Border Reiver May Win Steeples At Washdyke

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27699, 1 July 1955, Page 4

Border Reiver May Win Steeples At Washdyke

RACING

Border Reiver s failure to finish closer than a straggler's fourth at Ashburton on Saturday can, perhaps, safely be overlooked in assessing nis chance in the South Canterbury £teenlerhase. one of the attractions on a well-balanced programme for the South Canterbury Jockey Club's Winter meeting tomorrow. Border Reiver’s rider at Ashburton lost his irons earlv in the race, and the Royal Chief gelding drifted a long wav before he recovered them. In i addition it was this Riccarton jumper s j first appearance after a spell. It was ; evident yesterday that Border Reiver | will b<» a fitter horse for tomorrow's . test. He gave a bold display of jump- • ing over five fences. Belgravia, top weight with list 61b. has had three falls in his last four races. He crashed in each of his two races at Wingatui. where the going was heavy, and could possibly be more sure of himse’f on better ground. Pageant has been runner-up in his last three races. A win for this Oamaru-trained Battle Song gelding would be well earned, but in this field he mieht not find it easy to improve | on minor placings.

Spanish Chief should safely hold! Conrad. Culton. and Wealthy, the' third, fourth, and fifth to finish in the I Burnside Hack and Hunters’ Steeplechase. which he won at Oamaru. Spanish Chief had to drop out of the steeplechase at Ashburton because of lameness, but he did not miss much work and should not want for racewinning condition. Full Tilt, whose neat jumping helped largely to give him victory over two and a half miles at Washdyke on May 21. failed on a heavy track at the Dunedin winter meeting. His earlier form over the Washdyke country should be a more accurate pointer. The Southland jumper. Contented, may do best of those lower in the weights. His second in the hack steeplechase on the first day of the Dunedin meeting showed him in the role of an early winner over country, i Probably he was feeling the effects of i that hard race when he failed later I at the meeting. Riccarton Well Represented Poilu and Spike Jones, two young hurdlers with promising records, will represent Riccarton with credit in the Tekapo Hack Hurdles. Poilu won over the same distance with 101 b less at Ashburton last Saturday. It was his first success on a short record as a jumper and the job of repeating the effort may not be too much for him. Spike Jones has raced twice on the flat for two fourths since he beat all but Johnny Peep in th£ hurdles at the Oamaru winter meeting. Providing his jumping is up to scratch, his stamina should carry him into the finish from his position in the handicap. Diablo made a very promising start as a hurdler at Oamaru. where he was third. His form on the flat was superior to that of all his opponents in this field, and his jumping should not fail him if he shapes as well as he did at Oamaru. Diablo’s performance tomorrow should throw some light on his prospects in hack hurdle races at the Wei-' lineton winter meeting. Exchequer and Sivite. the first two in the handicap, mav have to show improvement on anything they have done lately to beat the best of their opponents lower in the weights. Ashburton form gives the improving Escalado a brighter chance. Escalado beat all but pnj’u last week and comes in on 71b better terms this time. Another Chance for Pretend Pretend has one of the wide barrier gositions in the Opihi Handicap, but er sneed should very nearly enable her to overcome that handicap in a field dominated in numbers, by unraced and inexperienced two-year-Olds. Pretend was much too good for the youngsters she met at Ashburton. But of those she beat there, Mr D. McFarlane's pair. Le Roi and Lochie, are both improvers. Le Roi was running on for second. Lochie ” r eakeninp slightly to fifth. It was Lochie’s rare debut, and this smart Callender cnlt has a reasonably good chance of winning if he begins well from the No. 10 barrier position.

Le Roi, like Pretend, will start wide out. but with any luck early he should be running on. Big Ben. an unlucky fourth the last time he raced at Washdyke, and a winner since at Waimate, may be the best nf the hack sprinters in the Beaconsfield Hack Handicap. He is 151 b below the Oamaru winner. Red Tinge, ana with that advantage he should beat the Wineatui four-year-old. Eig Ben was fourth at Oamaru. Direct Passage could improve on her performances in bad ground at Wingai tui. On her earlier form at Invercar- ■ gill, where she won twice, she may be hard to beat. Lady Lothian narrowly beat Airscol over this distance the last time they met at Washdyke. There should be little between them if the ground is reasonably firm, but under any other conditions Lady Lothian may be the Riccarton mare's superior again.

