FINAL DAY OF C.J.C. MEETING

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27427, 13 August 1954, Page 4

FINAL DAY OF C.J.C. MEETING

RACING

Pictavia Boy May Win Lincoln Steeples the McDonough favoured IN SYDENHAM HURDLES Pictavia Boy is the form horse for the Lincoln Steeplechase, the event of major interest on the final day of the Grand National meeting at Riccarton tomorrow. The Te Aroha jumper firmed strongly in favour yesterday when Young Prince, his conqueror in the Grand National last Saturday, was scratched. Pictavia Boy was the pacemaker in the Grand National. Though Young Prince ran past him before reaching the last fence, he battled on, and ran the Washdyke-trained jumper to a length and a half. That was only his fourth race over country. His performance stamped him as a ’chaser with a bright future. If he jumps the country jusl as surely again, he should safely have the measure of Repayment and Brown Jester, the third and fourth to finish in the Grand National, and any of the others which finished further back. Ivanhoe and Fort Silver, winner and runner-up in the Beaufort Steeplechase on Tuesday, should run the longer race out well enough to give it further interest, but their chances of conceding weight to Pictavia Boy look slim. Riverstone, winner of the hack steeplechase on Tuesday, will probably outstay any of the others near the tail of the handicap if the going is reasonably good.

It was unfortunate that Young PAnce had to drop out of the Lincoln Steeples field. His second meeting with Pictazia Bov would have given the race a great deal more interest. Young Prince knocked a leg when he hit a fence in the Homeby Steeplechase, and it filled slightly. The trouble has not altogether disappeared, and his owner. Mr J H. Grigg, has not taken any chances The Lincoln Steeplechase has often proved a compensation for horses which have found success in the Grand National beyond their reach. Mandeville won the Lincoln a year ago after an unlucky second in the Grand National so there is a recent precedent for Pictavia Boy. Numerically, the North and South Islands are on an even footing with seven representatives each, but with Young Prince out of the field, the odds appear to favour a northern success. Apart from the North Island horses which have already been placed at the meeting. Count Minerva could be given a good chance of battling into one of the places. He made one of his few mistakes as a jumper in the Grand National, and that put him out of the race a round from home. He is a good stayer, and though little better than a p’odder, he should fare just as well, if not better, than Repayment and Brown Jester, which were beaten off, though able to earn some of the Grand National prize. The Grand National distance beat Fox Fun, and he did no better when he had a mile less to run in the Beaufort. Marked improvement will be necessary to carry him to success.

Sydenham Hurdles The top-flight hurdlers are catered fcr in the Sydenham Hurdles. All but one of the 13 acceptors contested the G~and National Hurdles, and among them are Solar Mist. The McDonough, and Cotswold. the three closest to the w ; nncr, Coeitation. at the finish. Solar Mist was Cogitation’s only challenger in Uje straight on Tuesday, and he was only half a’ length from the winner at the finish after being two lengths back at the last flight. Solar Mist beat a weaker field in this race • last year—Cogitation was tl ird—when he carried 9-1. Top v eight of 10-11 will not be easy to master The McDonough, with 111 b If =s. may be his conqueror. The McDonough pulled his way to the front in the Grand National Hurdles and was left there until Cogitation ran past him going to the halfmile. The best will be seen of this capable Foxbridse gelding if he dodges pacemaking this time, and the shorter distance should also help to brighten his chance of winning for last season’s leading owner, Sir Ernest Davis. Cotswold had the run of the race in the Grand National Hurdles, but did not have the stamina to get into the battle with Cogitation and Solar Mist for the major honours His chance looks brighter here, if his race on Tuesdav has not taken its toll. * Ma inlander will be seen at his best if the track is really firm. Chief Light is more versatile, but bad jumping put him out of the picture in the Grand National Hurdles.

