RACING Motueka-Massive For Ashburton Double

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28267, 3 May 1957, Page 4

RACING Motueka-Massive For Ashburton Double

Riccarton form will have proved of full value if Motueka wins the Ashburton County Handicap, first leg of the double on the opening day of the Ashburton club’s autumn meeting tomorrow.

Motueka was twice placed in three starts at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting last week, and there was special merit in his third to Fuel and Ben Ledi in the Waltham Handicap last Saturday because he struck trouble twice in the race. He was also third in the Templeton Handicap, one mile, also won by Fuel, on the second day of the meeting. A slightly slow start could have cost him a place in the Great Easter Handicap, in which he was sixth.

Since he won the Amberley Cup on March 30, the four-year-old Faux Tirage gelding has had six races, and has been unplaced only twice, once when racing beyond his best distance in the Nelson Cup. He has had a fairly busy season, but retains his zest for racing, judged on an attractive winding-up gallop yesterday. The eight-y ear-old Desperado has no form in seven races this season, but he made an encouraging fresh start after a spell al Riccarton last week. His second of two starts at the meeting was in the Waltham Handicap, and he was very much in the race just outside the furlong, chough he faded to sixth near the end

Further improvement can reasonably be allowed for in Desperado's form and the Defaulter gelding could play one of the principal roles in the finish.

Landon has done nothing of note in his latest racing. Nor has Rise and Shine, but this fast Sun King mare did not have track conditions to her liking at Riccarton. Her peak form as a miler has been of a high standard, and she has been placed in stronger fields than this. A dry track at * Ashburton, and that seems likely, could help Rise and Shine to recapture winning form. ’ Problem Hones

Adversary, like Desperado, is in the early stages of another campaign. He benefited from his one race at the C.J.C. autumn meeting and, judged on his trial at Riccarton yesterday, this good miler is near race-winning fitness.

Curtain Raiser is one of the problem horses in the field. His latest form has certainly not represented his real ability. Not since he won brilliantly over seven furlongs at Wingatui in February has* this strong galloper done anything of note. But one of his peak performances would make him a strong light-weight. The best of the six on the minimum—Royal Pal has been scratched will probably be Merrimayes if the ground is firm and Nasib if the track is soft

If the track is reasonably firm, it may be just as well to overlook Merrimayes’ failure in the Templeton Handicap at Riccarton. and to assess her chances on her fast-finishing fourth in the Amberley Cup and her strong late run for third in the Elderslie Handicap, six furlongs, at Oamaru.

Teaka will be another good light weight if the conditions are good, but his stablemate, Nasib. should beat him if there is any deterioration in the track.

Nasib raced twice at Riccarton after a spell, and is now ready to fulfil the promise he showed in his early three-year-old racing. The Second Leg Winning Wave will be in high favour for his attempt to win the Rakaia Hack Handicap for a second time. He won last yeai with 8-0, but a placing when he was carrying overweight in one of the open sprints at the Riverton Easter meeting has been expensive, and he now has * 9-3. The Wingatui-trained Tiderace gelding was carrying overweight when he ran Ben Ledi to threequarters of a length in the Flying Handicap at Riverton. A slow start appeared to cost Winning Wave a winning chance. That form takes on added value in the light of Ben Ledi’s second to Fuel at Riccarton last Saturday. Winning Wave failed in the hack sprint under 8-12 on the third day of the Riverton meeting, finishing, seventh.

Massive will come into reckoning because of his win over seven furlongs in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s race trials at Riccarton last month. He had not raced for several months before, but showed he was well advanced, in his preparation for another campaign. Helm goes fast for six furlongs, and was placed at Waimate and Oamaru in March.

Winning Treasure was a fastfinishing third over this distance at Oamaru three starts back, and there was probably more merit in her fourth over seven furlongs at Riccarton last Saturday. She looks one of the best of those below 8-0. Riccarton representation is

strengthened by Sweet Christine, a very fast front-runner. Six furlongs on the roomy Ashburton course may be far enough for this Kurdistan filly, but she is brilliant enough to establish a lead the best of the others will find difficulty in bridging. The Omoto-trained Almay showed fair speed in her races at Riccarton, and is expected to be the best of the others. 11.15 a.m.—Longbeach Hack Hurdles: Walkova, Lo Night, Hunt the Slipper. 11.55 ajn.—Lagmhor Stakes No. 1: Porcelain Prince, Golden Demonic. Gay Romeo. 12.35 pm.—Ashburton County Handicap: Motueka, Merrimayes, Rise and Shine. 1.20 pjn.—Lagmhor Stakes No. 2: Port Lanyard, Sir Edwin, Skyrider. 1.55 pjn.—Alford Hack and Hunters' Steeplechase: Tut Tut, Border Reiver, Escalade. 2.40 pm.—Rakaia Hack Handicap: Massive, Winning Treasure. Sweet Christine. 3JO pjn.—Eiffelton Hack Handicap: Lucky Time, Lucky Dewar. Equipage. 4 pjn.—Chatmoa Hack Handicap: Sun House, Tamarisk, Fleur.

