RACING CANON FAVOURITE FOR DUNEDIN CUP

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28157, 21 December 1956, Page 4

RACING CANON FAVOURITE FOR DUNEDIN CUP

Wingatui had rain yesterday afternoon. and unless there is good drying today the ground will probably be easy for the opening day of the Dunedin Cup meeting tomorrow. Anything but a firm track will probably weigh against the Dunedin Cup top weight. Field Chief, which earned a position among the favourites with three good gallops on his home track inside the last week.

A soft or heavy track will strengthen Canon’s chance. W’hich would have been considered good under any conditions. Canon won the Fendalton Handicap on an easy track on the second day of the New Zealand Cup meeting last month, and showed form of a high standard in his hack racing on winter tracks at the Grand National meeting in August. Montrose was scratched yesterday for the Dunedin Cup, and his stablemate, Obelisk, re-entered the field. If the track recovers, and offers summer-like going, the Riccartontrair. Rise and Shine will probably oe favourite for the Publicans’ Handicap, the second leg of the double. Tamrin and Skylight are also firm-track gallopers of ability, but if the ground is still holding moisture the claims of Red Tinge, Copperfield. Brooke, and Nairn Bridge will brighten.

Under any conditions, the result of the race will be largely determined by luck at the start and in the first two furlongs because the field is cumbersome, and those with the riin of the race against them early will have little opportunity to overcome disadvantages inside six furlongs. Rise and Shine has had one win in eleven starts in open company. She has almost invariably been heavily supported, and with better luck at times she would have improved on minor places. She recorded her first win in open company at the North Canterbury meeting in October, and has been twice placed in her three starts since —fourth in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Members’ Handicap. and second to Curtain Raiser in the Knight Memorial at Hororata. There was little between Curtain Raiser and Rise and Shine at Hororata. and the latter could have reversed the placings with a better run. She was never in trouble, but had to show all her brilliance to join the leaders from a wide barrier position, and was then left without a trail to the straight.

The distance of the Knight Memorial was seven furlongs. Tomorrow she will be back to six furlongs, and even the best of the others may be unable to match her for brilliance if she begins well from No. 9. Fresh Start Tamrin has been away from racing since he beat Avenge and Ray Ribbon in the Challenge Stakes at Riccarton in* April, 1955. He has to be put aside with a hock injury when he was just about to resume" racing last season. The trouble has righted itself and he has shown much of his former brilliance in his recent training at Wingatui. Tamrin established his class against the best sprinters when trained at Riccarton by J. C. Tomkinson and, all going- well, the Wingatui trainer, H A. Anderton, should do well with the six-year-old Sabaean gelding. Skylight, like Tamrin, was trained at Riccarton earlier in his career. He made a very good start as a four-year-old this season. After a minor placing, he outclassed sprint fields at Winton and Gore, and his two • failures since have been in longer races. On October 20. he won the Gore Racing Club’s Flying Handicap, six furlongs, by five lengths in Imin lljsec—a very brilliant gallop around the turns. Before that he won al Winton just as easily. Skylight has had a setback since the Southland Centennial meeting, but it was nothing serious, and not expected to put an end to his chance in a sprint race. The distance will probably be a shade short for the top weight Silence.

Drawn Wide Brook has drawn one of the wide positions, and he may not have to be reckoned with unless the track is soft or heavy. Red Admiral has won twice over •ix furlongs in four starts this season. He was a weakening sixth after pacemaking in the C.J.C. Stewards’ Handicap, but Wingatui does not provide

