CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 April 1939, Page 11

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE & COURSE

Views on Racing Facts and Fancies

SULEIMAN NOT OVERWEIGHTED

(By “The Cynic”)

One of the early favourites for the Easter Handicap is the four-year-old Sulieman. By Acre—Quinkama, Suleiman is a fine big horse whose halfsister Namakia, was a good miler. In four starts this season he has won three times and was second to Florence Mills in his other engagement. He has not raced beyond six furlongs this season, but last season he was fourth in the Thompson Handicap. Subsequently, he failed in the Easter Handicap with 7.12, but there is every reason to believe that he is a better horse now and I expect him to see the mile right out this time. At 8.10 he is not overburdened for a horse of such great brilliancy. He has all the attributes of an Easter Handicap winner, being a great beginner who can get an early position, and a weight carrier above the ordinary. When one remembers that Nonette carried 9.1,1 to victory as a three-year-old, that Advance at the same age succeeded with 9.6, and Gold Crest with 9.0, that weights from 9.0 to 9.11 have'been successfully carried on a dozen occasions, Suleiman at four years old has not been set any herculean task. If he proves as good as I think he is he will be in the leading division all the way and will beat most of his opponents by sheer speed. Unlucky Mare. The novice event at Feilding on Monday is run over seven furlongs and that should give Ycd Prior a chance to break her duck.- This Surveyor mare was unlucky in both starts at the Manawatu meeting and her turn is "overdue. Likes the Track. Rarotonga has won three of his four racs at Feilding and his penchant for this track will not be overlooked by backers this week. Several good races have been credited to Rarotonga in the past month or so, and he will be found in great heart for the fray. He is now trained by Ashley Jenkins, at Opaki. His Lucky Track. Alf Neale seldom fails to win a race at Feilding and the Bulls mentor will have Play On and Aureus at their best this weekend Play On has a host of admirers for the Feilding Cup, while it will not be overlooked that Aureus won the Mangaone ' Handicap . 12 months ago. She is back to winning form again, and is on a handy mark on Saturday. Smart Maiden. ■ Parian impressed at Woodville and he looks as if he has improved since then. This Auckland-bred gelding figures in the Maiden Stakes at Feilding on Saturday and. being such a smart beginner, he will be suited by the turning nature of the track. , Won Last Year. Old Surrey won the Halcombe Handicap at Feilding in a canter last year and his improving form suggests that he will again be a' very hard horse to beat Old Surrey likes the track and his progress since the Manawatu meeting has been good enough to draw marked attention to his prospects. Freshened Up. Meamea is reported to have freshened up nicely,since he upended Haughty Winner at Trentham and there will be plenty of money for this solid Lackham gelding in the Feilding Cup on Saturday. Meamea should have no difficulty in running out a mile and a quarter.

Form is Good. Laughing Lass has much to recommend her in the A.R.C. Easter Handicap, for her recent form has been very solid. She looked unlucky to lose the Thompson, and was a good thing beaten at the Manawatu meeting. With 7.10 the big roan mare must be considered well treated. Waipukurau Cup. Pennycomequick ran two really good races at Hastings last week, and it is probable that she will be on hand to contest the Waipukurau Cup on Monday. The Gisborne mare won this race 2 months ago, and, in her present form, it looks as if she will make a bold bid to repeat the feat. Sovereign Lady. Sovereign Lady bears a well-trained appearance and she may race well at Riccarton, but her form in the Midsummer Handicap was not very encouraging. Her previous defeat, in the Dunedin Cup, can be understood when the heavy track at Wingatui is taken into consideration, but she may not be quite the mare she was when she ran second to Padishah in the Metropolitan Handicap in November. With the present shortage of jockeys, it is possible that she will be ridden by the stable apprentice V. A. Barrington. Early Winner. Rebellion, from the same stable as Sovereign Lady, has been responsible for some excellent recent gallops and on those efforts he could be nominated as an early winner. Against his chance however, is that, unless he has a strong rider, he is of little use in a big field as he tends to drift early and he takes some pushing along over the concluding stages to make up the lost ground. As he has won only one race and consequently is well down the list of weights, the opportunities of getting a lightweight rider are necessarily limited May Improve. Rex Maitland, while having taken some time to reach winning form, is, nevertheless, a hack who may be expected to reach much better form and this Easter may give him the opportunity for his next ascension of the ladder Brilliant Hack Disband, who has won four races this season, including the last two in which he has started, is a particularly brilliant hack, and it is noteworthy that he has but one engagement at Riccarton, the Autumn Plate on the first day of the Easter meeting, Stakes Candidates. Nora Gregor created a profound impression • .when she won the Juvenile Handicap at Hastings on Saturday, for her 9.12 was a huge impost for a two-year-old filly. On top of that she tore away at the start to make all the running and then had sufficient in hand to hold ofj the stout-finishing effort of Endorsement. Nora Gregor was a close third to Winning Rival and Beaulivre in the A.R.C. Welcome Stakes in the spring and she proved herself a high-class filly at the Waikato summer meeting, winning under 8.9 and 9.4 She then ran a great race with 9.11 at Te Aroha. Saturday’s race should bring this Bulandshar filly right up to her best for the Great Northern Champagne Stakes on Easter Saturday and she should give a good account of herself against Baran, Gayest Son, Konneta and Submission.