RACING Nasib Likely To Win First Leg At Washdyke

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28314, 27 June 1957, Page 4

RACING Nasib Likely To Win First Leg At Washdyke

Nasib is a ready-made favourite for the Donald Grant Memorial Handicap, the main race and first leg of the double on the first day of the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s winter meeting at Washdyke on Saturday.

Nasib won the Oamaru Winter Cup with 7-9, including 21b overweight, on June 15. He has 8-1 for his test over eleven furlongs and 150 yards at Washdyke, and the task is not expected to be too formidable for him. Nasib, one of two three-year-olds in the field, is 161 b below the top weight Good Abbot, which has been disappointing in three starts since his win at Invercargill in May. Good Abbot’s best performances have left little room for doubt about his ability on winter tracks, i and one of his most powerful runs would bring him into reckoning. Canon failed under 9-1 in the Oamaru Winter Cup when he had a track to suit him, and it will be surprising if he can improve enough to beat Nasib, which will carry a stone less. Ballast was racing short of his best distance when he failed in the mile Maronan Handicap at Ashburton. He raced soundly and successfully over more ground at the Dunedin winter meeting where he won the Provincial Handicap after beating all but Rhythmonic in the Birthday Handicap. Ballast’s Washdyke performance will take on special interest in view of a campaign at the Wellington winter meeting. Relinquish, the only other horse above Nasib in the weights, has good form up to one mile and a quarter, but has been troubled by the distance of the Donald Grant Memorial at Washdyke before. Strong Finish His third in the Maronan Handicap at Ashburton was a placing of some merit, because he had to put in a big run. A finish equally powerful over more ground on Saturday would nearly carry him into one of the places. Demand won this race as a six-year-old two years ago. His record since has been notable mainly for solid efforts in highweights. He did not fare so well in two of the main handicaps at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting, and will not find the class much easier on Saturday. However, he is game and hardy, and should run every yard of the distance strongly. Humber Hawk has seldom raced badly in 20 starts for Mr T. J. Lister this season. He has won four races, two of them open handicaps, and in nine other starts he has been placed. Humber Hawk came to the end of a list of minor placings at the Oamaru winter meeting, where he was a firm favourite for the main race. He did not run with his usual keenness and. perhaps, was jaded from his slogging battle with Ballast, which beat him narrowly on a heavy track at Wingatui. Horatius, last start, was fourth in the Oamaru Winter Cup, and it was an improver’s placing. Horatius was then in the early stages of a fresh campaign, and he may be a better horse for Saturday’s test. He is a proved performer on winter tracks. Nothing Blackfellow has done lately could create much confidence. Baffling Eyes started another campaign on the final day of the Dunedin winter meeting, and showed the benefit of that race in finishing fifth in the Oamaru Winter Cup. He won this race a year ago and was third to Demand and Siiphero a year earlier, and may have to be reckoned with under 7-11. Scuppered was runner-up to Baffling Eyes in the Donald Grant Memorial last year. She has not

won in 11 starts this season, but has some valuable placed performances on her record, one of the most meritorious being her second to Rhythmonic in the Sockburn Handicap on the third day of the Canterbury Jockey Club's autumn meeting. Scuppered could not win in less distinguished company at the Marlborough meeting, but she was possibly jaded after, her three races at Riccarton before that campaign was over. She has freshened, and her latest work at Riccarton has been of a good standard. Josudi has not made the expected improvement with recent racing, and cannot be highly regarded on form. Defallock was running on for his sixth in the Oamaru Winter Cup. This Invercargill-trained Defaulter gelding might not be troubled by the distance, judged on sound performances at the Riverton Easter meeting, where he was third to Rhythmonic and Canon in the Riverton Cup after his rider had lost an iron. The distance of that race is 70 yards short of 11 furlongs. On the second day at Riverton, Defallock was a fast-finishing fourth in the Easter Handicap, won by Canon. Gay Tommy, winner of two of his last three races as a hack, is a strong galloper on heavy tracks. He should have conditions to his liking, and if he has taken no harm from a hard race at Oamaru he should go well.