such a tough test over this distance. Red Admiral’s greatest handicap will probably be the No. 22 barrier position. The Publicans’ Handicap was one of Red Tinge’s five wins last season. He has not raced this season, but he goes well when fresh, and his ability to race equally well on hard and soft tracks puts him among the more likely candidates. Copperfield struck a solid patch of form in weaker company than in the spring. Before that there was a great difference between his best and worst runs. The Invercargill-trained Nairn Bridge should be one of the best of those below Rise and Shine in the weights. He won in solid style over seven furlongs on his home track last month —a well-earned victory after consistent efforts beforehand. Princess Neptune and Motueka, both Riccarton-trained sprinters, have shaped like early winners lately, but they will have heavy work ahead of them from wide barrier positions. Smart Two-year-old A smart sprint at Wingatui yesterday advanced Her Ex in public favour for the Champagne Stakes. Her Ex has won twice in four starts for Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane, and looks as if she will be Riccarton’s strongest representative on tomorrow's programme. • Surapt, winner of the McLean Stakes on a soft track in September, will probably be the best of the others if conditions are similar today. But Bow Tie and Kelp, both winners at the Southland Centennial meeting, will also have to be reckoned with. Four scratchings are required to avoid divisions in the Trial Handicap. Hearth Rug was scratched yesterday and Paper Clip is expected to drop out of the field because of a leg injury. Rex Robe and By Jove, dual acceptors, are likely to start in the Warrington High-weight. Selections:— 11.15 a.m.—Warrington High-weight: Every Night, Brig O’Cally, Rex Robe. 11 55 a.m.—Trial Handicap: First Division—Willie Wolseley, Bright Bridge. Second Division—Eden’s Pride. Masefield. 12.40 p.m.—Dunedin Cup: Canon, Writer, Field Chief. 1.25. p.m.—Mornington Hack Handicap: De Galard. Aquarius. Pennant. 2.5 p.m.—Champagne Stakes: Her Ex, Surapt, Kelp. 2.50 p.m.—Publicans’ Handicap: Rise and Shine. Red Tinge, Nairn Bridge. 3.30 p.m.—Berwick Hack Handicap: Dart Away, Ditched-Tripped bracket, Mitre Peak. 4.15 p.m.—President’s Hack Handicap: Pilot Light, Plunder, Strada. The fields, with form, for the double races are: DUNEDIN CUP HANDICAP, Of £1550. One mile and a half.

st. lb. 0020 Field Chief (23) . 9 5 0231 Cheerio (4) .. . 8 13 1420 Silver King (19) . 8 13 3000 Writer (17» . 8 9 0030 Horatius (13) . 8 3 0040 Overboard (1) . 8 3 0010 Canon (18) . 8 2 2401 Flair (6) . 8 1 0040 Watch and Wait (20) . 8 1 0020 Royal Warrant (3) . 8 0 4204 Landon (16) . 8 0 0004 Dinner Chat (15) . 7 12 0000 Suphero (10) . 7 12 0001 Relinquish (5) . 7 5 00 Spring Night (11) . 7 2 4433 Obelisk (»> . 7 1 0003 Bon Soir (14) . 7 0 1413 Cashmere (7) . 7 0 0032 Exodus (12) . 7 0 0112 Humber Hawk (21) . 7 0 2211 Loyal Chief (8) . 7 0 0000 Lucky Bill <2> . 7 0 Scratched: Montrose. PUBLICANS’ HANDICAP, Of £700. Six furlongs. st. lb. 2300 Silence (5) . 9 0 Tamrin (3) . 8 12 0 Brooke (23) . 8 10 4110 Red Tinge (7) . 8 7 000 Kasr El Nil (15) . 8 3 0321 Copperfield (8) . 8 1 1100 Skylight (11) . 8 1 0100 Desert Cloud (10) . 7 13 Irish Wings (16) . 7 12 1042 Rise and Shine (9) . 7 12 My Friend (4) . 7 12 3032 Rathkeale (4) . 7 11 4234 Fulgent (17) . 7 10 1321 Naim Bridge (2) 7 10 420 Mijiji (13) . 7 9 0200 Red Boa (12) . 7 7 4030 Princess Neptune (19) . 7 5 2203 Motueka (20) . 7 3 4210 King’s Lace <18j . 7 0 00 Perfect Peach (21) .. .70 0143 Palace (14) 7 0 0001 Royal Display (1) . 7 0