AT RANGIORA ON MONDAY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28104, 20 October 1956, Page 7

AT RANGIORA ON MONDAY

Strong Field For Main Race

column may do BEST

Twelve New Ze o l?nd Cup entrants are acceptors for the North Canterbury Handicap. the main rare and first leg of the double at the North Canterbury Racing Chib’s annual meeting at Rangiora on Monday.

There is a canacity fir’d, and in it are some of the South Island’s best-per-formed and most promising middle-dis-tance horses.

There is no dearth of form. Overboard. Canon, and Whipsnade are last-start winners. and Russleigh, Instigator, and Column have won this season.

Writer, top weight with 9-0, was the most successful Riccarton-trained middle distance winner in Canterbury last season. when he won the Dunedin Cup and the C.J.C. Sockburn Handicap, among other races. Conditions did not suit him at Trentham last Saturday, when he failed in the Wellington Handicap, but he will react altogether differently to the firm going expected for Monday.

Two starts ago. Writer was a rather unlucky third to Russleigh and Undergrowth at Orari. That was the performance of an early winner, and it will not be surprising if that win goes on record on Monday.

Overboard has 8-11, 81b more than he carried to a narrow win over 11 furlongs on the second day of the Dunedin Jockey

Club’s spring meeting. He is well up to his weight, and settled any doubts about his fitness with an outstanding trial at Riccarton on Thursday. Two starts this season should have brought Regardless back to his best. He has shown form of some merit up to a mile and a quarter, and his recent training tasks have been of a good standard. Russleigh was beaten under 8-13 at Orari last Saturday, but won stylishly with 8-1 on that course on September 24. She seldom fails to run well, but at the weights she may be held by Writer and the best of the others. Watch and Wait has raced twice this season and is now ready to recapture something like her best form, which has been good. She confirmed earlier impressions about her class when she beat some very good milers at the Wellington Cup meeting last January. She is not built on weight-carrying lines, but the drop in the weights this season has put at least one more good race within her reach. This may be it. Instigator and Column last met at Ashburton on September 8. At level weights Column beat the former North Islander narrowly in a battling finish. Instigator has raced twice since he won on a holding track, on the first dav of the Dunedin spring meeting, but failed when the ground was good on the same course a week later. \ Column’s one start since Ashburton was as a sprinter on his home track last week. He showed characteristic consistency by running on for fourth over a distance short of his best Few should beat Column if he races up to his best form. Canon made the grade in open company with ease at the second Geraldine spring meting. He appears to domiante the position in the bottom half of the handicap. Second Leg Rise and Shine has ability necessary to overcome the handicap of a wide barrier position in the Dr. T. A. Will Memorial Handicap, the second leg of the double. She has galloped brilliantly since the Ashburton spring meeting, where she weakened to fourth after pacemaking. That was her first race since the autumn, and improvement can reasonably be expected. The Orari-trained Teina won her first race in the South Island at Wingatui two starts back. She carried 8-2, including a full allowance, and has been weighted at 9-1 in this field. Fulgent, the closest to Teina in the weights, met the Orari-trained mare on level terms in the Paparua Handicap at Riccarton in August. They filled the minor places, Teina beating the Riccarton sprinter by half a length for second. Fulgent has made steady improvement, and his two starts at the Geraldine meetings produced a second last Saturday and a fourth on September 24 At the weights Fulgent will test Teina, as well as the best of the others. The light-weights, Merrimayes and Motueka, may be the best of the others, with Teko next in favour. If Motueka capitalises on the No. 3 barrier position he should have every chance for his attempt to win his first race for the season. He was running on for second behind Teko over this distance at the first Geraldine spring meeting, and his training sprints have been of a good standard since then. Merrimayes has been placed in her two races this season, and if she has held her form she should be one of the brighterl place prospects. Selections:— 11.30 a.m.—Loburn Stakes: Her Ex, Vivien Leigh, Panda. 12.10 p.m.—W. Parsons High-weight Handicap: Duel. Hunt the Slipper, King Robin. 12.50 p.m.—Waikuku Hack Handicap: Bagatelle, Dellar, Cruising. 1.40 p.m.—North Canterbury Handicap: Column, Writer, Watch and Wait. 2.30 p.m.—Springbank Stakes: Believe Me, Boissier Boy, Tamarisk 3.10 p.m.—Dr. T. A. Will Memorial Handicap: Rise and Shine, Motueka, Fulgent. 3.50 p.m.—Fernside Hack Handicap: Tarbillon, Scotch Emblem, Ditched. 4.30 p.m.—Rangiora Hack Handicap: Water Boy, Native King, Meteorologist. The fields, with form, for the double races are:—

NORTH CANTERBURY HANDICAP, Of £750. One mile and a quarter. st. lb. 0030 Writer (4) ..90 0001 Overboard (14) .. 8 11 0100 Regardless (16) .. 8 10 4410 Russleigh (17) ..8 9 0400 Watch and Wait (8) . ..8 8 3210 Instigator (12) ..8 6 0000 Adversary (10) ..8 3 1114 Column (3) .. 8 1 0141 Canon (19) ..8 0 0000 Relinquish (13) .. 7 13 0001 Whipsnade (11) .. 7 12 0000 Demand (20) .. .. 7 10 0000 Patris (2) .. 7 10 0003 Bon Soir (5) .. ..7 7 1400 Swayalong (1) ..7 7 1100 Super Corn (9) ..7 7 Balloted out, with the right of re-entry in the following order:— 4121 County Fermanagh (7) ..7 7 0220 Walkova (18) ..7 7 0000 Inspire (6) Scratched: The Bruiser. ..7 7 DR. T. A. WILL MEMORIAL HANDICAP, Of £500. Seven furlongs, st. lb. 2010 Teina (10) .. 9 1 3042 Fulgent i9) ..8 3 4000 Josudi (2) . ..8 2 4010 Teko (6) . ..8 1 0000 Rio Negro (4) ..8 0 2244 Rise and Shine (12) . .. 7 13 1134 Desert Cloud (7) . .. 7 11 2023 Merrimayes (8) . .. 7 11 1000 Melinda Jane (5) . .. 7 10 0402 Motueka (3) .. ..7 8 0002 The Bruiser (1) . ..7 8 0001 Lucky Sal (11) ..7 7