CUP MARKET

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 810, 2 November 1929, Page 8

CUP MARKET

MANY AT LONG PRICES BIG FLEMINGTON RACE If results of the first day (today) of the V.R.C. sppring meeting work out as generally anticipated, there will be long prices on offer bar two for the Melbourne Cup. Nightmarch’s admirers expect him to win the Melbourne Stakes, and Phar Lap appears to have a mortgage on the Derby. These two are already at a very short price, but if they both win • they will be in a fair way of monopolising speculation on the Cup. The odds are decidedly against anything else starting at less than double figures.

Winalot has eased considerably, many books and backers being of opinion that he should have been in Melbourne much earlier in order to become accustomed to the reverse way of going. Since the A.J.C'. meeting he has continued to work right hand in, but his trainer is not worried as to any possibility of the other way round troubling him. High Syce and Second Wind have moved up in the lists. Little Difference

A win in the Melbourne Stakes would scarcely bring either Amounis or High Syce into strong demand for the Cup—the former because of general disbelief in his ability to stay two miles, and the latter because of the 101 b penalty, which increases his weight to 9.11. In Brisbane High Syce ran third in a Queensland Cup, two miles, with 9.12, but a Melbourne Cup is very different. In several previous years the Melbourne Cup has been won by horses that have run into minor places in the Melbourne Stakes, but they generally carried much less in the Cup than the w.f.a. race. This time it is difficult to select any lightly-weighted Cup horse that has a chance of getting a place in the Stakes. Nightmarch may case if he fails to win the Stakes, but, apart from Winalot there seems little likelihood of anything that might beat the New Zealander hardening to any extent for the Cup. A Place Bet Three-year-olds are always deserving of respect, and if something should give Phar Lap a tussle in the Derby, its price for the two miles race would be bound to shorten. Oh A.J.C. Derby form Carradale appears Phar Lap’s strongest opponent, though with very little chance of beating him. Still, in anticipation of running fairly in the Derby, Carradale might be a oetter Cup place bet than anything else against which a fair price is now on offer. The probabilities are against Prince Viol touching shorter odds than at present. I-Ie could not win the Caulfield Cup with 6.12, and it is doubtful whether he will run better with that weight at two miles thali at a mile and a-half. _ As Taisho is only three years, and has not done much racing, be may improve upon his Caulfield Cup form, but his Melbourne Cup price will greatly depend upon how he shapes in the Derby. Demost and Bacchus are in the ITothom Handicap, as well as the Melbourne Stakes, and both might do well enough, in the first-mentioned race to increase their Cup supporters. Not many Hotham Handicap winners have accounted for the Melbourne Cup at the same meeting, King Ingoda being the last, but though Baekwood, with S,O, could only run a dead-heat with Our Prince for third in the Hotham, he won the Cup with 21b more three days later. Few Inside 20 to 1 Although Nightmarch is only second favourite, last week he was seven points shorter than anything that followed him in the quotations, and it would be unsafe to bet that more than three horses will start inside 16 to 1. Lanius was favourite at 7 to 4 in 1917, and four others were inside 16 to 1, but when Manfred started at 7 to 4 in 1925, those at less than 16 to 1 were Windbag and* Pilliwinkie, at 5 to 1 each. Frances Tressady and Tookarby followed at 16 to 1, and from 20 to 1 to 500 to 1 could be had about the remainder. Last year Streplion was at 9 to 4, the nearest of the others being: Statesman, 7 to 2, Maple and Canning Queen 8 to 1 each. Epilogue 10 to 1, Balmerino 12 to 1, Winalot 14 to 1, and Allecret 16 to 1. If Pl>a.r Lap and Nightmarch win this afternoon the odds are much against the books being able to lay less than 20 to 1 bar four on Cup day.