at the seven furlongs, and horses drawn wide are under a greater handicap in the longer race. Pack Drill has been lifted 81b for his success in the Woolston Handicap, seven furlongs, on Tuesday. Mr H. D. Greenwood’s Defaulter gelding won that race so well that he will be one of the best-backed runners again, but Copenhagen may be his master this time. Copenhagen will meet Pack Drill on 51b better terms, and will probably have benefited from Tuesaay’s race. Another furlong should suit Macduff, which was third, only a neck behind Copenhagen, on Tuesday. Macduff has drawn No. 3, and should be prominent with Bst 91b. 171 b less thap the top weight. Another good ’galloper in this part of the handicap is Josudi. which was a shade unlucky to be beaten by the dead-heaters, Harleston and Hickory Stick, ovc-r this distance last Saturday. Distance Hack Race The distance of the Redcliffs Handicap, one mile and a quarter, should suit Balveine, whose second to Demand over nine furlongs on Tuesday was the performance of an early winner. Balveine usually gets well out of his ground in his races, but a roomy track like Riccarton* gives him his best chance. Strathcarron will not lose supporters because of his failure to get into the money on Tuesday. He lost any chance he had before the straight was reached, a check pushing him back through the field. The Oamaru-trained Royal Arch gelding runs out this distance—etrongly, and a reasonably good run should help him to show his real ability.

Solstice made up a lot of ground for a creditable fourth over nine furlongs at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting. He should give interest to the finish. So should Abbot’s Choice and Argive, third and fourth respectively in a great finish to the Sumner Handicap, won by Demand from Balveine. on Tuesday.

Algaro Favoured The hack hurdlers will have their chance in the first race on the programme. the Styx Hurdles. Algaro may be the pick of this field at the weights if he has held his form. He decisively won the corresponding race last Saturday, and was running on fcr fourth on Tuesday, when his jockey lost his whip early in the race. Top weight of 11-3 may not keep thp hardy Test Flight out of the picture if the going is good. Under any conditions,' The Tongs will have a big following. He has struck a solid patch of form, and his first winning day as a hurdler does not look far distant. Decapitate weakened to seventh on Tuesdav after pacemaking. In most of his earlier races over hurdles, he was not kept anywhere near the front, and made up ground over the last half-mile Ridden in that manner, he ran second to Algaro last Saturday. At the weights, he must be given a good chance of improving an encouraging record. Any deterioration in the state of the track will suit Hunting Vite, a winner at Trentham last month. This Gisborne jumper found the class too strong in the Grand National Hurdles, but beat eight horses home. Chance for Nuclear Nuclear, a good seventh in a strong hack field on Tuesday, should take beating when he meets those of his own age in the Alyesbury Handicap, a race for three-year-old hacks. Nuclear had his nrst race since Easter on Tuesday, and his performance must have been encouraging to his connexions, who are planning an Australian campaign for the attractive Ruthless colt Smart Riccarton-trained youngsters capable of thoroughly testing Nuclear are Gold Trend, Magic Carpet and Russleigh. They made good impressions as two-year-old winners last season, and their first appearances at the meeting will attract considerable Interest Russleigh has had more recent racing than the other two. She was an impressive winner at the Wellington winter meeting. However, Gold Trend and Magic Carpet should be at the reauired level of fitness for this test. Ocean Flight and Tulagi, second and third respectively in the Cashmere Plate, may do best of those lower in the handicaps, but they will find this class stronger than anything they have encountered so far. Copenhagen Selected Very wide barrier positions may end the chances of Sir William and Harleston, two well-performed candidates for the Longbeach Hack Handicap. They are the only two North Island horses with any form in this field, and the disadvantages under which they will be racing will brighten the chance of a South Island victory. The mile barrier is on the outside ©i the course proper, not on it, as

The North Island hack, Bowater, should also be seen to better advantage over the lonaer distance. He could not get clear 1 in the straight in his race on Tuesday. Selections are:— 10.32 a.m.—Styx Hurdles: Algaro, The Tongs. Hunting Vite. 11.17 a.m.—. ylesbury Handicap: Nuclear. Magic Carpet, Gold Trend. 11.57 a.m.—Lincoln Steeplechase: Pictavia Boy, Ivanhoe, Fort Silver. 12.42 p.m.—lslington Handicap: Brown Baron, Berne, Beaverbrook. 1.22 p.m.—Sydenham Hurdles: The McDonough, Solar Mist, Cotswold. 2,7 p.m.—Longbeach Handicap: Copenhagen, Macduff. Josudi. 2.52 p.m.—August Handicap: Naval Treaty. Sawdust. Desperado. 3.37 p.m.—Redcliffs Handicap: Strathcarron. Balveine, Solstice. The fields for the double, with form backgrounds and available riders, are as follows: ISLINGTON HANDICAP,Of £l5OO. One mile and a quarter.

