Will Royal Mint Atone for Failure ?

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 465, 21 September 1928, Page 6

Will Royal Mint Atone for Failure ?

LIKELY CUP QUINTETTE

AFTER a lapse of three years, the Avondale Cup will, tomorrow, be run on the home course, and by way of celebrating’ the return to Avondale quite a good field has been paid up for in this mile and a-half handicap contest —generally a rather gruelling race at this stage of the racing year to all but those horses thoroughly seasoned.

Included in to-morrow’s field are three veterans of the turf, whose career is sufficiently versatile at this stag© to justify their taking on the younger horses. These hardened performers are Te Kara, the winner of this event 12 months ago, run at Ellerslie; The Hawk, who on the evening of his racing life is being asked to win over a distance of ground; and

last, gallant Nukumai, the winner of the Grand National Hurdles last month. This trio is now in the sere and yellow stage, but the vintage is good. When Te Kara scored last year it was agreed upon by many that it was a false race, and although one does not like to detract from a fine performance registered by such a gallant horse, subsequent events served to indicate that the opinion expressed was correct. On the other hand Royal Mint was regarded as the unlucky horse in the race, and in support of this he won on the second day. Tomorrow Royal Mint has been given a royal chance of making up for his failure of 12 months ago, and he should be one of the most difficult to beat. With Star Stranger in the field Mr. F. J. McManemin’s task of finding a top-weight was made easy, even if it did undoubtedly cause him food for thought. His problem was just how much to give the Martian gelding, and at the same time make an equable range, so as not to drive the good performers out and to scare the

others. An acceptance of 16 showed how successfully the handicupper accomplished his task. It will not bo disputed that with 10.0 Star Stranger should not win, at least so early in the season. He has had two sprint races this month, which sums up his efforts in public, and although he is more forward than he was this time last season, thanks to the almost springlike winter, his task is a most formidable one. Rather should one wait for the New Zealand Cup, with its maximum weight 9.6! By then Star Stranger ought to bo at his best. He did a great gallop yesterday. Receiving 81b from the top-weight is Mask, and ho is preferred. Last season the Limond gelding was at the top of his form. He is coming to hand early this term, for he ran a great race against the crack sprinters last Saturday, being less than a neck behind Laughing Prince at the finish of the Eclipse Stakes. Hitherto Mask has been regarded with suspicion at distances beyond a mile and a-quar-ter, over which he has registered his best performances, but there appears to be no reason to say he will not stay better now. And let it not be forgotten that Avondale, with its home stretch of over two furlongs, is essentially a stayer’s course. The Hawk is not fancied over this journey, although his sire has got our best stayers. He showed a lot of pace last Saturday in the Eclipse, petering out a furlong and a-half from home. Te Kara has not done much

racing of late, but at Te Rapa at the back end of the season be was in rare form. Nukumai, probably the most seasoned horse in the race, is as versatile as ever, and on the Avondale track he has more than an outside chance. He is a horse that takes some riding, and as he will be properly served in this respect to-morrow he may be a danger to the more fancied candidates. TJiat long straight will suit him, too. A lot has been heard of King Lu's chances, and his fine burst of speed in the Eclipse was illuminating. Those who contend that he has a second to none chance —and they are indeed numerous—base their judgment on his showing in the Clifford Plate at Ellerslie on January 2 last. Personally the writer does not agree with this viewpoint, lor to him Rapier absolutely donkey-licked King Lu. On the other hand the latter is now a thoroughly seasoned performer; the element of doubt is as to his stamina. His light weight may enable him to fulfil expectations, for he is coming down the scale fast, even in the sprints. Reserved for the Flying, King Lu almost looks like one to go nap on with 8.7. His owner-trainer also had Queen Arch in the Cup, and she has been withdrawn in favour of King Lu. That in itself is illuminating.

Valkon, despite his Wanganui failures, should be all the better for his racing. He led for nine furlongs on Saturday, and more judiciously handled may see it out. However, Ellerslie may see this good horse at his best. Paitonu is a hard puller, and a horse of many moods, yet withal he has speed to burn. He is a dangerous one to pass over, and a risky one to back. He is regarded as a doubtful runner. Bisox, like Paitonu, Is by the defunct Bisogne, whose stock have been better known as sprinters. Both Paitonu and Bisox have won oyer 10 furlongs, the latter in the Parliamentary Handicap under the 9.0 minimum as recently as a couple of months ago, a performance followed a month later by a win in the Winter Cup. Those two successes alone represented excellent form.

