Aspiring Will Take On Big Ellerslie Sprint

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 851, 20 December 1929, Page 14

Aspiring Will Take On Big Ellerslie Sprint

AUCKLAND CUP MEETING

It was an oiT morning at Ellerslie today, but several visiting horses were indulged in sprints on number two i grass track. . The Cup candidate, Vertigern. with ; his Cup rider (E. Ludlow) in the I saddle, was dispatched over six furj longs, and wound up the last three in 39." The big horse looks a picture of fitness, and a couple of good gallops into him should tune him up nicely for the two-mile race next Thursday. Count Palatine and Pedestal wt-re worked evenly and then ran home the last three furlongs together in 38 2-5 Paquito was allowed to travel along for three furlongs, hitting out very

VERTIGERN. an Auckland Cup candidate. pleasingly, and Count Cavour and Amor strode over half a. mile in 52 3-5. It is on the cards that Paquito and Count Cavour will be given a long working gallop tomorrow. Havering Doubtful Private advice has been received at Ellerslie that Havering, a fancied Railway Handicap candidate, will be allowed to forfeit his engagement. If Historic goes on all right in the interim he will probably be allowed to take his chance in the Cup. He and Panther are stationed at Avondale. Latest arrivals were Shrewd, Royal Parade. White Fang. Toxeuma. Catonian. Prodice, Nassau Lady and Fl> - ing Prince. The four-year-old Great Star was sore when he went out for exercise at Ellerslie this morning, and the ailment is evidently a slight recurrence of the kidney trouble which has interrupted the Riccarton .representative’s training since the Cup carnival. Great Star has not been an assiduous worker of late weeks, and his prospects in the Railway Handicap may suffer, but nevertheless he may race prominently during the meeting. Riding Engagements The following are some of the riding engagements known to have been made for Ellerslie on Boxing Day: T. Green.—Paquito, Honour and Praise. E. Ludlow.—Vertigern, King Midas, Thespis, Hannibal and Vallar. R. McTavish.—Corinax and Tremetus. E. Shaw.—Pangolin. J. Cammick —Goshawk and Red Lion. R. Reed. —Star Stranger and Cylinder. R. Henshaw. —Jaleux. H Goldfinch. —In the Shade, Eaglet, Sight Draft and Prince of Orange. H. Gray.—Concentrate, Royal Ruler, Lady Quex, Duellona, Karapoti and Pegaway. W. H. Jones.—Merry Mint and Leitrim. H. Wiggins.—Shrewd, Gesture and Kimble. A. Eastwood. —Great Star. E. H. Keesing.—Royal Doulton and Sea Song. L. J. Ellis.- —Prodice. C. Eastwood. —Count Cavour. L. Manson. —Hampton Park, Sir Russell, Tetrarchate and Storm Fiend. J. Burgess.—The Lamb. Egmont Winners Raised The following rehandicaps of Egmont winners for the Auckland summer meeting have been declared by Mr. F. J. McManemin: Robinson Handicap.—Hunting Day, 61b, making his weight 7.11. Nursery Handicap.—Awaken, 51b, to 7.5. Christmas Handicap.—Goshawk, 31b, making his weight 8.3.

Must Think She Will Win When Riccarton trainer \V Stone arrived home front Woodville, he told a Christchurch Sun reporter that lie had decided to allow Silver Paper and Aspiring: to drop out of their Ellerslie engagements, but that the pair would be competing at the Manawatu fixture. However, only yesterday Stone decided on a change of plans. Aspirins lias done so well since her double success at Woodville. and is in such rare form at present, that he has changed his mind about sending her to Manawatu. and she will leave for Ellerslie on Saturday morning and will contest the Railway Handicap, in which she will carry 7.5. So far a rider has not been engaged for Aspiring, but it is very probable that a North Island horseman will have the mount. (At Te Awamutu last week it was said that L. J. Ellis was to ride Aspiring.l Aspiring’s trainer views her prospects in next week’s big sprint in a very favourable light. He says that she will beat Silver Paper at the weights, and for this reason Silver Paper will not go to Ellerslie, hut will be left in at Manawatu, where he will fulfil engagements on the second and third days of the meeting. Aspiring has only one engagement at Ellerslie, the Railway Handicap. It is a long way to take a horse from Riccarton to Auckland for one lac . but this may be taken as an jmy 1 tion that the connections ° , in t not fear the opposition m the W -jprint Handicap Aspiring will be mailed back to Awapuni, where she v ill . then go on to the Marton meeting. Gossip from Headquarters After showing a return to form in the St. Andrew’s Handicap at puna, Corinax made a "eat, display in the Te Awamutu Cup, and h*s Performance was too bad to be true. \\ ith less weight and a longer journey, Corinax will be better suited in the Auckland Cup, and his impressn e gallop with Honour and Jaleux yesterday entitles him to as much support as anything in the race. _ Riccarton reports credited count Cavour with training on well for ms Auckland Cup engagement, ana the old fellow's appearance on arrival at Ellerslie fully confirmed these views. Though now in the veteran stage Count Cavour bears his age well and lie is so bright and lusty at present that he will strip in excellent fettle on Boxing Day. No win in the Cup would he more popularly acclaimed than the Count's, and, a proved stayer, lie must be considered, notwithstanding there are others whose form and prospects are brighter. Praise executed his five furlongs veiy smoothly yesterday, and she is all they say of her, if not more. Somewhat l'esembling her half-brother, Commendation, the two-year-old is built on smaller lines, hut she is smart and it will need a good one to beat her in the Foal Stakes. Praise cost Mr. G. A. Greenwood l,4oogns at the Trentham yearling sales twelve months ago, and her only two starts to date have resulted in a’return of £770. It certainly appears a safe investment and the close of the season may see Mr. Greenwood in the unique position of having a horse for nothing. Manawatu Candidates Princess Betty is reported as being an unlikely starter in the Great Northern Foal Stakes on Boxing Day. With a clear course offering at Awapuni yesterday morning, Mrs. McDonald galloped her trio for Ellerslie the reverse way. j,l yn Du and Gestui e jumped off at the judge’s box to run five furlongs on the outside of the course proper in 1.11, Elyn Du having the better of things. From a standing start, Nimble completed a similar task in 1.10. which was somewhat surprising. Gesture was not quite herself at Woodville, but despite such duly won. and she should strip better at Ellerslie. The Manawatu course yesterday was very heavy, and steady rain did not improve matters.