Jellicoe Handicap Will be Keen Race

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 824, 19 November 1929, Page 13

Jellicoe Handicap Will be Keen Race

HORSES IN FORM TORPEDO HUON’S CHANCE With a field of eleven true and well-tried pacers to contest the Jellicoe Handicap, the big race tomorrow promises to be decidedly interesting. The material is good and havina been assigned marks from which each must be given a ; reasonable chance of success, it 1 should prove a fine, spectacular as well as keen speculative race. ! Tlio field for this item can be divided into two sections —those with quite j recent racing form and those who have i not been seen in public for about a month. In the former category will bo found Vcndome, "Wilma Dillon, Torpedo Huon, Loch Moigh, Free Advice and Native Prince, all of whom ) sported silk at Christchurch last ‘ week, while three of the complement ! in Vendome, Torpedo Huon and Native ! Prince were also in the Auckland picture last month. Among the other division will be found Great Delight, Gold Dial, Nelson Tasker, The Shrew and The Abbey, j This quintet was seen in action at ! Alexandra Park during the October meeting of the Auckland Club, but the only one to show up prominently was j Nelson Tasker. The Mangere-trained horse has yet to prove his ability as a j stayer, but the other four referred to in the same section have shown splen- > did winning form last season over a \ two-mile journey. Taking it as a sane } I deduction that, although this quota has i j not raced since the Auckland fixture, j I each will have improved in condition j during the interim, it is not unreasonI able to expect them to play a prominent j part in this year’s Jellicoe Handicap, j | With tho recent racing to sharpen them ; ! up, the members of tlie other section ; ! mentioned will be given the benefit of i | the doubt by many speculators, when j ; solving tlio problem, and while forni j is a fine guide, it only requires .some ; of those that stayed away from Ad- j dington to b€i dressed in their best to j make it a battle royal between the i elect in each division. i A Battle Royal The front line trio, Great Delight, Wilma Dillon and Vendome will present formidable opposition to those which are asked to concede them a start. Great Delight last season proved the find of the year at the “smalls,” and after winning three on end during the North Island West Coast circuit, including the Taranaki and Wapganui Cups, Harry Garnett’s pacer made his first appearance on a metropolitan course at Epsom in the winter, when he beat a good field home over two miles. Later at Christchurch he ran second in a similar distance iu 4.27 4-5. A repetition of that effort Would make it a head-aching task for the opposition. Wilma Dillon is a brilliant customer with a mile record a shade worse than 2.13. Although there has never been any doubt about his speed prowess up to 12 furlongs, his supporters have hesitated to j proclaim him a real stayer. However, his exhibition over the long course ! lust week in the South, when he beat j all except Lindbergh, will be sufficient to dispel any fears on this issue. Yen- ! dome won over two miles at j AY liangarei, beating Explosion who, a ! week later, .led home a useful lot of j pacers at Epsom. At the same fixture Vendome “bolted” in with a ten-furlong heat I <tnd she was in consequence penalised at Wellington pretty solidly in two miles. At Christchurch last week Jack Kennerley’s mare put a fine showing to get second to Dilworth over the shorter course, and in a two-mile heat, after leading within 50 yards of the post, the black mare was beaten into third place by Real Light and Genuine—a promising display. Gold Dial, when properly tuned up, can put up a determined fight, and she is one of the gamest finishers that ever sported silk. Patrons of tho Park have seen the Wellsford mare displav great dash and, if right: she will be a tough one in tomorrow’s big race. A Possibility Nelson Tasker is a distinct pos- j sibility over the journey, and although ! ho has not yet broken it for a win at I two miles he has repeatedly been in a place. In the Otahuhu Cup last year he led the field for fourteen furlongs, and at the recent Auckland meeting he m,is in front a furlong? from home in 1 the big race. To show he was in form 1 Nelson Tasker cleaned up the opposi- , lion on the concluding day over ten , furlongs. If there is anything in this event that may upset the favourite : 1 selections it is Nelson Tasker. ( Tim Shrew and The Abbey both have t nig n-class references as two-mile win- t ners and when at their best take a 1 power of beating. Last year the two t chestnuts captured some good heats at the journey, beating good fields. When ' last at Epsom the Hastings mare was not seen at her best, while The Abbey was on his worst behaviour and did not give any idea of his chances. However, these two can, if quite 0.K., make the contest full of possibilities. Giving the Signal When Torpedo Huon put in a good I tinai run last month at Epsom to get I third berth behind Wrackler and Link- I man ho telegraphed pretty plainly that j •ms clay of reckoning was not far di«- i tant. Stepped out at Christchurch i tne ex-Aussie pacer ran third in a speed-merchants' ten furlongs to Tom ! Thumb and Jean McElwyn, while over i ' miles he occupied a similar posi- ’ tion to Dihvorth and Maiwhariti, in a. i fast-run race. Torpedo Huon is the type I ?. r h°rse that will benefit from his pub- ! I IG a l'Pearances and his prospects of i • rewarding his new owner, Ted Parkos Willi fill early return are indeed rosy JTee A d vice lias nut raced of late‘as i "if as ox hooted, which would suggest ; T,., Ks , m,t right with the little mare. Atter her great performance last vear ■ in the Summer Cup at Auckland it‘was i ! anticipated the Bine Mountain King' representative would soon qualify for the big cups, but to get the ta~ of • membership for the Auckland Cup. | f re* Advice will require to be in first ! or second money tomorrow. Respite failures at Christchurch. -Native Prince will have friends in the lvu. event, and those who. after bis Cl editable thn-d to W rackler and Jean MCJMwyn m tho Auckland Spring Handicap, supported him to turn tlfb tables the next time, and did not get a run tor then- money, will probably want to e'ue J bliaw’s pacer a chance to redeem himself. Eoch Moigh has been off the scene in this "f tlm f’ bUt his many 4iile deeds ; in tins a lea have not been forgotten UU In - ] >y , the 4VU>- lie shaped last v eek at Addington, on the solid track ' T., r ' a ." t ' t 1 lav ? Sot over his leg disablimes and fte sturdy son of Kelson : davU a return to his best Y'i w rl ?ht he is a rare pacer an. he is sure to be dangerous at Epsom. In what should be a -icerelaj conresr. preceded by a big pool, the main fancies will probably be Torpedo Huon, W'lma Dillon (if started). Loch Moigh and. Nelson Tasker,