Royal Chant Picked To Win At Orari

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28697, 22 September 1958, Page 4

Royal Chant Picked To Win At Orari

Royal Chant’s fast-fliiisliing fourth in the. Telegraph Handicap At Wingatui on Saturday was the performance of an early winner. That victory might come in the Squatters* Handicap, one of the main races at the Geraldine Racing Club’s first spring meeting at Orari today. Royal Chant is alone on the minimum in a field of six. The only form horse in the field is the Riccarton-trained ’ Pack Drill, whose record this season is two wins in four starts.

Pack Drill is top weight with 9-0 in the Squatters’ Handicap. He had 9-0 but the minimum was 71b higher when he won over seven furlongs at Ashburton on September 13. For an eight-year-old he is holding his fonri very well, and he will not go under without putting up a great battle, but Royal Chant, four years his junior, and 281 b below him in the weights, is expected to be his master.

The Squatters’ Handicap will be the second leg of today’s double. The. first leg is the Geraldine Cup. Royal Halyard has been scratched, leaving 12 in the field. Riccarton horses have a numerical superiority and of them Tamarisk, Water Boy, and El Jefe are form runners. El Jefe was only inches from his first open-class victory in the Tinwald Handicap, won by i Money-go-Round. at Ashburton ion September 13. i Water Boy was third,* Willie

Wolseley fourth and Tamarisk fifth in that race. The most creditable effort was Willie Wolseley’s placing. He was one of the tail-enders ' to the half mile, and was at a marked disadvantage because the pace until then had been slow. To get up for fourth Willie Wolseley had to run his last half mile in 46 3-ssec. To have won from such a position in such . a race would have demanded a super effort. Willie Wolseley is trained at Waimate by P. H. Andrews for Mr J. Milliken, a steward of the Geraldine club. < Hurdles Racing will begin with, the Rangitata Hurdles. The field is weak and top weight of 11-1 might not beat Champion, a

last-start winner at Ashburton. One of Champion’s stronger opponents may be Skyrider, • newcomer to hurdling, but a promising recruit. Skyridert jumping in schooling has bean good. Dress Circle has been scratched for the Ohapi Stakes No. 1, leaving 17 mares and filliag. Amulette and Befana were placed at Ashburton and may be the best in this field.

Mexico will be trying for his third successive win today. He is top Weight with 9-0 in the Orari Hack Handicap. He won very easily in his two appearances on the bigger Ashburton courae and his winning sequence should be widened unless he has lost form since he last raced. Wild Clover, one of the more promising Riccarton novices, has been scratched for the Ohapi Stakes No. 2. That should ease the task of Pleasant Ways, which will have every chance to rt* capture his promising form of last season. Pleasant Ways was slow away from wide out at Ashburton. Today he has one of the Inside positions and he might be in front all the way. Carrageen, another Riccarton galloper, was placed over six furlongs at Ashburton oft Augufit 30, and he is a form runner. The improver in this field is probably Beau Bian, a member of T. W. Reilly’s Orari team. Beau Bian made an encouraging fresh start, although unplaced, at Ashburton on August 30. Hb has developed into an attractive colt and his three-year-old form might be very good. Dropped Out Jesse Owens and Broken wings have dropped out of the Raukapuka Hack Handicap, ond of four seven-furlong races on the ; programme. ? A Probably the fastest hack in this field is Gay Defoe, which made an immediate impression In his two-year-old racing. L This Washdyke-trained Defaulter gelding has not raejd since he won a division of the Christchtirch Hunt Club’s Haldon Stakes in July. Ashburton form, gives Hopeful and Heath chances of filling places. ’.ll Riverwood, a strong finisher to win against .the hack milers at Ashburton on September 13, should go just as well over nine furlongs "in the Belfield Hack Handicap. Riverwood has 9-0 and might find Royal Avon (8-10) his strongest 'opponent Royal Avon made a good imand may be ready to recapture the good form he held at about this time last year.