RACING AUTUMN MEETING AT RICCARTON

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28257, 20 April 1957, Page 7

RACING AUTUMN MEETING AT RICCARTON

Copenhagen Selected In Great Easter

North Island representation will be strong in the Great Easter Handicap on the opening day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting at Ricarton on Monday, but the good record of South Island sprinters in the race is expected to be taken a stage further. The material is there for one of the most spectacular Great Easters for many years. Sprinters of the class of Royal Zorra and Lucrative, supported by Wee Durham, Hot Drop, and the others will test the best South Island horses; but the Riccarton- - trained Copenhagen, and the powerful Wingatuitrained galloper, Mighty Dollar, should match the best of them.

Copenhagen and Mighty Dollar are old rivals, with outstanding form up to one mile. They have been winners on soft tracks and their programmes have been planned to have them at their best for Easter racing. The easing in the tracks has favoured Copenhagen more, perhaps, than any of the others in the field. He was an unlucky second to Motueka on an easy track in the Amberley Cup three weeks ago, and his winning run at the Riccarton race trials last week showed that he had made good progress in his Great Easter Handicap preparation in the meantime. Mighty Dollar and Copenhagen last met in the Thompson Handicap at Trentham last autumn. Mighty Dollar won under 9st 31b and Copenhagen was unplaced. A week earlier, Copenhagen won the Banks Peninsula Kinloch Handicap, in which Mighty Dollar was fourth. When they met in the Wellington Racing Club’s Shorts Handicap. six furlongs, earlier last season. Mighty Dollar <Bst 61b) beat Copenhagen (Bst 101 b) by half a length on a soft track. Splendid Record Royal Zorra has been one of the outstanding sprinters of the season. The Wellington Racing Club's Thompson Handicap under Bst 131 b has been her most notable success, and her performance to give weight to all but one of her opponents in this tough mile established her class. The result of the Thompson Handicap must be respected as a guide, not only in Royal Zorra’s case.

Palace’s third at Trentham could also be a valuable pointer to the Great Easter Handicap. That placing has certainly given Palace a strong light-weight’s chance. He will receive 271 b from Royal Zorra, and the difference may be too great for the Count Rendered mare.

Lucrative, a strong Beaulivre mare, has recaptured her best form in her latest racing. She had a short rest after the summer and resumed at the Manawatu meeting, where she was the closest of thirds in the Longburn Handicap with 9st lib. Next start, she won the Havelock Flying Handicap at Hastings with 9st 21b and on the second day of the Hawke’s Bay meeting last Saturday she made a gallant attempt to win the Okawa Handicap with 9st 81b, finishing second a nose behind the light-weight. Postman. Lucrative will be ridden by the Riccarton jockey, C. T. Wilson. C. A. Bowry. who has ridden Lucrative in several of her races, is expected to ride Hot Drop, which has arrived at Riccarton.

Hot Drop has done nothing of note since he dead-heated with Zariba in the January Handicap at the Wellington Cup meeting, but one of his most powerful runs would give hUn''^£\firs’t- c lass chance with 7-12. “XA The Riccarton jockey,\W. Hanlin, has been engaged to ride Wee Durham, a small but fast mare owned and trained at Manaia by F. Calvert.

The Great Autumn The Riccarton jockey, R. W. Gould, has been engaged to ride Grand Bank in the Great Autumn Handicap, the second leg of the double.

The Otaki-trained Dogger Bank gelding, has had a busy season, but is standing up to racing, well, and has firmed in favour for the Great Autumn since the tracks have eased. Grand Bank won the Islington Handicap on a heavy track at the last Grand National meeting, but has also raced well on firm ■going, and beat all but Pinnacle Ridge and The Wake in the President’s Handicap, one mile and a half, at Trentham last month.

Jungle and Royal Tryst are other North Island horses in the field.

jungle raced as a sprinter earlier in the season, but earned a start in the Great Autumn by winning over one mile and a quarter at the Manawatu autumn meeting. Drier Track Needed Any improvement in the track during the week-end will brighten the prospects of the Ric-carton-trained Writer, Calcutta Sweep, and Teaka; also the Oamaru stayer, Loyal Chief, which failed on an easy track on the second day of the Oamaru meeting last month after winning the Oamaru Cup nine days earlier.

Writer will be giving from a stone to 231 b to the others, and the task may be too great if the track does not dry considerably. Calcutta Sweep showed promise as a stayer last season, and recent racing has brought him to his best.

Teaka showed form of some worth as a hack stayer. He has not yet raced on anything but firm tracks, but has worked well on soft ground. The Champagne Stakes, and the newly-instituted Warstep Stakes will be other attractions on the programme.

Strong Field Twelve starters are likely for the Champagne Stakes, including Imitation from Trentham, Mindanao from Wanganui, and Sharp from Hastings, all good gallopers. Wingatui will be strongly represented by Black Star and Bow Tie; the Washdyke-trained William Paul has shown form that gives him high ranking among the South Island two-year-olds; and Sarcelle, from Riccarton. showed much of the ability of her brilliant dam, Citril, in winning at Trentham last month. Imitation and Mindanao both finished strongly for third and fourth in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, seven furlongs, at Awapuni on March 23. There was little to choose between them, though Mindanao was a slow beginner.

They did not meet at the Wellington autumn meeting; Mindanao was second to Tawhiao in the Plunket Nursery Handicap and Imitation was third of four runners in the North Island Challenge Stakes.

A week earlier, Imitation won brilliantly at Masterton under 8-13—the second of two wins in a solid record for his ownertrainer, A. E. L. McMullan. Sharp did not run on in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, but was fourth under 7-13 in the Pacific Handicap, won by Sarcelle (7-0) at Trentham on March 16, and second to Gentoleno in the Fitzherbert Handicap on the same course in January. D. J. Thistoll was engaged yesterday to ride Sharp. Fuel At Riccarton The decision to bring Fuel to Riccarton—the trip was in doubt last week-end—will have a bearing on betting on the first contest for the Warstep Stakes, a race for three-year-old fillies and four-year-old mares that have not won a race of .2 750 or more to the winner. The Riccarton jockey, C. McDonald, will ride Fuel, a decisive winner against the open sprinters at Napier Park on March 16. Fuel raqed twice against the sprinters Hawke’s Bav meeting and was a in the Okawa Handicap, seven™urlongs, won by Postman last Saturday. Fuel has 9-4, and is lib below Desert Cloud, the runner-up to Papiro in the Nelson Cup two starts back.

Just below Fuel is Treasure Pond, winner of the Oamaru Jockey Club’s Gardiner Memorial Handicap, one mile and a quarter, on an easy track at her last Merrimayes has the most encouraging form of the others near the top of the handicap. She was a good third to Copenhagen and Goldwyn in the event for open sprinters at the Riccarton trials last week, was a strongly-finishing fourth in the Amberley Cup. seven furlongs, third, a neck and a head from the winner Litmus in the six-furlong Elderslie Handicap at Oamaru, and fourth in the Stewards’ Handicap, seven furlongs, on the first day of the Oamaru autumn meeting. Juventas, lone, and Tripped may be the best of those lower in the weights. lone and Juventas were fourth and fifth in the Silverstream Handicap, one mile and three furlongs, on the first day of the Wellington autumn meeting, and they may shade some of the others at the end of a hard-run mile on Monday.