For Sydney Cup if Weights Suit

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 906, 25 February 1930, Page 12

For Sydney Cup if Weights Suit

CONCENTRATE’S FUTURE GESTURE NOT FOR RANDWICK Wellington owner Mr. 11. J. Murphy is anxiously awaiting the weights for the Sydney Cup. The handicaps for the important Randwick two-miler will decide whether he will have a team racing in Sydney in the autumn, or whether his horses -will remain at homo to contest the big handicaps this country offers.

Concentrate, who credited the Xorth Island sportsman with the Auckland and Wellington Cups, is, of course, the horse whose weight in the Sydney Cup is being awaited, but not till early next month will the’ weights be released. If lie is at all well treated he is certain to make the trip to Sydney, in which case Cimabue, whose recent outings reveal that he is at the zenith of his form, will also go over. Concentrate’s striking victories in the two big Cups in the summer months will cause the A.J.C. handicapper to think highly of him. N When lie was in Sydney in the spring for the Metropolitan ho was rated as a good horse, his St. Leger victories last season no doubt influencing weight adjusters; but though his latest exploits show that the Kilbroney gelding lias made marked progress in the interim lie is likely to receive a good concession in weight from his countrymen, Nightmarch and Chide, who, no doubt, will be made the basis of the handicap.

Chide beat Concentrate decisively in the Xew Zealand Cup when receiving weight from the gelding, but the cliampiqn Paladin gelding also beat the Trentham horse at weight-for-age as easily as lie defeated him in the Dominion’s premier handicap. Thus, Chide will be forced to concede poundage to Concentrate in the Sydney Cup. New Zealanders scooped the pool to such an extent in the spring that there is a prospect of these three Dominionbred horses leading the handicaps in the Sydney Cup. Questioned by The Sun’s Christchurch correspondent whether Oratrix would accompany Concentrate, Cimabue and Co. to Sydne3~, if it is decided to send a team over, Air. Murphy replied in the negative. The mare has disappointed her connections at recent starts, and her race form further emphasises that she has never fully recovered from the gruelling time she received in Brisbane, when she went to that State to tackle the coveted King’s Cup. Now the mare's connections are doubtful whether she will ever return to-the form that enabled her to occupy second place to that outstanding mare Jocelyn in the Metropolitan, and win the New Zealand Cup, and it is practically definite that after the autumn carnivals she will be retired to the stud. Regarding the crack filly Gesture, Mr. Murphy said that she will not go over to Randwick. Her Easter racing will be confined to either Eilerslie or Riccarton. and if it is decided to let Oratrix have another shot at the Great Autumn, Gesture will probably j fulfil her engagement in the Chami pagne Stakes. On the other hand, if i Oratrix goes to Eilerslie, Gesture will 1 contest the A.R.C. Champagne Stakes.