Friendly Lad has raced soundly in the south and an improvement on recent minor placings would be well deserved. Another capable Southland hack in this field is Red Boa. which made a big impression when she cleared maiden class at Waimate. Consistent Hack Wayren has a background of a fourth, a third, and a second in that order from his last three starts. He could make the step that would give him victory in the Kingsdown Hack Handicap, though he will be tested by Macduff. Hunter’s Choice, and De Bracey, all form prospects, and by Passchenedaele. which should show improvement on his Oamaru run, his first after a slight set-back. F. Trilford’s pair. Ptarmigan (Timaru Cup) and Cock Crow (Seadown Handicau) were scratched yesterday. The totalisator double will be on these two races, and Cock Crow was a form prospect for the second leg. Relinquish, a double acceptor, will run in the Cup and will be ridden bi' C. McDonald, not N. Eastwood, as was reported yesterday. Eastwood will ride Relinquish’s stablemate, Rio Negro. Selections:— 11.30 a.m.—Winchester Handicap: Legalise. Hashish. Netherhall. 12.10 p.m.—Tekapo Hurdles: Poilu. Diablo, Spike Jones. 12.55 p.m.—Timaru Cup: Relinquish. Suphero. Ballast. 1.35 p.m.—Opihi Handicap: Pretend, Lochie bracket. Red Peak. 2.15 p.m.—South Canterbury Steeplechase: Border Reiver, Spanish Chief, Full Tilt. 2.55 p.m.—Seadown Handicap: Declare, Dahlia. Michael Brierly. 3.35 p.m.—Beaconsfield Hack Handicap: Big Ben. Direct Passage. Red Boa. 4.1 p.m.—Kingsdown Hack Handicap: Wayren. De Bracey, Passchenedaele. Fields with form for the double are: — TIMARU CUP, Of £B9O. One mile three furlongs and 150 Yards.

st. lb 4201 Blackfellow <12* .. 9 6 0000 Royal Voyage (4) -.8 7 0121 Relinquish (3) ..8 4 ?210 Gold Mine (2) ..8 2 C002 Baffling Eyes (1) ..8 1 1330 Suphero (10) .. .. 7 13 ':134 Demand (15) .. .. 7 10 0020 Ballast (9) ..7 9 Of20 Ngapunawai. (16) ..7 9 2410 Felicitous (6) ..7 8 020 Admiral’s Keep (5) ..7 7 0040 Balveine (13) .. ..7 7 1000 Chandelle (8) ..7 7 2000 Formal (11) .. t .. 7 7 p C00 Golden Jest (17) ..7 7 3000 Rio Negro (20) ..7 7 C040 Solstice (19> ..7 7 9304 Wise Belle (7) .. 7 7 0000 Young Prince (18) ..7 7 Scratched: Ptarmigan. SEADOWN HANDICAP, Of £400. One Mile anc 35 Yards. st. lb 000 Gold Scheme (10) .. 10 0 1130 Brooke (15) .. .. 9 11 0144 Declare (9) .. 9 6 n 000 Dashing (1) .. ..9 2 0121 Relinquish (13) .. 8 13 4300 Danger Point (12) .. 8 11 3110 Rudolph (16) .. ..8 9 2001 Dahlia (4* .. 8 8 2032 Brutus (2) ..8 6 0000 Denominate (18) ..8 4 3430 Cloudy View (3) ..8 2 0000 Abbot’s Choice (5) ..8 1 3200 Michael Brierly (14) ..8 1 1300 Canasta (11) .. ..8 0 0400 Lights On (7) .. ..8 0 0104 Macduff (8) ..8 0 William Hyde (19) .. 8 0 Scratched: Cock Crow, Royal Warrant.