RACING FINAL DAY OF C.J.C. MEETING

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27634, 15 April 1955, Page 4

RACING FINAL DAY OF C.J.C. MEETING

Easterbrook Selected In Sockbum Handicap

FIELD CHIEF BRACKET FOR SECOND LEG

Easterbrook, a rather unlucky second to Ray Ribbon in the Great Autumn Handicap on Tuesday, may have better fortune in the Sockburn Handicap, a mile and a half test for the handicap stayers on the third and final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting at Riccarton tomorrow.

Easterbrook should safely hold the horses that finished behind him in the Great Autumn Handicap, and it is very doubtful whether any of the horses he did not meet on Tuesday will beat the Hawke’s Bay stayer in a soundly-run race over the distance.

Bosky, The Hob, Zingabo, Half-a-Crown, and Sir William are among those which did not run in the Great Autumn, and one or more them may be prominent in the finish tomorrow. But Easterbrook may have his strongest challenge from another North Island horse, Toparoa, a fair fourth in the Great Autumn Handicap.

The Hob is one of the newcomers with winning form over a mile and a half in open company—he was last year’s Great Autumn Handicap winner. He carries his nine years lightly. His performance to finish close behind the placed horses in the mile Templeton Handicap on Tuesday could have raised hopes for an early success for this good dry-track galloper from his present place in the weights.

Bosky by no means distinguished I himself over a mile and a quarter in the Dominion Handicap last Monday,, but his close second to Watch andi Wait in the Templeton Handicap on the second day of the meeting showed him at his best. He has won at 11 furlongs in weaker company than this, but not when he had to give away up to 271 b in weight to horses which nave need well over a mile and a half. Sir William ran Americus to a nose in the Dominion Handicap last Monday. Americus was the faster finisher of the two and just failed to master a mile and a half in the Great Autumn Handicap, but it cannot be safely deduced from that performance that Sir William will fail over the same distance. Half-a-Crown was beaten off but running on behind Americus, and Sir William on Monday after beginning slowly and having to come from near the tail of the field in a fast-run race. If he can be ridden in behind again —he pulls hard in some of his races— , Half-a-Crown should be a possibility under 7st 91b. He should do better than his stablemate, Zingabo, over this ■ distance. The form of the others does not ap- ■ peal enough in a field of this strength. < The Second Leg Clinker will revert to sprinting in ■ the Waltham Handicap, the second leg of the double, and this switch should be marked by improvement on his moderate effort in the Great Autumn Handicap. A performance similar to ! his fourth in the Thompson Handicap and his second in the Hutt Handicap, both mile races, at the Wellington Racing Club’s autumn meeting last month, would be very nearly good enough to give him victory. Clinker has the good horse’s weight , of 9st 71b, but he is well up to it. Closest to him in the handicap is Field Chief, which was a shade unlucky not ' to win the Templeton Handicap on Tuesday. Field Chief was a creditable ' fourth in the Dominion Handicap a day earlier. Field Chief forms a strong bracket with Ma Reine, a smart Faux Tirage filly capable of improving on her Great Easter Handicap fifth if she is at ■ her peak. Kingship, Tamrin, and Copenhagen, the first three home in ] the Great Easter Handicap, are not in this field; and Strato, fourth in Monday’s big sprint, has drawn wide this • time. Fulgent’s fifth in the Templeton Handicap a very big improvement on his effort in the longer Dominion Handicap. He would not have to improve 1 so much again to win this race for Mr H. D. Greenwood. Fulgent is bracketed with Pack Drill < one of the last to the Great 1 Easter Handicap after being close to 1 the front until the straight. This was : Pack Drill’s first race for several months, and something better should be seen of him from now on as a re- 1 suit of it Brris a smart Wtngatuisr making his first apb meeting. He was disTrentham last month nuch better there at Cup meeting. His class jcted; anything like one -formances should bring jicture. < a creditable sixth in er Handicap, and Russinishing fourth in the idicap, should do best of minimum if they have n. ' ' Chance for Brown Baron Harjeston and Brown Baron, the principal* in the finish of the Kildare Hurdles on Tuesday, will probably gomfaate the betting on the Peerswick , Harieston beat the Washdyke horse hy a loop neck on Tuesday. His aupertor Jumping was worth much more than that margin to him. Brown Burmi.9howed that he has something to Mvn yet about jumping, but also that when he has more experience, his stamina will soon carry him to his first success in this role. Tuesday’s race was- only Brown Baron's second over hurdles. If the result finally depends on ability on the flat, he should beat the Tr entham horse. Ironside, a double winner on the flat at the recent Greymouth meeting, and a success as a hurdler and steeplechaser earlier in his career, strengthens the possibility of a success for F. Trilfords Washdyke stable. This Nightmarch gelding stays well, and his neat jumping should give him the measure of several of the others. Unless there is a change in the going, none that finished behind Harleston and-Brown Baron on Tuesday is ' likely to make the required improve- ! ment. Something better may be seen from the experienced North Island jumper, Boyhood, which will be mak- i ing his first appearance at the meeting. Double Acceptors Five two-year-olds in the Richmond Handicap are also acceptors for the Challenge Stakes, the race likely to be 22 s ?? 5 r^ ne them ’ Montrose. The handicap may depend the plans made for Mr G. colt Royal, which beat all but Avenge and MotuHonda* Champagne Stakes last ***“ °“ ly - Ark Royal’s third rrce, he is improving with exonly a length from of tn® Cham - Pagne stakes, and will meet the Ricon 171 b better terms in also be well represented by Persia, wnose record at the gieetme is two close seconds behind Skylight and Tess. It will be a ■gongly-tancied bracket if both go to ■ with the one engagement in“d Skylight* which vSI fit ®?P port ii some of the ™“ sariier. Over six fur-

