A Fine Field is Engaged in Classic EPISODE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 322, 5 April 1928, Page 12

A Fine Field is Engaged in Classic

EPISODE

Champagne Stakes will Be Real Thriller

RAASAY OR PRINCE HUMPHREY?

One of the most thrilling races seen in the G.N. Champagne Stakes is in prospect on Saturday at Ellerslie, for a really great field of two-year-olds is engaged. -Nil the smartest youngsters now in commission are represented, and it would need but the two southerners, Childsplay and Silver Paper, to be on hand also to complete the list. Unfortunately this pair are out in the paddock, having failed to stand up to their work. Without them, however, Saturday’s race. promises to give the public something to enthuse over. A COSMOPOLITAN LOT

It is satisfactory to note that all parts of the North Island are represented: Freehold and Episode from Wanganui, a district that already has had its full share of two-year-old classic winners at Ellerslie; Gold Money, Prince

Humphrey, Avon Court, Mithra and White Wings from Auckland; Prodice from .Te Awamutu; Raasay from Hastings; Staghunter from Trentham, and Mooregas from Palmerston North. Thus every important training centre except Taranaki has its hope. Heading the list is Freehold, a youngster that comes from a family of speed merchants, hut he has won one race j only to date. That was at Wanganui, I and there in a minor handicap he was ridden for the greater part of the journey, tactics which are obviously necessary. THE PRINCE THE BEST? With half the season covered, i.e., I after the Wellington summer meeting, j Prince Humphrey finished in front of | the other two-year-olds in the Welling- j ton Stakes, and he was therefore ! acknowledged generally as the best j two-year-old in what was rather a! confusing series of results So far as j the season had gone. His defeat by Kiosk and Reremoana at Wanganui somewhat disegunted his claims, and then when he failed to gain a situation in the Challenge Stakes at Trentham last month it was obvious that he had gone off a bit. With Raasay second to Reremoana in that event the latter had then to be taken into account in arriving at a decision as to the best youngster. RAASAY'S STRONG CLAIMS That result certainly served to put Raasay on the map. At the start of the season the Hawke’s Bay youngster was regarded in a favourable light, and at his first start he accounted for Tea Miss, who had scored the previous day. After this however, Raasay appeared to lose all form, and it was nearly four months later that lie staged a come-back. This was at Ellerslie at Christmas. Then 1 Raasay finished strongly in third place to Staghunter and Childsplay, Prince Humphrey being behind him. At the same meeting Raasay came out with 9.9 in the Juvenile Handicap and led all the way, giving nothing else a show. It was apparent then that the chestnut was above the ordinary, not

so much the fact that he carried a big weight and won, but the manner in which he accomplished his task. Now his second in the Challenge Stakes at Trentham has placed him on the pinnacle. STAGHUNTER DISAPPOINTS Since springing a mild surprise here at Christmas by defeating Childsplay and company, Staghunter has not done as well as expected. Indeed he failed badly in the Wellington Stakes. Last Saturday he went under at Masterton to a fair sort of filly in Miss Gowrie, to whom he was conceding over two stone, but that form was not such as to be taken much notice of. That race should serve him in good stead this week-end. Mooregas has come on a lot of late; nevertheless unless he is very much better than expected he will find the company too select on Saturday. So too will Avon Court, Mithra (a useful second string to Prince Humphrey, however). Prodice and White Winge. BRILLIANT FILLIES It would seem to appear that the . fillies will have two very strong re- ’ presentatives in Episode and Gold i Money. The latter has only started on two occasions, on each day of the Te Aroha meeting six weeks ago, and she won handsomely. On the second day the distance was six furlongs, and with over eight stone up she won every bit as easily as on the previous race day. Mithra was second to her, and taking a line through the Taka- 1 nini filly Gold Money is undoubtedly good. Whether she comes up to the best standard remains to be seen: Saturday will tell. EPISODE COMES GOOD W. Rayner has been very patient with the Limond filly Episode, but he now has her just right. She won very easily over six furlongs at Trentham last month, carrying 9.3, and gave 1 nothing else a show. If she can manage the turns all right this filly will make it interesting. At present it appears as if the best of the fillies may be Episode and Gold Money, and they will make a big race of it with Raasay and Prince Humphrey, who may be the elect of the stronger sex. This race will decide which is the best two-year-old of the

second to Joy King at Trentham, and now the latter has gone up ten pounds and Bright Glow five. Will that bring them together? Looking back on the Thompson Handicap one cannot but consider that Joy King will once again finish in front of the mare. The latter will be having her first race at Ellerslie, and the writer admits to a slight prejudice to horses making their first appearance on a right handed course, particularly here. After running Joy King fairly close at Trentham, Bright Glow won the sprint two days later. On the West Coast of this Island they will have nothing but Bright Glow. Paganelli’s Stamina

From what has been seen of Paganelli this season one is inclined to the view that the Lord Quex three-year-old likes to be out in front having things all his own way. He has yet to win beyond six furlongs, and as his stamina has more than once been called into question it does not look like him seeing out the mile. One thing is certain, Paganelli’s running will be watched with interest, fo.r the handicapper has treated him as the best of his age engaged, and we know what a brilliant sprinter he is. Money Order appears next on the list. He is on hand, and as he has won several of his races from the back it is just probable that he will be one of the place getters. However, several could be fancied in preference to the Southerner. Wanganui’s Pair A useful pair are Lysander and Laughing Prince. The former ran very honestly at Trentham. and a come back would not be a surprise to those who have seen him working the last few days. At his best the Absurd horse would be next door to a certainty. Laughing Prince missed the jump-out in the Thompson Handicap, and con- j sequently had the hardest part to do. He finished well, and a couple of days later scored in the mile and three furlongs handicap. There is just the shadow of a suspicion that the Quantock colt will be hardly brilliant enough our. of the slips to get a good position early, although he has done so at Eller- j slie before, but in much smaller fields j