Desert Glow appeared to be off colour last season, although at times he gave glimpses of his old form. Sir Archie’s best effort to date was the winning of the Franklin Cup, but he can scarcely be seasoned sufficiently for a warm mile and a-half. On the other hand the chestnut galloped brilliantly at Ellerslie yesterday. This brings us to Royal Mint, of whose prospects favourable mention has already been made. He made an appearance at New Plymouth three weeks ago, finishing fourth in the open sprint, and then went on to Marton to beat all but Queen Arch (whose head remained in front of him) in the handicap, one and a-quarter miles. A failure at ‘Wanganui followed, but the course there would be altogether unsuitable for him. The soft going tomorrow, and the roomy course with its long run in* wall suit Royal Mint admirably and with Mclnally, the promising lightweight, to drive him along over the last bit, his chances ore considered rosy-liued. The Catmint gelding appears none the worse for liis Wanganui mishap. Vivo is an in and outer, and Beau Cavalier will have a small army of followers. It cannot be said that he has no chance, but it will be a surprise to many if the Beau shows hisi field the way to go home. King Emerald displayed surprisingly good form during the winter months when tried up to a mile and a-quarter, and his splendid second to Queen Arch in the Cornwall was really a slashing effort. Of the trio on the minimum, King Emerald appeals most. That completes a brief run through the field. Suffice it to say now that the half dozen to make most appeal are (in the order in which they appear on the handicaps): Mask, Nukumai, Valkon, King Lu, Sir Archie and Royal Mint. The final summing up, with this sextette fined

down to a pair, appears elsewhere. The field for the Avondale Cup, showing the owner’s name, breeding, age, weight, trainer and jockey, is given below:—

PROBABLE RUNNERS AND RIDERS

STAR STRANGER (A. B. Williams), b g, by Martian—Star Lady, 6yrs. 10.0 (J. H. Jefterd, Hastings) S. HENDERSON MASK (G. M. Currie), br g, by Limond—Cowl, 6yrs, 9.6 (W. Rayner, Wanganui) B. H. MORRIS THE HAWK (J. M. Cameron), br g, by Martian—Sparrowhawk, lOyrs, 5.6. (Owner, Hastings) J. BARRY TE KARA (M. H. Tims), b g, by General Latour—March, lOyrs, 8.5 (A. Cook, Te Awamutu) . A. E. ELLIS NUKUMAI (S. G. Davidson), br g, by Manchineel—St. Clements mare, lOyrs, 8.2 (A. M. Wright, Foxton) T. GREEN KING LU (R. B. Hines), b h, by Lucullus —Shower Gold, 6yrs, 8.2. (Owner, Te Aroha) A. TINKER VALKON (P. G. Harper), b g, by Valkyrian—Glacier, syrs, 7.13. (J. H. Wallace, Te Aroha) R. McTAVISH PAITONU (K. Tito), ch g, by Bisogne—Monaghan, 6yrs, 7.9. (J. Fryer, Hawera) BISOX (R. Hicks), b m, by Bisogne—Canary Creeper, 6yrs, 7.3. (J. Brown, Hawera) T. METCALF DESERT GLOW (D. R. Walker), br g, by Day Comet—Lady Winsome, Syrs, 7.3. (F. E. Loomb, Te Awamutu) H. WIGGINS ROYAL MINT (W. G. Emery), b g, by Catmint—Polly Perkins, 6yrs, 7.1. (R. Brough, Hawera) O. McINALLY SIR ARCHIE (F. T. Stenning), ch g, by Archiestown—Lady Marble, 7yrs, 7.1. (Owner, Ellerslie) p. BRADY VIVO (D. I. George), ch m, by Polydamon—Melodise, 6yrs, 7.0. (C. Jackson, Hawera) J. POTTER BEAU CAVALIER (A. G. Quartley), b g, by Chesterfield—Finland mare, Syrs, 7.0. (S. Tooman, Ellerslie) S. BRYCE KING EMERALD (W, Kemp), b g, by Nassau— Miss Ethel, syrs, 7.0. (Owner, Ellerslie) ... .... ... .. ..... ... ... ... „ „ .. J. CAM MICK