. longs, Tess may shade Skylight at the weights. . Top weight of 9-11 may not stop ■ < Demijour from completing a treble for the meeting in the Merivale Hack ' Handicap. He was a class above those he met on Monday and Tuesday. 1 In his second easy victory, he dashed through to the front so easily as to ( suggest that he was carrying 7-0, : not 9-1. If track conditions are unaltered, his lift of 101 b in the ’ weights should n6t end his winning j run. Macduff and Goldwyn, which followed him home on Tuesday, may ] be closest to him again. None of the South Island hack 1 sprinters in the Gimcrack Handicap 1 is likely to stop the Woodville-trained ( Honest John from recording his sec- , ond win for the meeting. This neat ] Perilous gelding won the Papanui j Handicap last Monday with a good I deal in reserve under 7-8, which included a 71b allowance. With the ! full allowance again. Honest John ' will carry 8-3, and the best of the j others will not find him easy to i beat if the track remains firm. Most of the others have already ■ raced at the meeting, but there is a ! notable exception in Melinda Jane, ’ a brilliant Cassock mare which sprinted brilliantly at Riccarton yesterday. Melinda Jane had speed enough to finish fourth in the Stewards* and Members’ Handicaps at the last New Zealand Cup meeting. The heavier weights she has to carry in hack races dull some of her pace but she should be a force to reckon with in i this field under 8-12. The consistent Princess Neptune, ■ runner-up in her two earlier races at • the meeting, may be the best of the ; others. Selections:— Hi a m.—Peerswlck Hurdles: Brown : Baron, Harleston, Ironside. 11.42 aun.—Sixty-third Challenge .Stakes: 1 Avenge, Ray Ribbon, Tamrin. 12.27 P m ~Yaldhurat Handicap: Spike Jones, Tulagi, Meteorologist. 1.12 pjn.—Sockburn Handicap: Easter- : brook, Toparoa, Sir William. 1.57 p.m.—Richmond Handicap: Ark Royal-Persia bracket, Tess, West Indies. 2A2 P-m.—Merivale Handicap: Demijour, Macduff, Goldwyn. 3-27 p.m.—Waltham Handicap: Field Chiel-Ma Heine bracket. FiUgint-Pack Drill bracket, Clinker. t 112I 12 Handicap: Honest John, Melinda Jane, Princess Neptune. Helds, with form, for the double are:—SOCKBURN HANDICAP, Of £l5OO. One mile and a half.