RIDING ENGAGEMENTS FOR RICCARTON

Riding engagements for Riccarton tomorrow include:— K. Nuttall: Macduff, Beaverbrook, Viewmaster. Major Neptune. R. D. Samson: The Wake, Port Boy, The McDonough, Sasin. C. McDonald:. Abbot’s Choice, Russleigh, Sawdust, Highwayman, Blackfellow. H. W. Skinner: Fort Silver. C. T. Wilson: Ngapunawai, Modern Times, Strada. Passchenedaele. J. Didham: Corona Fox, The Boss. W. D. Skelton: Wake Early, Argive, Brown Baron, Magic Carpet, Naval Treaty. F. H. Skelton: Chowder, Bosky. Dixie Leigh, Belle Ntrit, Cullen. D. -D. Gough: Bowater. W. F. Ellis: Ma rite a. Square Dance, Saba, Debenture. D. F. Coombe: Melinda Jane. N. A. Dempsey: Mohican. J. W. Harris: Ivanhoe, Upright, Curzon, Sir William, Red Star. Canadian. D. Dawson: Brutus. G. W. Mein: Wait a Bit. L. W. Hare: Nuclear, Balveine.

B. J. Langford: Border Reiver, The Tongs. R. J. Skelton: Horatius, Weewyn, Josudi. C. H. Mackie: Dormant, Strathr carron. T. J. Smith: Camaval. B. R. Thomson: Belgravia. D. J. Thistoll: Demand. Sovereign Salute. Harleston. A. J. Stokes: Evening Shoes, Declare, Copenhagen, Gold Trend/ B. McDonald: Smuggles. G. Jenkins: Algaro. R. J. Tumwald: Fox Fun. Cotswold. . L. O. Jarvis: Heroa. J. P. Carter: Navy Chief, Solar Mist* Count Minerva. C. G. Low: Riverstone. J. W. McDonald:

Coxswain. L. French: Scorpion. W. J. Hillis: Chief Light, Test Flight. R. O. Cairns: Culton. R. A. Jenkins: Viewfield. B. S. Finlayson: Treasure House.

St lb’. 2100 Dormant (15). C. H. Mackie .. 9 1004 Red Star (2). J. W. Harris .. 5 0000 The Wake (9), R. D. Samson 3 0000 0000 Vitalogy (6) .. .. Field Chief (16) .. 0 \13 4010 Brown B; (13). W. D. Skelton .. .. ; 11 :400 Ngapunav’ai (5), C. T. Wilson 7 2000 O ver boa. d (12) .. 7 0003 Bosky (10). F. H. Skelton .. 7 0200 Berne (4) ..8 6 0000 Blackfellow (7). C. McDonald 8 5 0020 Dissenter (3) ..8 3 0000 Battle Ensign (11) ..8 2 0400 Maritea (1). W. F. Ellis .. 2 1111 Demand (14). D. J. Thistoll .. 0 0004 Beaverbrook (8), K. Nuttall. •• 8 0 AUGUST HANDICAP. Of £1000. One mile. lb. 3 1000 Bahrein (18), N. Eastwood . 0000 Curzon (7), J. W. Harris .. 3 0000 Declare (8), A. J. Stokes .. 13 0242 Desperado (15). E. G. Low .. 12 0201 Wait-a-Bit (14). G. W. Mein .. 9 3204 Joy Step (10) .. 8 2102 Sawdust v 3), C. McDonald .. 8 3100 Pharoah’s Castle (13) 7 0002 Major Neptune (6). K. Nuttall 5 0033 Paulette (17) .. .. 4 2100 Modem Times (1), C. T. Wil1130 Naval Treaty (12), W.'b. Skeiton .. .. ,. 2 0000 Cheerio (18) .. .. 2 0000 Debenture (5) .. .. j 1 2000 Gold Mine (4), J. M. Cappie 1 0400 Chowderjll), F. H. Skelton .. 0 0400 Corona ifcx (9). J. Didham .. 0 0000 Gold Flame (19) .. ,, 0 1000 Royal Warrant (2) .. 0 Brackets: Paulette and Gold Flame. Naval Treaty . nd Debenture.