Cup Tussle

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 477, 5 October 1928, Page 10

Cup Tussle

WILL TOP WEIGHTS PREVAIL ? The Chances of Mask WHILE the classics have their own following, the majority of racegoers in advance of a meeting are more interested in the potential winners of the two principal handicap events. The Mitchelson Cup to-morrow is the big contest coming under this heading, and with a first-class field it is going to be a splendid race.

The finding of the winner of the Mitchelson Cup is by no means a simple task, for the fact that it is run over a mile and a-half, together with the knowledge that it is as yet very early in the season, renders a pretty problem for the seekers after fortune. Many good handicap horses will be included among those due to line up at Ellerslie to-morrow, and with them well up in the weights and a decided tail in the handicap rather suggests that the winner should come from among something in the middle of the field. The problem is to fix upon the right one. That is how it appeals on paper, although the writer is not going to stick to that belief too strictly. Later On Carrying number one cloth is Star Stranger, one of the best performers in the Dominion to-day. He is more forward than he was at this stage 12 months ago, and with the work he has been doing he should be ready to run a really good race. He has the steadier of 9.12, however, and it being so early in the season he cannot be sufficiently seasoned to see a mile and a-half right out the first week in October. He has galloped well on the Avondale and Ellerslie tracks, and that will ensure him being sought after by lovers of a good galloper. His effort on Tuesday was impressive, but it must be remembered that he carried fully two stone below to-morrow’s impost. Mask Preferred Receiving 81b from Star Stranger is Mask, who has had several thrilling struggles with the top-weight. The Limond gelding, is not so big-framed as the top-weight, and therefore is likely to come to hand quicker. As evidence of this, it cannot be forgotten than he ran third in the Eclipse Stakes, seven and a-quarter furlongs, at Wanganui three weeks back, and finished in front of Reremoana, and within half a length of Laughing

fancied are Papatu and Sir Archie, who appears to have made a complete recovery from the injury that came against him prior to the Pakuranga meeting. Desert Glow is an unknown quantity these days, having joined the ranks of the “iffys”—a type to leave well alone. Papatu comes from the Te Awamutu tracks, a fact that should be in his favour, for that training centre had things very nearly all its own way at Avondale. Taken all round it is an interesting field, and should provide a most interesting struggle, which may resolve itself into a duel between the horses at the top and the middle of the handicap. The final summing-up of the possibilities appears elsewhere. The following are the probable starters with their riders: MITCHELSON CUP Of £1,500; 1£ miles. Star Stranger (A. Tinker) . . 9 12 Mask (B. H. Morris) 9 4 Te Kara (R. McTavish) 9 4 Laughing Prince (L. G. Morris) 8 10 The Hawk (J. Barry) 8 4 Valkon (L. Manson) 7 12 Catkin (H. Wiggins) .. .. .... 7 6 Royal Mint (T. Green) 7 6 Mint Leaf (C. Goulsbro) ...... 7 6 Queen Arch ( —) 7 2 Desert Glow (J. Cammick) .. 7 0 Papatu (J. Day) 7 0 Transformer (S. Tremain) .. .. 7.0 Tidal (—) 7 0 Sir Archie (J. S. Potter) 7 0

Prince and Kiosk- This event was run under the weight-for-age scale, so that it shows that Mask is probably a better horse now than ever. Mask’s gallop on Tuesday struck one as superb, for although he was only carrying a light boy he was pulling just as hard at the finish as in the early stages. In fact he was almost fighting with his rider, and yet he finished in front and probably covered more ground than any of his three companions. His forward running at Wanganui leans one to recommend him Te Kara’s Prospects In his training work prior to the Avondale meeting old Te Kara hit out with all his old abandon, and his running at the suburban course showed that he was right back at his best. He ran third in the Avondale Cup, and won the Plumpton Handicap the second day hands down. Now the tracks are getting a bit dry he will not have soft ground in his favour, so it is probable that he will not repeat that form this week-end. In addition, he is now near the top in the weights, and that seems certain to tell the tale, for Te Kara is now ton years old. Likes the Track Laughing Prince has run some of his very best races at Ellerslie, so it is apparent that he likes the reverse way of galloping. In fact he took to it the first time of asking, when he scored in the Welcome Stakes two years back. Laughing Prince, now a iour-year-old, can run out a good mile and a-half, and despite the fact that he is climbing near the top-weights, his chances for to-morrow and on Monday are highly regarded. On Tuesday morning the chestnut went a smart mile, the best of the morning, with a fair weight up, and the manner in which he did it showed him in a favourable light. The Hawk is to be tried over a distance, and it will be well to see him in action before accepting him as a stayer Will Valkon See It Out? In heavy ground in the Avondale Cup Valkon, up with the leaders at the turn, having come from well oack, finally finished fourth, a modest fourth at that, but it suggested that on a firmer track he would see out 12 furlongs. That was the conclusion come to after closely observing his performance. He is in at just the handy weight, and if anything is to upset the heavilyweighted horses then it is his chance. A horse with more than an outside chance is Catkin, who is very well, and scored in the handicap the first day at Wanganui, run over a course nearly half a mile shorter than to-mor-row’s contest. He lias to be taken on trust as a stayer, but it is interesting to note that the first race he won was half a furlong beyond a mile, suggesting that he likes time to find his feet. A Mudlark Given a muddy track. Royal. Mint should be a good betting proposition. On the other hand an easy track may do just as well, although he prefers it like a true Taranaki horse—-like a cowyard in mid-winter. Mint Leaf raced well the second day at Avondale, and when a bit sore failed badly at Ellerslie last Saturday. In this race he was made too much use of. and was ridden the best way to get beaten, for he is a sluggard and does not like being driven along. Perhaps he will be handled to better advantage ' tomorrow, in which case he is a possibility. Queen Arch had a let-up after Wanganui, and that may tell against her, as well as the distance. There are five on the bottom—Desert Glow, Papatu, Transformer, Tidal and Sir Archie. Of this the two most