Three Stables Out for the Te Rapa Double

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 647, 26 April 1929, Page 14

Three Stables Out for the Te Rapa Double

There is a possibility that the “double” at Te Rapa to-morrow will be captured by horses from one stable. However, there are three stables that have prospects of landing a coup. MUCH will depend upon the conditions. Yesterday’s rain was of a penetrating nature, and, as the Te Rapa course holds the moisture rather badly, the going is sure to be soft, if not actually heavy. More rain between this and starting time to-morrow will see the mudlarks coming into their own. Three stables have representatives in the Storey Memorial Cup and President’s Handicap. The well-known Te Aroha ownertrainer, R. B. Hines, has King Hu and Queen Arch in the big race, and Waltzer in the sprint. F. Loomb’s Te Awamutu stable will supply Desert Glow and Value, while a much favoured combination in Corinax and Vallar hails from J. Williamson’s Ellerslie headquarters. The recent deeds of King Lu are well known. He is a good weightcarrier, likes it muddy, and is at the top of his form. There is just a suspicion that the end of the 10 furlongs may find him wanting, although it must be remembered that he was running on the second day at Avondale in the mile race. Queen Arch, too, is a confirmed mudlarker, but it is more than likely that she will be kept for the High-Weight. Not much has been heard of Waltzer of late months, but with winter conditions he is quite capable of winning in any company. On a waterlogged track the King LuWaltzer double is a distinct possibility. Desert Glow is always liable to turn up trumps, but the unfortunate part about this gelding is that nobody knows, least, of all his connections, when he is going to do the trick. The

second leg to Desert Glow is Value, a mare that shaped in much improved style at Avondale recently. She went a good race the first day and won the second, but the fact that she was all out to just beat Subdivision and Chelone does not in itself suggest that she is a certainty to-morrow. However, if Value has continued to improve over the last fortnight the Te Awamutu double can be accorded more than a sporting prospect of success. But it is the Corinax-Vallar combination that captures the imagination, and on a dry track it could be plumped for with some measure of confidence. Corinax may not find the conditions beyond him, for he can handle the ground from hard to soft. His recent outings have not been attended with 100 per cent, of luck; on the contrary, the balls have not been running in his favour. It was so in his latest outing, the Foley Memorial Handicap at Avondale, when he anpeared to be more than a shade unlucky in being defeated by High Pitch, this without in any way detracting from the latter’s performance. He has his share of weight to-morrow and yet he appeals greatly. The same stable will send Vallar out for the sprint, and on a reasonably dry track he would take all sorts of beating! There is no gainsaying his speed and early brililance to get a position a necessary factor in this big field. Given a heavy track it mav be that one could safely cross Vallar off On the other hand, the Corinax-Vallar will be a popular way with betters should the going be good. The following table shows the throe different stable combinations in the double event to-morrow: Cup Sprint King Lu - Queen Waltzer Arch. Vallar Corinax Value. Desert Glow