Brown Baron May Win First Leg On Saturday

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27426, 12 August 1954, Page 4

Brown Baron May Win First Leg On Saturday

RACING

Brown Baron. Berne, and Dormant shaped like early winners when they finished practically in line with the fourth horse in the Heathcote Handicap at Riccarton on Tuesday. They I may be three of the principals in the j finish of the Islington Handicap, the first leg of the double on the final i day of the Grand National meeting; at Riccarton on Saturday. They will be racing ovjbt another i furlong this time, and the longer distance will suit each of them. Brown Baron has a pull of 121 b in the weights from Dormant, and Berne is 51b below Brown Baron in the handicap. Dormant, top weight with 9st 91b, is a hardy genuine five-year-old Underwood gelding, and he has come through his winter programme in good order. He thrived when eased in his work after the Wellington winter meeting, where he was placed in the Whyte and Parliamentary Handicaps before winning the Winter Oats. The two races he has had at Riccarton should, have brought him back to rare-winning condition. Brown Baron won the Timaru Cup on July 3, and did not race again till Tuesday, so there is reason to expect some improvement from him, too. He has run few bad races for Major N A. Rattray. Stamina is his strong point, and a hard-run mile and a quarter on the roomy Riccarton track will suit him. Berne ran Dormant to a nose in the Winter Oats at Trentham. and will meet the top weight on 41b better terms under a higher scale this time. A win eluded this six-year-old gelding in 21 starts last season, and that has left him at a handy place in the weights. If he makes the expected improvement on his Heathcote Handicap performance, he should be placed. Enc ouragin? Form The Wake and Red Star strengthen the chance of a North Island success. Both have raced well at the meeting. The Wake was alongside Brown Baron and Berne and inches behind Dormant in the finish of the Heathcote Handicap, after leading the chase after the tearaway Sawdust for most of the race. He has winning form over a mile and a quarter. He must be given a chance. Red Star ran one of the best races of his career to get up for fourth . in the Winter Cup after being well back to the straight. The best has been seen of him as a sprinter and on rain-soaked tracks, but under any conditions his chance cannot be lightly dismissed. Vitalogy beat only a few stragglers home in the Heathcote Handicap, and Field Chief could finish no closer than the middle of the field in the Winter Cup, though that race will have improved him, Ngapunawai’s Brabazon Handicap fifth at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting was an encouraging pointer for a race over this distance. In the past, he has failed to make much impression in fields of metropolitan class, but he is obviously very fit. Overboard made no impression in the Heathcote Handicap, and it will be expecting a lot of him to make enough improvement to beat this field. Bosky, third in the Heathcote Handicap, should be a better prospect at even weights. jjemand and Beaverbrook, the only two on the minimum, should be the pick of the other light-weights. Beaverbrook was tried against the open handicappers in the Heathcote Handicap with an encouraging result. He came home strongly from well back for fourth, just beating Dormant. Demand carried top weight of 9st 71b to a narrow but creditable victory ■against the hacks over nine furlongs on Tuesday. His record is now four wins from his last four starts. The chance of such an improved galloper cannot be overlooked, though a winning debut in open company has eluded many good horses. Selections are: Brown Baron, Berne, and Dormant

Change of Luck Needed Luck was against Naval Treaty in the Selwyn Handicap on Tuesday, but ne will have a chance to redeem himself in the August Handicap, the second leg of the double. Naval Treaty’s third in the Winter Cup was highly impressive for a horse which bad not raced for several weeks. He was backed as a nearcertainty on Tuesday, but he jumped out slowly and appeared to strike trouble soon after the start That ended his chance, and he finished well back alongside his bracketed mate, Debenture.

