RACING VITAMISE IN FORM FOR WIN

Press, Volume C, Issue 29466, 18 March 1961, Page 6

RACING VITAMISE IN FORM FOR WIN

Hutt Handicap Today At Trentham X itamise and Braganza, both from Riccarton, should be a match for the best of the North Island milers in the £1750 Hutt Handicap at Trentham today. Vitamise might be the favourite after a brilliant run from the back for third in the Thompson Handicap last week. Coming from the back was more difficult in the Thompson Handicap than it would be in the Hutt Handicap. The field was unwieldy in size, and the class was a good bit stronger that it will be today. So everything points to Vitamise putting up a bold bid for his second win on the course. Vitamise won the January Handicap at the Wellington Cup meeting. and Braganza won the corresponding race, the Thorndon Handicap, two starts later.

Braganza finished a long way behind the placed horses in the Thompson Handicap, but he had none of the breaks after starting very wide out, and A. J. Stokes did not persevere with him when he saw there was no chance of filling a place. Braganza -won the Hutt Handicap as a three-year-old two years ago. Early in the next season he was badly checked and knocked against the running rail in a race at Trentham and that unnerving experience might have cost him greatness as a miler. Braganza, more than any of the others in the field, will appreciate the smaller field today. Form Runner Moy, a very good Thompson Handicap fourth, is expected to be the North Island’s best. She won the first of the three open miles at the Wellington Cup meeting. Her stylish win in that race, the Anniversary Handicap, helped to make her one of the stronger fancies in the Thompson Handicap She did not manage to pay a dividend, but a run of equal merit would have produced one in most races. She has shown she is not

as good over a middle distance as at a mile, and her connexions have decided against running her in the New Zealand St. Leger. The South Island will not be at all well represented in the early races on the programme. And if weight of numbers has the final bearing on the matter President's Handicap honours should go to the North Island. But here the South Island will have a very strong runner in Llanmai, a Llanstephan gelding from D. P. Wilson’s Wingatui stable. Llanmai made a good first impression at Trentham last Saturday, when he beat Ursalon in the Thompson Handicap. Loafed In Straight He loafed after running easily to the front in the straight and had all too little time to rally, as he attempted to do. when Ursalon swooped on him close to home. J. R. Dowling, who has ridden Llanmai in most of his races, has usually kept him for a late run: and it can be a very powerful run. R. J. Skelton will probably follow the same course of action today. If the ground is no worse than easy, as it was last week, Cadiz and Cardinal King will have heaviest

backing in the second leg, the Suburban Handicap. The consistent Romanac, from Takanini. has had better luck than Cadiz and Cardinal King in the barrier draw, and that brightens his chance of running into one of the places. Southland will have a very live interest in the race with Shangri-La in the field. Obviously she is very fit for this test. Two very good training sprints this week have confirmed that. No rider had been engaged yesterday for Cardinal King Approaches were made to R J. Skelton, but he had been engaged for Gold View. Hughes Ou Flagon G F. Hughes was engaged yesterday to ride the Ric-carton-trained Flagon in the Champion Hack Handicap. R. J. Skelton, who rode Flagon last week when he ran second to Navarro, will ride Ours, a newcomer at the meeting. Flagon stays well, but will probably find Navarro his stumbling block for the third time in the space of a few weeks. Trentham had a drying wind on Thursday afternoon and the track will be no worse than easy unless there is rain, which is not expected today.