ARK ROYAL IN FORM

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28553, 5 April 1958, Page 7

ARK ROYAL IN FORM

Great Autumn Prospect Ark Royal has arrived at Riccarton ffom Wingatui to complete his preparation for the Great Autumn Handicap on Monday. His return to his best form, evident in his winning run in ‘he; James Hazlett Gold Cup on his home course last month, has brought him into high favour for iws attempt to win his second Great Autumn. As a three-year-old two seasons ago he won with 8-2, which was weight-for-age. He was one of the strongest favourites in the history of the race, a wager of £ 1 each way returning a profit of only 13s This year he has 9-3, the scale weight for a five-year-old. He will be yielding 61b to the Gore-trained Liban. which has also arrived at > Riccarton. 71b to Teaka, one of the early favourites, and 31b to five horses on the minimum. R. J. Skelton. Ark Royal’s rider, has been associated with Teaka and Liban in some of their important wins earlier in the season. Four and five-year-olds rpake 11 jf the 17 acceptors for the Great Autumn, but three-year-olds, which have done well in the race, are not represented this year. Ark Royal is one of six five-year-olds in the field. Another five-year-old whose chance must be highly regarded is the light-weight, Money-Go-Round. This Lucky Bag mare showed that she was strong in stamina on her campaign at the Wellington autumn meeting., where she was fifth in the Autumn Handicap, two miles,, and fourth in the President’s Handicap, one mile and a half. The Wanganui-trained Drum Roll, the only North Island horse in the field, is one of five four-year-olds engaged. He will be ridden by the Riccarton apprentice, B. W. McDonald. The Riccarton jockey, C. McDonald, who has already won thd race three times, first on Palm Bearer 11 years ago, will ride Shoal this year. Shoal is one of only two six-year-olds in the field. Two starts back she won the Dunedin Cup under 8-6 J.

The Great Autumn Handicap is the second leg of the double on Monday. The first leg is the Great Easter Handicap. The field has thinned in the last few days. Palace, Pack Drill, Rise and Shine and Brianbra having dropped out. The brilliant Woodville-trained Equal Terms is expected to be a firm favourite, and * there will be solid backing for Monogram, the other North Island sprinter in the field Riccarton-trained sprinters have won the last three Great Easters. Cheyenne may be most likely to widen the sequence. G. W. Mein, who was engaged at first to ride Pack Drill, may now ride Princess Neptune. The leading jockey, W. D. Skelton, who won the Great Easter last year on Tess, will ride My Friend, a laststart winner at Oamaru. My Friend is eight, and the veteran of the field. . No rider had been engaged yesterday for Ark Royal’s stablemate. Wondon, and Post. Toss and Pleasant Ways, the two reserves for the Courtenay Handicap, have re-entered the field, as Terracotta and Rathfarham have been scratched. Fern, which was a double acceptor, will run in the Warstep Stakes and will be ridden by B. S. Dodds.