s . RIDING ENGAGEMENTS ■ FOR RICCARTON • Riding engagements for the third and final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting at Riccarton on Saturday are:— 1 K. Nuttall: Gallant Peter, Gazette, Ma • Reine or Field Chief. D. J. Thistoll: As- ! sembly. Meteorologist, Royal Voyage. F. i H. Skelton: Kiaree Beau, Strato, Inspire, Teko. W. Hanlin: Fleur. M. D. Alexan- , der: Barbara Dare, Russleigh, Royal Glade. ' C. T. Wilson: Watch and Wait, Mac- • duff. Zingabo, Calcutta Sweep. Skylight, > Lord Rowallan. A. J. Stokes: Easterbrook, . Tamrin, Declare, Tess, Iroquoi, De . Bracey. C. McDonald: Tulagi, Ray Rib- . bom Dahlia. Motueka (Richmond Handi- • cap), Blue Count (Challenge Stakes). G. W. Mein: Roi du Bois, Cloque. B. W. McDonald: Smuggles, Airscol, Okaruru, t Scuppered, Ark Royal (Challenge Stakes), Solstice. G. Lee: Grey Valley, Lyndel’s ■ Choice, Accountant. N. Eastwood: Half-a-Crown. Goldwyn, Montrose (Challenge Stakes). D. F. Coombe: Montrose (Richmond Handicap). Sir William. W. D. Skelton: Cornflake, Miss Castlemaine, Jewel Royal, Rio Negro. J. W. Harris: Bosky, Demijour. B. P. Wood: Toparoa, Avenge. R. J. Skelton: The Hob, Persia, Mighty Dollar. Spinning Maid.

SCRATCHINGS ISSUED Scratchings for meetings tomorrow are: Cambridge Fencourt Hack Hurdles: Lone Ranger, Red Kelly. Hawke’s Bay Nursery Handicap: West Indies. Hawke’s Bay Cup: Toporoa. Autumn Hack Handicap: Honest John. Oreka Handicap: Paplro, Havelock. Flying Handicap: Lucky Strike. Riccarton • H® o * Handicap: Michael BLOODSTOCK BALE ENTRIES. ! TWO additional entries for today’s Easter i Bloodstock Sale, to be held at the A. and . P. Association’s Showgrounds, are Ac- ! count Memrs L Brietnwyer and F. Nwtoll - The bay Gelding Pat’s Treasure (a rarrMit.season winner) and Account Mr ■ W. Williamson, a 2-year chestnut Gelding Iby Sabaen. from /Victory March. This • gelding has just been broken in and has had two weeks* work. —Advt.

at. Ib. 0102 Bosky (15) 0000 The Hob (4) .. 8 13 .. 8 5 2100 Royal Voyage (2) 3412 Easterbrook (13) 118 4 0004 Toparoa (7) ..8 2 0000 Zingabo (10) 0013 Americus (5) • •8 0 • 8 0 0003 Half-a-Crown (12) .. 7 10 2002 Sir William (0) • •7 9 1210 Abbot’s Choice (11) 2330 Wait-a-Bit (14) 0020 Ballast (3) * * 7 1 ’* 7 1 4400 Demand (6) .. 7 0 0000 Fictitious (0) .. 7 0 0040 Solstice (1) WALTHAM HAND! Of £1000. Seven fu .. 7 0 CAP, irlongs. 4240 Clinker (9) st. lb_ .'. 9 7 0043 Field Chief (22) .. 8 13 2000 Lord Fort («) .. 8 10 3100 Fulgent (1) ..8 3 3004 Strato (20) ..8 3 1000 Lord Rowallan (11) .. 8 2 2030 Ma Reine (0) .. 7 13 0020 Declare (10) .'. 7 11 000 Accountant (15) 0000 Johnny Peep (14) 1340 Pack Drill (2) • .. 7 11 .. 7 10 ..' 7 10 0200 Mighty Dollar (13) .. 7 10 0040 Rio Negro (17) .. 7 8 0013 Okaruru (18) ..7 5 0040 Adversary (21) ..7 0 1110 Dixie Leigh (18) ..7 0 0000 Major Neptune (19) ..7 0 0000 Royal Warrant (4) ..7 0 2004 Russleigh (5) .. 7 0 0000 Saranac (7) ..7 0 0000 Scotch Gift (3) ..7 0 2041 Suphero (12) ..7 0