RACING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 405, 13 July 1928, Page 7

RACING

(Continued.)

brilliant gaze a NEAR-CHAMPION WINTER hurdles prospects (Special to THE SUN) WELLINGTON, To-day. ran Nukumai repeat last year’s performance by winning the £I,OOO sJ inte r Hurdles at Trentham to- ] who injured himself -Hahtly on Wednesday, be fully rerevered from his ailment to do "self justice; and is Aberfeldy, j " h 0 put up a very creditable showne in the Trentham Hurdles, class j enough at the weights for these two brilliant hurdlers. These are the problems of back- I ers solving the question as to what w j|| win to-morrow s big hurdie race. jjukumai's two brilliant performances at Trentham this week reveal that he is right at the top of his form, tnd keen judges who have seen him jn ac tion regard him as certain to win to-morrow’s important race; notwithstanding that he will be burdened with the steadier of 11.13 on a dead track. They contend that he lias never been u 0 well as at present, and are unprepared to hear of his defeat. fled Fuchsia, who has yet to make his appearance at the meeting, looks a very fit horse, and with 11.4 he must be considered. But at a difference of only 9H>. he seems too close to Nukumai, and it may be beyond him to concede weight to some of those lower down in the handicap. Kawini ran so poorly in the Wellington Steeples that he cannot be £iven a chance to-morrow, but Beau Cavalier may be hard to beat. In the Wellington Steeples Beau Cavalier was by no means all out when he came to grief, and, had he .survived the sod wall, there is little doubt he would have won. To-morrow his 10.2 should be a luxury to him, and he might repeat his Great Northern Hurdles performance. Will Gaze Be Right? Gaze, the winner of the Trentham Hurdles, provided that lie suffers no ill effects from the slight injury that befell him on Wednesday, is going to be a thorn in Nukumai’s side. In the Trentham Hurdles he unwound a powerful run in the straight, and his electrifying spurt simply amazed onlookers. He left his field standing. Gaze has demonstrated his class before to-day, and with such a pull in the weights from Nukumai he looks the winner of to-morrow’s race. Aberfeldy Is likely to be a popular choice with backers, and, taking his running in the Trentham Hurdles as a guide, he should run a great race. On Wednesday he was standing the leaders up an appreciable start with five furlongs to go, but he simply bounded along over the concluding furlong, and finished full of running. To-morrow the Quin Abbey gelding will meet Gaze on exactly the same terms as on Wednesday, and Southerners are confident that he will turn the tables. Te Awamutu's Hope Mia Bella came from a long way back to fill fifth place in the Trentham Hurdles, but even allowing for the fact that she will carry only a ligh impost, she will need to improve considerably to win. Patuki won the High Weight Handicap yesterday in impressive style, and maybe he and Kauri Park will prove the best of the light weights. Summed up the race looks like developing into a duel between Nukumai and Gaze. The latter is better now than for some considerable time, and his stamina, his tenacity, and his brilliance will enable him to put up a great race against Nukumai. Perhaps the places will go to GAZE, NUKUMAI, ABERFELDY.