RACING Naval Treaty Chosen To Win Waimate Cup

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27669, 27 May 1955, Page 4

RACING Naval Treaty Chosen To Win Waimate Cup

Naval Treaty is the form horse for the Waimate Cup, the first leg of the double at the Waimate Racing Club’s meeting tomorrow. Form pointers to be respected are his minor placings at Ashburton and Washdyke within the last fortnight He is-probably an improved horse for those two races.

Naval Treaty’s first win in open company appeared likely until the last stride in the Ra’ngitata Handicap at Washdyke last Saturday. Then the faster-finishing Relinquish nosed him out of it. A week earlier, Pack Drill and Michael Brierly shaded him by inches in the finish of the Tinwald Handicap at Ashburton. Hopes for a Riccarton victory rest mainly with Mr H. D. Greenwood’s consistent Fulgent, an attractive trialist at Riccarton yesterday. Fulgent has Bst 81b. Two starts back, he carried that weight into second place behind Pinnacle Ridge in the Marlborough Cup. On the second day of the meeting he was third behind the more lightly-weighted Royal Scrip and Bon Soir in the President’s Handicap. Fulgent has won, and won well, over a mile and a quarter from positions lower in the weights than where he is now. Weight should not stop him from running this distance out strongly, but he will not find it easy to beat Naval Treaty, which is 131 b below him in the handicap. Cheerio’s Prospects The luck of the running was against Cheerio at Washdyke last week, and his earlier good form—he easily won the Riverton Cup last month —truly represents his prospects. Royal Voyage was not able to get near the front in the Elloughton Handicap at Washdyke. There is hope for marked improvement if he repro duces his best form, but it is also reasonable to expect him to find difficulty in beating Naval Treaty and Fulgent at the weights. Detroit and Chief Mate have alternative engagements in the Morven Welter. They both ran well in the welter at Washdyke, where Detroit’s strong run from the back for fourth provided a feature of the race.

Chief Mate appeared to need the run he had last week. He was below racing trim, but stayed close to the leaders to the home turn.

Rio Negro may not find it easy to master this distance in a soundly-run race; but her speed should keep her well to the fore for most of it.

Ptarmigan, a fair seventh over more ground at Washdyke, should do best of those lower in the weights. The Second Leg Roi du Bois raced like an early winner at Ashburton, where he was fourth against the hack stayers on the first day and an improved second in the same company a week later. He has enough early speed to be in one of the commanding positions from the start, and will probably finish more strongly than any of the others. Macduff’s Ashburton form was weak, and many removes from his best. He raced more generously at Riccarton at Easter, when he won a high-weight

and beat all but the brilliant Demijour in the Shirley Hack Handicap. There has been promise of improved race form in some attractive training trials by the Royal Chief gelding recently. If he gallops generously, none of the others may be able to match him for class.

Ironside and Trustworthy, both trained at Washdyke by F. Trilford, may not be able to foot it with Roi du Bois, but both have place prospects. Pathe and Suncrest raced soundly at Invercargill, where both improved their stake winnings. They were fifth and fourth respectively, with little between them, over a mile last Saturday, and both were running on. They should be the best of the Otago horses, and are quite likely to measure up to this class.

Incredible may find difficulty in improving his score from his place in the weights. He is at the top of the handicap with 9st. Fort Marshall in Favour

The Waimate trainer, W. Barr, has two recent winners to represent his stable in the Studholme Hack and Hunters’ Steeples.

Fort Marshall dashingly won at Ashburton. He did not get past the second fence at Washdyke, but Full Tilt saved the day for the stable, winning narrowly from Pageant and The Tongs.

The fast-leaping and strong-gallop-ing Fort Marshall may do better than his stablemate over the light Waimate country. If he stays on his feet, ho may keep clear of the others. Gay Fenian should have benefited from his experience at Washdyke, where he ran off fairly early in the race when leading. He ran down his fences, but put in big leaps and shaped 4ike an early winner. The Tongs is an improving jumper from Wingatui, but Pageant, which is two years older, has well-exposed form, and is still likely to run off when he gets the chance. Golden’s Morn’s good third behind Ocean Flight and Good Abbot over a mile at Riverton last month appears to give him an outstanding lightweight’s chance in the Morven Welter. He went back to racing against hacks under big weights at Ashburton, and was twice placed. Last week, he was tested for stamina in open company at Washdyke and did not make the grade.

There was much merit in Relinquish’s winning performance in the corresponding race at Washdyke, and his lift m the weights to Bst 91b should not stop him from running well. Selections, with amended order of races and starting times, are:—

11 a.m.—Waiho Hack Hurdles: Grey Valley, Export, Desperado.

am—Trial Plate: Royal Quest, Mimbar, Royal Glade.

1?- 3) P-m—Waimate Cup: Naval Treaty, Fulgent, Cheerio. 2( L P-m.—Studholme Steeplechase: Fort Marshall, The Tongs, Gay Fenian. 2 p.m.—Novice Handicap: Waiau Bill, Gallant Peter, Master Gilpin. 2.40' p.m.—Waitangi Champion Hack Handicap: Roi du Bois, Macduff, Suncrest. „ P-m.—Hook Hack Handicap: Big Ben, Kansas, Golden Shoes. P-m —Morven Welter Handicap: Golden Morn, Relinquish, Dixie Leigh. Fields, with form for the double are: WAIMATE CUP, Of £5OO. One mile and a quarter.

st. lb 0200 Royal Voyage (5) . 9 0 0000 Diablo (1) 1100 Cheerio (9) .. . 8 10 0023 Fulgent (2) .. . 8 8 0032 Naval Treaty (7) . 7 9 0000 Chief Mate (16) . 7 6 0204 Detroit (11) . 7 5 0030 Rio Negro (10) . 7 5 2000 Golden Jest (3) . 7 3 1000 Ptarmigan (4) . 7 0 3000 Wise Belle (8) . 7'0 WAITANGI CHAMPION HACK HANDICAP. Of £250. One mile and 150 yards. 2030 Incredible (6) St. ID . 9 0 0112 Ironside (5) . 8 13 4204 Trustworthy (13) 8 12 2000 Macduff (2) . 8 10 3410 Pathe (8) . 8 8 0000 Armando (12) . 8 7 3024 Suncrest (1) .. . 8 4 0042 Roi du Bois (3) .. . 8 4 0040 Cloque (9) .. .. . 7 10 3000 Barbara Dare (11) . 7 9 1000 Bellows (14) .. . 7 9 00 Furtivo (4) 7 9 0100 Tassin (10) . 7 9 00 Vestment (7) 7 9