Sawdust will probably be one of Naval Treaty’s strongest opponents if he has held his form. He tried, to his cost to match King’s Fair for speed in the middle stages of the Winter Cup, but dropped back beaten on the home turn. He did much better when allowed his own rules in the Heathcote Handicap on Tuesday. He opened up a long lead about halfway through the race and only Surprise Ending, a very good stayer, was able to catch him in the straight. Desperado was the only horse to make King’s Fair gallop in the Winter Cup, but minor placings seem to be the lot of this Riccarton-trained Defaulter gelding. It is a long time since he won for Mr H. D. Greenwood, but if he has held him form, this may be his best opportunity. Bahrein and Curzon, the first two in the handicap, have not raced up to their best form at the meeting; and Declare is still finding a win on his home course elusive. The Paparua Handicap winner. Wait a Bit, will probably be a better horse now. He surprised his connexions in winning on a holding track last Saturday, because he had done best on good going. 'Joy Step scored an improver’s fourth placing in the Selwyn Handicap on Tuesday after stumbling at the top of the straight. This hardy Paeroatrained mare has run few bad races recently, and the increase in the distance from >even furlongs to a mile should not inconvenience her.

Pharaoh's Castle was running on, eighth, in the Winter Cup last Saturday, after being well back to the home turn. His best form gives him a chance in this field. He won over seven furlongs at Trentham last month, and ran out that distance strongly, like a horse capable of mastering a mile. Major Neptune nearly sprang a major surprise in the Selwyn Handicap on Tuesday, when he ran Ray Ribbon to a head after pacemaking. He may not be so hard to beat over a mile. Paulette has raced twice for two thirds at the meeting. Apart from Naval Treaty she should do best of the lightweights. Prospects are: Naval Treaty, Sawdust, and Desperado.

