Fairassan At Favourable Weight For Easter

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29798, 14 April 1962, Page 5

Fairassan At Favourable Weight For Easter

Fairassan and Roman Maid, the last two Great Easter Handicap winners, will meet in that race again this year. It is hardly surprising that connexions of Fairassan found the prospect of another Riccarton campaign attractive. Fairassan is in the Great Easter Handicap with 8-6. There will be fairly general agreement that he is well in. at that. On the other hand. Roman Maid, top-weight with 9-0, appears to have been ‘’dealt with.” A comparison of the records of these two horses makes that clear. Roman Maid met Fairassan three times in valuable Riccarton races last year, received weight each time, but never managed to finish in front.

First was the Great Easter i Handicap, which Fairassan 'won with 8-4. Roman Maid ! was third with 8-0. j Since then each has won 1 four races —Fairassan advancing ' his winnings by £2935 ;and Roman Maid hers by £1315. Second Meeting Fairassan and Roman Maid met for a second time at the i Canterbury Jockey Club's i autumn meeting a year ago. ! This was in the Waltham (Handicap on the final day. (Fairassan won under 8-13. Roman Maid finished seventh under 8-3. They met again in the mile Jockey Club Handicap at the last New Zealand Cup meeting. Again it yas the same story. Fairassan proved he could give the Riccarton mare weight and beat her. This time Fairassan <B-9> ran I third, and Roman Maid (8-2) (was thirteenth. Fairassan has won 10 open class races worth £6615. Roman Maid’s eight openclass wins have yielded £3630. Wide Difference Each has won three races this season, but there is a wide difference in their winnings. Fairassan earned £2285 in winning the Winter Cup. and the Manawatu Fitzherbert and Levin Handicaps. Roman Maid's three wins, one at .Geraldine, and the other two

at the Oamaru centennial meeting, were worth £965.

It will be a proved and successful combination in Fairassan’s case in the Great Easter, with W. D. Skelton doing the riding. R. J. Skelton has not confirmed a, definite engagement for the Great Easter, but he may ride Roman Maid. R. J. Skelton rode Roman Maid when she won with 8-2 as a three-year-old.