FREE HANDICAP WEIGHTS

A telegraph service error on Wednesday evening resulted in Young Idealist being omitted from the Free Handicap for two-year-olds. Mr W. P. Russell placed Young Idealist at the top of the handicap with 9-10.

William Paul was also omitted. He as weighted at 8-11.

LAGMHOR STAKES NO. Of £200. One mile. 1. st. lb. 3000 Asunder (6) 8 4 0000 Gay Romeo (4) .. 0 Gold Flame (8) 8 4 8 4 000 Red Cirque (1) 8 4 0400 'Golden Demonic (5) 8 0 0000 Mercenary Beau (3) 8 0 4000 Porcelain Prince (7) 8 0 0000 Scarlet Pimpernel (2) LONGBEACH HACK HURDLES, Of £250. One mile and threequarter?. st. lb. 0001 Lo Night (8) .. 10 7 0000 Tisred (4) .. I 9 9

0002 Walkova (3) 0030 Hunt the Slipper (6) . 9 8 9 6 4000 Argive (9) 9 5 0000 Milling Bay (5) 9 5 0000 Trustworthy (2) 9 5 4043 De Bracey (1) .. 9 0 1340 Santee (7) 9 0 ASHBURTON COUNTY HANDICAP. Of £450. One mile. 2033 Motueka (3) st. lb. 8 6 0000 Desperado (8) 8 0 0000 Landon (13) .. . 7 12 2000 Rise and Shine (7) 7 12 0000 Adversary (14) .. 7 10 0000 Curtain Raiser (4) 7 10 2000 Desert Cloud (2) 7 10 0000 Leprechaun (11) 7 9 1034 Dart Away (9) 7 7 4340 Merrimayes (6) 1000 Nasib (12) 7 7 1600 Teaka (15) 7 7 0200 Tbe Bruiser (5) 7 7 0000 Smuggles (10) 7 7 Scratched: Royal Pal. LAGMHOR STAKES NO. 9 Of £200. One mile. 0000 Belletavia (5) .. st. lb. 8 4 0002 Glen Carron (3) 8 4 May Whistle (2) .. 8 4 0003 Skyrider (6) .. 0400 King Lyn (1) .. 8 0 0000 Nugleam (4) 8 0 0003 Port Lanyard (7) 8 0 3234 Sir Edwin (8) .. 8 0 ALFORD HACK AND HUNTERS’ STEEPLECHASE, Of £330. Two miles and a half. 0 Border Reiver (T) 1010 3200 Tut Tut (1) 10 10 1000 Composition (2. 10 1 Prosecutor (5) ' 9 11 0000 Grey Valley (3) 9 9 3040 Escalado (8) 9 4 t Show Place (4) .. 9 0 Yarrawonga (6) . 9 0 RAK Al A HACK HANDICAP. Of £250. Six furlongs 0020 Winning Wave (7) st. lb. . 9 3 000 Massive (5) 8 1 0000 Bobbie Burns (9) . 7 13 2340 Helm (4) . 7 13 0304 Winning Treasure (11) . . 7 12 0000 Haughty Chief (3) 7 11 4010 Sweet Christine (1) . 7 8 0000 Almay (13) . 7 7 1200 Brown Treasure (12) 7 7 0000 Lightning Boy (6) .77 0334 Looking Forward (8) ,77 0000 Rome (2) Scratched: Kotiti. EIFFELTON HACK HANDICAP, Of £250. Seven furlongs. 0031 Lucky Dewar (2) st. lb. . 8 2 2420 Equipage (7) . 8 1 0000 Brookfields Lad (5) . 7 9 0400 Consistent (3) • 7 7 0000 King’s Gold (8) . 7 7 4200 Lucky Time (4) . 7 7 0400 Kotiti (9) . 7 7 9000. Tour de Force (6) . 7 7 CHATMOS HACK.HANDICAP, Of £260. One mile and three furlongs. 0101 Sun House (8) st. lb. 9 0 0000 Fleur (4) 8 8 0200 Royal Pal (3) 8 8 1422 Tamarisk (1) 8 6 3440 Iroquoi (6) 8 4 0010 Neptune's Pride (9) 8 2 0000 Solstice (7) 7 12 0421 Arctic Sun (2) 7 10 0300 Silver Shower (5) 7 8 0000 Yue Chee (10) 7 8