RACING Favourites Have Found Victory Elusive

Press, Volume C, Issue 29454, 4 March 1961, Page 7

RACING Favourites Have Found Victory Elusive

Favourites have not managed to improve on minor places in Peninsula Handicap contests in the last six years.

Rustic will probably be favourite for that race at Motukarara today, and a sound run will be very much in character, but she will not find it easy to give weight all round. Gay Tommy, 171 b below her, could beat her.

The Hob was the last favourite to win a Peninsula Handicap, and that was in 1954.

Since then the heavilybacked runners have usually managed to be thereabouts, but not to round off their efforts. Unsuccessful win favourites'since The Hob's year have been Fulgent <third), Calcutta Sweep (fourth), Tess (second), Money - Go - Round (third), Nasib (second), and Tamarisk (third).

Gay Tommy just failed to peg back Cruising in this race last year. The winner and runner-up were at good odds. Gay Tommy being eighth favourite and the outsider but one.

Gay Tommy carried 8-1 last year, and has 11b less today. He has done nothing spectacular in the last year, but has struck a patch of solid form lately. He started it with a close second to Quick Time in the Timaru Cup. Two starts later he was a strongly-finishing fourth in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Midsummer Handicap, won by Rustic. Since then he has raced twice at Westport for a win and a third. For Treiitham Rustic and Gay Defoe are Peninsular Handicap candidates going on to Trentham next week, and their performances could have some bearing on Wellington form. The Kinloch Handicap, the second leg of the double today, should also be of value as a Trentham guide. Mr A. N. Smith’s pair. Cadiz and Braganza, will be at cramped odds as a bracket today when they will be making one of their rare appearances away from a metropolitan course.

Next week they will be racing for richer prizes at Trentham—Cadiz in either the North Island Challenge Stakes or the Railway Handicap, and Braganza in the Thompson Handicap. A very fit and fast rival for Braganza today and again next week will be Vitamise. This four-year-old has sprinted brilliantly in training lately, and he established his class by winning against the milers on the second day of the Wellington Cup meeting.

If any horse is going to beat Cadiz and Braganza it will probably be Vitamise. Spectacle The Kinloch Handicap field is loaded with speed from top to bottom of the handicap, and there should be no more spectacular race on today’s card. The strongest favourite today will probably be Bridie O’Cally. top weight and the

only winner in the Bradley Handicap field. She will be ridden bv the Riccarton jockey, C. McDonald, and this was a successful combination last time out, in the Middle P3Tk Plate at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s summer meeting. Corduroy will - probably be the best of a poor lot in the Otahuna Highweight. He lasted out 11 furlongs fairly solidly for a second to Dalmain at Wingatui last week.