The fields are:— 1032 a.m.— STYX HURDL1 HANDICAP, Of £600. One mile and three-quarters and 60 yards. st. lb st. lb. Test Flight Decapitate (3) 11 3 (4) 9 3 Navy Chief Robbie (2) 9 2 (18) 10 5 Snuffbox (19) 9 2 Algaro (9) 10 0 Conrad (15) 9 * Upright (14) 10 0 Escalado (6) 9 0 Riverstone First Whack (7) 9 13 (20) 9 a Sasin (13) 9 12 Jolly Miller Hunting Vite (16) 9 0 (12) 9 9 Magical (10) 9 0 The Tongs Midas (11) 9 0 (8) 9 9 Tammy Troot Brutus (1) King Simper 9 6 (5) 9 c (17) 9 i Balloted out with the right of re-entry in the following order: Tammy Troot 5) 9-0; Riverstone (7) 9-13. 11.17 a.m.— AYLESBURY HANDICAP, Of £600. Seven furlongs. st ib. st. ib. Assembly King’s Lace (18) 9 0 (5) 8 1 Gold Trend Hashish (11) 8 (25) 8 12 Smuggles (10) 8 •4 Nuclear (17) 8 11 Detection (3) 8 0 Magic Carpet Gold Flame (20) 8 10 (6) 8 0 Russleigh (2) 8 10 Lady Defaulter The Boss (12) 8 0 (24) 8 7 Mohican (21) 8 0 Dixie Leigh Passch enedaele (22) 8 6 (15) 8 0 Flying Feet Saba (14) 8 0 (13) 8 6 Scuppered V iewm aster (4) 8 0 (19) 8 5 Super Corn Port Boy (16) 3 5 (8) 3 0 Tulagi (26) 8 3 Treasure House Ocean Flight (9) 8 0 (7) 8 3 Watch and Wait Horatius (23) 8 2 (1) 8 0 Balloted out with right of re-entry: Gold Flame (6 8-0. Brackets: Assembly and Scuppered, Hashish and Watch and Wait. 11.57 ajn.— LINCOLN STEEPLECHASE HANDICAP. Of £1500 About three miles. st. lb. st. ib. Repayment Pictavia Boy (8) 10 2 (3) 9 3 Young Prince Fox Fun (12) 9 5 (9) 10 1 Riverstone Fort Silver (4) 9 1 (11) 9 13 Border Reiver Belgravia (10) 9 0 (15) 9 11 Coxswain (2) 9 0 Ivanhoe (1) 9 10 Heroa (7) 9 0 Count Minervs Mightgo (14) 9 0 Brown j est (6) 9 9 Scorpion (13) 9 0 (5) 9 9 12.42 p.m.— ISLINGTON HANDICAP, Of £1500. One mile and a quarter. st. ib. st. b. Dormant (15) 9 9 Overboard Red Star (2) 9 5 (12) 8 7 The Wake Bosky (10) 8 7 (9) 9 3 Berne (4) 3 6 Vitalogy (6) 9 0 Blackfellow Field Chief (7) 8 5 (16) 13 Dissenter (3) Q 3 Brown Baion Battle Ensign (13) 8 11 (11) 8 Ngapunawai Maritea (1) 8 2 (5) 8 7 Demand (14) Beaverbrook 8 0 (8) 8 0 1.22 pun.— SYDENHAM HURDLES, Of £1000. [*wo miles. st. lb. St. b. Solar Chief Mist (12) 10 11 Light (7) 9 5 Canadian (13) 10 4 Leighford (2) Culton (10) 9 The 9 3 McDonough Irish „ , (ID 10 0 Saint (9) 9 1 Cotswold (6> 10 0 Tudor Mainlander King (1) q q (3) 9 10 Wealthy (8) 9 0 Viewfield (4) 2.7 pun.— 9 8 Reproof (5) 9 0 LONGBEACH HANDICAP, Of £600. st. lb. One mile. st. I b. Pack Harleston Drill (19) 9 12(34) 8 7 Sir William (30) Wayren (4) 8 6 Copenhagen Hunt (29) 8 4 Royal Charm (27) 9 4 Cullen (28) Square Dance (31) 8 2 Cristatus (2) 9 3 Adaris (15) 0 Hunter’s Bon Soir (24) 8 0 Choice (12) 9 1 De Rose (18) 8 0 tt C ' Gift (23) 9 0 Whispers (13) 8 0 Highwayman Manos (10) 8 0 (32) Melinda 8 13 Nokomis (33) Radiant 8 0 Jane (20) 8 13 Lad (25) 8 0 Ballast (1) 8 10 Super Strada (6) 8 10 Find (8) 8 0 Macduff (3) 8 a Yorick (21) 8 0 Josudi (22) 8 8 Knight Abbot (7) he right of reBalloted out with entry in the following order: Courant (26 8-0; Wake Larly 17) 8-C ; Puccini (11) 8-0; Dahlia (5) 8-0 ; The Poacher (9) 8-0: Stylish Ways (14) 8-0. Eliminated: Original, Treasure 3ond. Great Tom, Goldwyn, Clare Dawn. Steadfast. Prince Crusader Gone Away, Half-a-crown. Brackets: Vayren and Colonel Hunt. Cullen and Square Dance. Adaris and Bon Soir, Courant and Dahlia. De Rose Fairy Whispers, Manos and Nokomis. Puccini and Radiant Lad, Stylish Ways Poacher and Wake and Super Find, The Larly. Yorick and Knight Abbot. 2-52 PJILAUGUST HANDICAP. Of £1000. st. Ib. 9 3 One mile. Bahrein (18) Naval ST. ID. Curzon (7) Declare (8) 9 3 8 13 Treaty (12) Cheerio (16) Debenture 8 8 2 2 Desperado m > (15) 8 12 (5) 8 1 Wait a Gold Bit (14) 8 9 Mine (4) Joy Step (10) 8 8 Chowder (11) 8 0 Pharaoh’s Corona Fox (9) 8 0 Castle (13) 8 7 Gold Major Neptune (6) Flame (19) 8 0 8 5 Royal warrant (2) Paulette (17) Modern 8 4 8 0 Times (1) 8 3 Brackets: Naval Treaty and Debenture, Paulette and Gold Flame. 3.37 pun.— BEDCLIFFS HANDICAP, Of £600. One mile and a quarter. st. lb. st. Ib. Margundi (5) 9 4 Tarantella Solstice (19) 9 3 Alb (17) 8 1 Balveine (11) 8 13 8 0 Evening Barrow Shoes (6) 8 13 Boy (2) 8 0 Abbot’s Kalonzo (10) 8 0 Choice (3) 8 11 Kuriwao Weewyn (7) 8 10 Belle (12) 8 0 Bowater (13) 8 10 Locksmith Argive (14) Strath carr on 8 10 (18) Devalue (15) 8 8 0 0 (22) 8 7 Leofa (20) 8 0 Carnaval (21) 8 4 Mish Sovereign Salute (16) 8 1 Mish (9) 8 0 Bailor ea out wim me ngnt or re-entry in the following order: Belle Nuit (1) 8-0; Beavernroox a-u. Bracket: Sovereign Salute and Alb