RACING Windvale Lad May Win Winter Cup

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29890, 2 August 1962, Page 4

RACING Windvale Lad May Win Winter Cup

The Winter Cup at Riccarton on Saturday is one of those races in which the Oamaru jockey, W. D. Skelton, probably wishes he could ride two horses. He has hopes of winning the race on Windvale Lad, but the result will take an ironic twist for him if the South Canterbury horse goes under to Fairassan. Skelton won the Winter Cup last year on Fairassan, and has also won a Great Easter and a Waltham Handicap on this good galloper from Levin.

This year Fairassan will be ridden by B J. Langford, who will arrive from the North Island this morning. Windvale Lad will be having his first tilt at Winter Cup honours with 8-12. one pound more than Fairassan mastered last year. Windvale Lad only started on his open-class racing a year ago, and started it well with wins in the Heathcote and August Handicaps at Riccarton. He has won three times more since. His latest win was in the Wellington Racing Club’s Whyte Handicap at Trentham last month. Windvale Lad won the Whyte Handicap under 8-6, then failed in the Parliamentary Handicap four days later. He carried 8-12 in the Parliamentary Handicap, but did not run within a stone of his best form, which supported arguments that he runs his best races when fresh. Short Of Racing Fairassan was one of Windvale Lad’s rivals in the Whyte Handicap, and finished well behind the placed horses. Hardly anything better was expected of him, it seems, for he had done no racing since he was galloped on in the Great Easter Handicap at Easter, and he started at long odds. Toureg. another North Island candidate for the Winter Cup. also opposed Windvale Lad in the Whyte Handicap. and ran sixth.

This Carterton-owned and trained Targui gelding won over seven furlongs on the last day at Trentham when the track was heavier. Toureg is probably better at seven furlongs than a mileThis northerner might find 9-2 and a wide barrier position a little more than be can manage. Toureg will be giving weight to all but Roman Maid. This fast Riccartontrained sprinter brilliantly won the Great Easter Handicap over seven furlongs last autumn, but this will be her first race as a miler since she failed in the Jockey Club Handicap at the last New Zealand Cup meeting. Roman Maid has strengthened since then, but it is doubtful if she has improved enough to beat Fairassan at a difference of 191 b. Fairassan ran third with 8-9 in the Jockey Club Handicap Roman Maid, under 8-2. finished thirteenth. Now she has 9-8. Third Cup Bid Cheyenne is now a nine-year-old, but is close to his best for a race he has already won twice. With a trailing run until close to home he might have won his second Brabazon Handicap last Saturday. But it is doubtful if the track will be as much to his liking this week, though any drying at all will help him. McCool made a favourable

fi-st impression as a miler at Trentham with a rather unlucky third in the Whyte Handicap. He was given two middle distance races later at the meeting, and finished fifth in the second of them, the Winter Oats. This big Balloch gelding did not appear to come to any harm on his Trentham campaign. He has had some soreness this week, but only because he has been sleeping on his shoe, which has brought up a lump behind his girth. However, he was walking freely enough after exercising at Riccarton yesterday. McCool might have been better served in a smaller field than this one, but with average luck and given plenty of galloping room he should be hard to beat. Brabazon Form Coral Chief and Melodic will heighten the value of the Brabazon Handicap as a guide if they run well, as they did last Saturday to fill the minor places in that order behind Gay Fox. Coral Chief is probably better at a mile than over seven furlongs, the Brabazon distance. He is essentially a wet-track galloper, so his placing on firmer footing last week showed that he is probably better now than ever. Cor-J Chief certainly appears to dominate those in the tail of the handicap. Melodic, with 8-5. might not be equal to giving Coral Chief 101 b, but weight might not be the only consideration in a big field. Melodic beat all but Fairassan in the Winter Cup after a Brabazon Handicap win a year ago. A North Island light-weight certain to have a big following is the Woodville four-year-old, Top Rank. He appeared to have classic possibilities in the early spring racing last season, but his form fell away after a dose second to Dry Martini in the Avondale Guineas. After being away from racing for a few weeks he won over seven furlongs at Masterton in May. He has raced twice since for a seco d and a fifth. His fifth was in the Whyte Handicap, and his run had its merits, for he was forced fairly wide all the way. Being left in front on the

home turn when Fairassan dropped back quickly did not make matters very easy for Top Rank. In the circumstances he did well to finish only half a length from the third horse. McCool. Donna Bella is another North Island candidate with smart form at a mile and beyond. She was runner-up to Vindvaie Lad in the Heathcote Handicap at Riccarton a year ago, and within the next few weeks she had won the middle distance races at Carterton, Foxton, and Otaki. Tidal Wave and Underarm were scratched yesterday for the Winter Cup. Tidal Wave is sore in a foot from which a piece of splint bone was removed about two years ago.