Magic Circle Good Prospect For Geraldine Cup

Press, Volume C, Issue 29626, 23 September 1961, Page 4

Magic Circle Good Prospect For Geraldine Cup

Five races since early in July and some sound gallops lately have probably fitted Magic Circle for a show of his best fonxr in the Geraldine Cup at Orari on Monday. ; Magic Circle had a restricted programme because of a legtinjury last season, but developed very good form as a five-year-old. All going well he could win a good middle-distance handicap race this season for Mr G. H. Grigg, president of the New Zealand Racing Conference.

Magic Circle’s latest race wag the Islington Handicap, one mile and a quarter, on the last day of the Grand National meeting. He finished behind the middle of the field, but was not far from the leading bunch at the two furlongs, and to get there he had to make a big run from use tail of the field. He missed a few days’ work earlier this month but has bad two good gallops with his stablemate, Waverley. this week, and should be fit to run out a' mile and a quarter with the beet of his Geraldine Cup rivals. Magic Circle will be ridden by N. East wood, who won the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Dominion Handicap and the Timaru Cup on the Count Rendered gelding the season before last.

McGregor, Coral Ring, McCool, and Navarone iuive been token out of the Geraldine Cup but it is still an unwieldy field, and luck of the running should have an important bearing on the result. Irrepressible is engaged at Wingatui today and if she starts Kelton may be reserved to represent D. P. Wilson’s stable on Monday.

Form Runner Compensate, the Geraldine Cup top-weight, is bound to be one of the fancied lot. He started his seven-year-old racing with a very good third against the sprinters at Ashburton last Saturday week. Compensate runs a middle distance well, and on his Nelson Cup record alone—he has won that race four times —he must be given a good chance of mastering 9-5. John Jameson has winning form up to a mile, and will probably manage to run a mile and a quarter right out at Orari, and even on bigger tracks later. Last start he was a good

second to Approval over seven furlongs on a heavy track at Ashburton, There is nothing very inspiring in the latest form of

the Ilght-weighta, but some h«ve made fresh starts, and there will be improvers among them. One such could be that consistent veteran, Quick Time, last season's Timaru and Waikouaiti Cups winner. . Quick Time looked little inferior to Quite Able up to a mile and a half last season, and the latter could offer an indirect form pointer through his run at Wingatui today. Omaha* My Fair Lady and Matauwhi appeal most of the other light-weights. Second Leg / Roman Maid is selected to win the-President’s Handicap, second leg of the Orari double. She will remain strongly in favour while there is a likelihood of a firm track. Her only race so far this season was on a heavy track at Ashburton, and she petered «out after leading for a time early.

But when she had better footing in the Christchurch Hunt Club’s Brabazon Handicap at the end of the season she finished a good third after leading until close to home.

Cardinal King won this race last year under 9-0 and has 9-5 this time. He has won two races, including the North Island Challenge Stakes, in the meantime and will not go under easily if somewhere near his best.

Gay Defoe will probably dominate the lower half of the handicap if he is able to hold a good position on the inside early. He has Winning forin up to a mile and a half, and can sprint fast when fresh. This will be his first race since April.

Brown Watch and Le Cheval may be the pick of the

others in » field not distinguished for its number of form runners.

Fields, with form and riders, for the double races are:—

GERALDINE CLP, Of £500; one mile an quarter. St. lb 6073 Compensate (15), D. Stock L. 9 5 0604 Irrepressible (10) 8 7 0702 John Jameson (9) 8 7 0000 Magic Circle (7), N. Eastwood 8 1 0000 Kelton (8) 8 0 0068 Believe Me (14) 7 13 000 Canon (3) .. 7 13 9407 Omaha (4), G. W. Mein .. 7 13 8060 Quick Time (12), R. J. Skelton 7 13 6060 Jesse Owens (13), R. N. Marsh 7 12 0010 The Era (1) 7 10 8706 Prinoe Delaware (20) 7 7 0409 My Fair Lady (18), D. N. Hadfield .. 7 7 0070 Royal George (19), R. McDonald 7 7 6516 Night Sock (11) 7 7 7007 Hand Over (8), A. Eastwood H. 7 7 4546 Matauwhl (2), W. D. Skelton 7 7 Scratched: Navarone, MeGregor, McCool, Coral Ring. PRESIDENT’S HANDICAP, Of £400; seven furlongs. st. lb. 2000 Cardinal King (2) » 3 1539 Roman Maid (3), G. R. Baldwin 8 11 8000 Ben Ledi (13) 8 2 9200 Gaytana (15). M. J. Skelton 8 1 8320 Ocean Melody (5) 8 0 3990 Personify (10). R. N. Marsh 7 13 0670 Gay Defoe (4), N. Eastwood 7 13 8206 Le Cheval (7), E. J. Dddham 7 10 6080 Brown Watch (12), D. Skelton 7 9 7100 KoralUon (S), R. J. Skelton 7 7 0000 Search Warrant (ij 7 7 3585 Medbury (14), Treasure Mine (8) w. 7 7 1575 R. McDonald 7 7 7009 Stradbroke (6) 7 7 9000 Kalinita (11) 7 7