RACING ~ Strato Likely Favourite For Sprint At Amberley

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27644, 28 April 1955, Page 4

RACING ~ Strato Likely Favourite For Sprint At Amberley

Two sound performances at Riccarton have made Strato the logical favourite for the Amberley Handicap, the first leg of the double at the Amberley Racing Club’s annual meeting bn Saturday.

The Orari-trained Newtown Pippin gelding was fourth in the Great Easter Handicap and fifth in the Waltham Handicap, both seven-furlong tests for the top handicap sprinters at the Canterbqry Jockey Club’s autumn meeting. Each time, he weakened slightly in the long Riccarton straight after being in or near the front, but it can reasonably be expected that he will not go undet easily in a weaker field and on the smaller Amberley track this week. Strato has had a busy programme this season, and his trainer, P. H. C. Stock, has done well to keep the five-year-old racing keenly and consistently. Strato was having his seventeenth start for the season when he finished close up fifth in the Waltham Handicap on the final day’‘at Riccarton. Success has dodged him in eight starts since the Dunedin Cup meeting in December, when he won the two open sprints, but his earnings have mounted through some creditable minor placings. He has recorded four seconds,’ two thirds, and two fourths for the season.

On Riccarton form, Declare and Dixie Leigh should be two of Strato’s strongest opponents in the Amberley Handicap.

Dixie Leigh opposed Strato in the Great Easter Handicap, and was a creditable sixth, about two lengths behind the Orari sprinter. Unlucky at Riccarton Declare was sixth, just behind Strato, in the spectacular Waltham Handicap finish, after failing to find racing room in the straight. Declare was one of the unluckiest of the unplaced lot, but he should have better fortune in the smaller field at Amberley. He has done little racing on provincial courses—his programme up to the present has been largely confined to Riccarton and Trerltham—J?ut there should be good opportunities for him yet in weaker company than he has met during most of his career. Vitalogy, top weight with Bst 111 b, won brilliantly over six furlongs at Oamaru when making a fresh start last month, but was a weakening seventh in the Dominion Handicap, one mile and a quarter, at Riccarton on Easter Mondays There Should be few if any stronger finishers at the end of seven furlongs but Strato may be his master at the weights.

Desperado has an earlier engagement in- the high-weight, and may fulfil it, as Mr H. D. Greenwood has Pack Drill to represent him in the Amberley Handicap. Pack Drill appeared likely to make a quick climb to fame in the best company earlier in the season, and he was making a fresh start after a short spell when he failed twice at Riccarton. If he shows his real ability on Saturday, few if any in this field will be able to match him for speed over the distance. Dan, now trained at Riccarton by I. McClure, will be making a fresh start for the season, and something better may be seen of him later in the winter. Fresh Start Slane King, a five-year-old Triumvir gelding whose early-season form, over more ground was promising, is an interesting newcomer. He is now trained at Riccarton by his part-owner, T. A. Griffiths, but he has had no recent racing to assist him in his preparation for this test. Apart from Dixie Leigh, Assembly should be the best of the light-weights. He beat all but Vitalogy in the sprint on the second day of the Oamaru autumn meeting, and carried Bst 121 b into third place behind Melinda Jane and Chellene in the Gimcrack Hack Handicap on the third day of the autumn meeting at Riccarton. The top three in the field for the G. B. Starky Memorial Handicap, the second leg of the double, were to the fore in the Easter racing at Riccarton. Passchendaele was a winner and The Bruiser ,and Scuppered were minor place-getters. Passchenedaele won the mile Tasman Handicap on the second day of the meeting, but The Bruiser and Scuppered made better impressions over another two furlongs in the Merivale Handicap on the third day. Passchenedaele weakened to sixth after sharing the pacemaking. The Bruiser, carrying Bst 31b, ran Demijour to a nose, and finished three-quefrters of a length ahead of Scuppered (7st lljlb), which was running on strongly from the ruck. There may again be little between The Bruiser and Scuppered, and Passchenedaele may trouble them more this time if he dodges pacemaking. Riccarton form could lose its value as a guide if Shoal faces this test at her best. She had to miss her Easter racing at Riccarton because of a foot injury—an unfortunate setback, because she appeared to be a good lightweight possibility for the hack distance races there. From her place in the weights, Shoal may take beating.