RICCARTON TOPICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 500, 1 November 1928, Page 10

RICCARTON TOPICS

PINK NOTE AND THE CUP

WORD FOR BEACON LIGHT (Special to THE SUN) CHRISTCHURCH, Tuesday. The Soliferino gelding Tommy Dodd, who is at present located at Invercargill, will arrive at Riccarton this week, and will join W. Stone’s stable. Tommy Dodd returned to the Dominion a short time back after racing successfully in Victoria, but he is not too sound and a hard track might get to the bottom of him. However, if he stands up to continual racing and hard work he should more than pay his way, for at his best he is a smart galloper.

Childsplay suffered defeat in the Dunedin Guineas, won by Silver Paper, but since then she has done all that has been asked of her on the tracks, and she is in excellent order for her coming engagements. She has grown in favour over the week-end for the Stewards’ Handicap, and with a handy impost of 7.11 she must have a big chance. That she is a real speedster she has shown in the past, and if she hops out of the barrier smartly on Saturday she must take a power of beating. MAY ADD TO RECORD However, on form at Dunedin Silver Paper is preferred to the filly, and if he puts up a fast gallop to-morrow he might start favourite for the Stewards’. He is in great order at present and is a wonderfully improved three-year-old as a result of the two successful outings he had at the recent Wingatui meeting. So far this season he has not suffered defeat, and the general opinion is that he will come through his Riccarton engagements with high honours.

Full feather, a stable-mate to Childsplay, has trained on satisfactorily since the Wanganui meeting, and present intentions are to run him in the New Zealand Derby. In his recent track trials he lias acquitted himself satisfactorily, thus showing that he is an improved three-year-old, and in minor races he would be difficult to beat in his present form. I-Ie looks a colt who should be suited by a distance of ground, but a race like the Derby seems too rich for him. As a two-year-old he gave promise of developing good form, but his subsequent efforts showed that he was only a moderate.

Pink Note’s brilliant gallop with the imported horse Hoylake on Saturday was a very impressive performance, especially as lie went fast in the early stages, and was going strongly at the end. After his failure in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap there seems to be doubt about his ability to stay two miles, but it must be remembered that he brilliantly won last season’s Dunedin Cup, run over a mile and a-lialf, with 5.5, in the fast time of 2.32, and among those whom he defeated was Satrap, who subsequently won both St. Legers. Pink Note may not stay two miles in elite company, but with only 7.7 to carry, an impost which represents 271 b under weight-for-age, he should be prominent for the greater part of the journey. His ability to begin smartly and take up a good position in the early part of the Cup, and thus miss interference that generally takes place at the start of big races will be a strong point in his favour. WILL ROTOR SEE IT OUT?

Rotor galloped a smart mile and a.-quarter with Rapier on Saturday morning, and the manner in which he finished on at the end of that journey is proof that he is a better horfee than when he failed to run better than third in the Rangiora Cup, won by Hoylake. On Saturday he went fast all the way, and at the end he finished strongly and held a length advantage over Rapier when the post was reached. It was a very satisfactory effort, and must have pleased his Cup admirers. Whether he will be capable of defeating the best handicap talent in the Dominion on Saturday next remains to be seen, but his form at the Grand National meeting left little to be desired, and it is certain he will develop into one of the best middle distance stars in the South this season. His chance in the Cup depends upon his ability to run out a distance he never has traversed before, but so far there is nothing to doubt his staying powers. Southland Hopes The Southern performers, Celerity 11. and Spean Bridge are expected to arrive at Riccarton on Thursday next in charge of J. A. Rowlands. Both imported mares are reported to be very well, but one the backers may pin most faith to at the carnival is Celerity 11., who easily won the Gore Cup at her last start. The Panmure mare, Mandane, who is a member of F. Tilley’s stable, looks all the better for her two outings at Trentham, and she appears to have big possibilities at the Riccarton carnival. On Saturday morning she strode out well over a mile at a good sound pace, and seemed eager to increase her speed. Though he is not among the popular picks for the New Zealand Cup, Beacon Light looks very well at present, and a good gallop this week would bring him right into prominence for the big Riccarton two-miler. His promising effort in the Wellington Handicap, in which he was close up fourth behind Goshawk, Mask and Pink Note, drew marked attention to his future engagements, but he may not be seasoned enough to run out a fast run two miles on Saturday. Third Time Lucky?

On two previous occasions the Bomform gelding has gone wrong on the eve of the Cup, but if he remains sound there should be a good race ahead of him. Beacon Light at his best is a high-class galloper and proved stayer, and even if he fails in the Cup he should be worth following in later engagements at the meeting. He was allowed to forego his engagement in last year’s cup, won by Rapier, but on the second day of the meeting he ran that good horse Te Monanui to a length for first honours in the Metropolitan. Crown Area, who is in the Stewards with 8.6, or 31b. more than he carried into second place behind Eulalie last year, is fast gaining admirers for Saturday s big sprint. His form at Wellmgton indicated that he was rapidly getting back to his best, and if the track is firm he will make his rivals gallop. Another Northerner who has a host of admirers is Bright Glow, but she may not be quite at the top of her form. Still, she ran an excellent race in the Shorts Handicap at Trentham, and would only need to improve a little on that effort to have a rare chance in Saturday’s race. RACING FIXTURES November 1. 3. —Dargaville (at Avondale) November 3, 6. 7. 10.—Canterbury j. c. November 8, 10.—Whangarei A C November 17.—Levin R.C.

November 17. Waipapakaurl R c November 14. 15 —Winton RC November 21. 22. Otaki Maori R.C November 23. 24.—South Canterbury j c November 24. 26 —Te Kuiti R C November 30, December I—Takapuna J.C November 30. December I. Feilding J.C December B.—Taumarunui R.C December 7. B.—Cromwell J.C. December B.—Ashburton C’ty R C December 12. 13. —Woodville Dist J C December 14, 15.—Oamaru J. C. December 15. —Waipa R.C. December 26, 27.—Dunedin J.C. December 2G. Waipukurau J.C. December 26, 27. —Westland R C December 26. 27.—Taranaki J.C. December 26, 27, 29. Manawatu R.C. December 26, 2S, Jan. 1, 2.—Auckland R C December 29, Jan. 1, 2.—Greymouth J C.