver Coot. It really looks as if the topweights will have the better of the argument, and perhaps it will be CIMABUE and MONEY ORDER that will carry most money. There is the usual big bunch in the concluding hack sprint, the TINAKORI HANDICAP Of £260; 6 furlongs Sarchee ... 9 0 Amorist . . 7 10 Scoff . ..88 Tom Bryne. . 7 9 King Midas . 8 8 Quantum ..79 Helotis ... 8 7 Rameses ..77 Subdivision. 8 6 Mendip ... 7 5 Tripaway . 8 4 Le Champ ..73 Kahu Arikl . 8 2 Little Queen 7 0 Panther ..82 Exhibition ..70 Dimmer ... 8 1 Vindication . 7 0 Vigilance . . 7 12 Handsome ..70 Royal Picture 7 10 Mark Mint . 7 0 Sarchee, Scoff, King Midas, Helotis, Subdivision, Kahu Ariki, Dimmer, Vigilance, Royal Picture, Quantum, Amorist, Le Champ and Little Queen strike one as perhaps the best of the bunch on current form, and the favoured division will no doubt come from among those mentioned. Two that will be heavily supported are LE CHAMP and SUBDIVISION. The meeting concludes on Saturday, when the Gold Cup comes up for decision. Included in the field for this event are three good ones at least in Rapier, Star Stranger and Hynanna, and probably the first-named will be the public selection.