RACING Royal Order May Win Second Leg

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29263, 22 July 1960, Page 4

RACING Royal Order May Win Second Leg

A sound run by Ravelston in the Claremont Handicap at Washdyke tomorrow will probably strengthen support for the Orari-trained Royal Order in the Levels Hack Handicap, second leg of the double. Ravelston has won his last six races, but before he started on that winning sequence he was soundly beaten by Royal Order over six furlongs. That was in a hack sprint at the Oamaru autumn meeting. Royal Order has raced only once in the meantime. That was at Waimate last Saturday when she again won easily. There the distance was six furlongs and 44 yards, and she carried 8-7.

Tomorrow Royal Order has 8-13. She will receive weight from Carrageen (9-7), Timely Boy (9-5), and Hundred Grand (9-2). Carrageen won handily with 9-0 over a mile and 150 yards at Waimate. A start from an open barrier probably helped him considerably. At times he has not behaved well ia stalls and that ccjuld prejudice what otherwise would be a strong chance. Improver Timely Boy is in the early stages of a fresh campaign and could be regarded as one of the improvers. In his race at Washdyke on July 9, his first this season, he went fast close to the lead until his condition gave out Hundred Grand was not able to make the grade tn two starts at Tr entham. Like most of the other South Islanders he found the class too strong, but his first-day fifth was a performance that might have won most hack races of the same type in the South Island. If there is any deterioration in the track Hundred Grand will have strengthened support Lola has been highly consistent, and should be one of the best of those below Royal Order in the weights. Others with fair form are Le Cheval and Pitch, the next best to Brian Warwick over this distance on the second day of the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s winter meeting. First Leg McCool or Ravelston? Rightly or wrongly, speculation on the first leg. the Claremont Handicap, practically begins and ends with these two horses. McCool, from Riccarton, will be attempting to win his third successive race. Ravelston has heavier odds against him. He is "sitting” on a sequence of six wins, two of them in open class. McCool has 9-7, and has 151 b more than Ravelston, but his disadvantage might end there. Ravelston has one of the wide barrier positions in a capacity field, and supporters of the others will have few quibbles If he manages to surmount that handicap Ravelston is a half-brother by Kurdistan from Philaster to St. Bruno, and is one of the best gallopers trained at Wingatui by H. A. Anderton since his halfbrother (New Zealand Derby, Riverton Cup twice) went into fairly early retirement. Stablemetes of Ravelston likely to have solid backing tomorrow are Sydtrev (Pareora Steeples). Pot Luck (Hadlow Hurdles), and No Offence (Teschemaker Steeples) ■ • Form Horses The successful Gore trainer, R J. Cochrane, eould also saddle winners of two of the jumping races.

Spiloch won his first race for the Cochrane stable as a jumper

at Waimate last week. Tomorrow he will run in the Hadlow Hurdles, and should take beating Cock Crow, another member of Cochrane's teem, is top-weight in the Teschemaker Steeples. He won over the Washdyke country at the South Canterbury Jockey Club’s winter meeting earlier this month.

Spjloeh was another winner at the South Canterbury winter meeting, but on the flat. He decisively won the Donald Grant Memorial Handicap, the main race on the first day. Gay Mood, one of Spiloch’s rivals In the hurdles tomorrow, was fourth in the Grant Memorial.

It is rare in the South island to find two horses able to do so well on the flat running in hurdle races.