RACING CHALLENGE STAKES TODAY

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28559, 12 April 1958, Page 7

RACING CHALLENGE STAKES TODAY

Mighty Dollar May Win Again Mighty Dollar may be outright favourite for the Challenge Stakes, a race he won last year, on the third and final day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting at Riccarton today. The seven-year-old Mighty Dollar is the oldest of the field of eight, and one of four horses that ran in the Great Easter op Monday. He did best of them, showing much ability in finishing fourth, although Monogram and Magic Carpet were fifth and sixth and close behind him. Monogram and Equal Terms are from the North Island and peak performances by both of them would test the best of the South Islanders.

Equal Terms was a weakening eighth in the Great Easter Handicap, in which he was a hot favourite. That was his first real failure this season and did not reflect his real ability. Equal Terms is one of two three-year-olds in the field for the Challenge Stakes. The other is Her Ex, the surprise winner of the Templeton Handicap on the second day of the meeting. Her Ex is bracketed with Watch and Wait, which was a close sixth in the Templeton Handicap. Watch and Wait is expected to be the stronger half of the bracket in the Challenge Stakes. She is a powerful finisher, and

the handy size of the Challenge Stakes field will show her to the greatest advantage. Blonde Sprite and Airephelia are two-year-olds in the field. They were second and fourth respectively in the Champagne Stakes, won by Cabonne, last Monday, and both were solid finishers. The leading jockey, W. D. Skelton, will ride Blonde Sprite. The Double Promise, Ark Royal, Great Sensation, and Cornflake give Otago a strong hand in the Sockburn Handicap, the first leg of the double today. , Promise will be having his first race at a mile and a half under handicap conditions, but was a close sixth 'in the New Zealand Derby on his last campaign . at Riccarton, ’and has been a strong finisher over a yiile- and a quarter in his last two of three races in open company. He is 331 b below Ark Royal, the likely favourite, find may be the top weight’s master at the weights. His first start at the meeting was in the Dominion "Handicap on Tuesday. He was an unlucky fourth, getting clear too late to challenge Drum Roll and Ark Royal, which were clear of the others: Luck in the running in the straight was all against Ark Royal in the Great Autumn Handicap, in which he' was fourth. Mr G. J. Barton’s good stayer is right back to his 4»est, and victory in the Sockburn Handicap would be well earned. When he was campaigned in Australia as a four-year-pld early

last season, he was never at his peak, and was believed to have kidney trouble. It has been found lately that the trouble is in his back. This was affecting him last Sunday, but he recovered when he received injections, one on Sunday evening and another on Monday motning, »and was fit to run one of his best races in the Great Autumn.

/The Sockburn Handicap may be Ark Royal’s last race in New Zealand for some time, it is possible that he will be campaigned in Queensland during the winter. Sarcelle will be solidly supported to complete a good double for the meeting in the Waltham Handicap, the second leg of the double today. Mrs F. A. Roberts’s Oman filly does not appear to h’ave taken any harm from his winning run in the Great Easter Handicap on Monday.