RACING Personify Scratched; Sailorman Now Choice

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29956, 18 October 1962, Page 4

RACING Personify Scratched; Sailorman Now Choice

Personify was scratched yesterday for the President’s Handicap at Rangiora tomorrow, and Sailorman and Omaha may now vie for favouritism for the North Canterbury Racing Club’s feature race. Personify was to have been ridden by the leading jockey, R. J. Skelton, and this was a successful combination in the race last year.

The Wai mate gelding ricked himself a few days ago and was scratched late yesterday afternoon.

Saitanaan. W. D. Skelton’s mount, showed he was dose to wintung form with a fourth behind Quick Time. Kastanea. and Personify at Oran last Saturday. If Skelton had been available to ride him. Sailorman would have been taken north for the Watkins Handicap at Trentham on Saturday. The President’s Handicap carries a smaller prize of £750. but it could be the starting point to a successful season for that strong Kurdistaa getting. Sailotman has 7-12 in the President’s Handicap, and is 181 b below the top-weight, McCool.

McCool failed against the milers at Trentham last week, bat he did not get the best of the running on the inside, and might now be better at a middle distance when the tracks are firm. Gay Defoe is hard to beat at this distance when he comes to form, and he could be regarded as one of the improvers in this field with recent racing. Form Runners Omaha and Quick Time will be strong fam runners for Riccarton stables. Omaha brilliantly won the Geraldine Cup on September 24 and the remarkable veteran, Quick Time, won on the same course and over the same distance last Saturday. Quick Time is one of three horses from J. L. Barr’s team in the field, but it is not certain if all three will run. If Kastanea starts, Quick Time may be reserved for the second day of the meeting. But Donna Maria, the third member of the team will probably run in any eventKastanea has earned a win after seconds in his last two

appearances, both at Orari. A rather wide barrier position might present hii.i with

an initial handicap if it is decided to start him. At level weights Sailorman is expected to beat Kastanea this time. He is also expected to give weight successfully to Gey Tommy, Donna Maria. Derailment, and Matauwhi though one or more of these horses could be involved in the finish.

Sprint Fancy Double, R. J. Skelton’s mount in three at her seven wins last season, starts her tour-year-old racing with the same rider in the Ronald Macdonald Handicap, the second leg of the double. Her open-class record is one win and one second in as many starts. She beat all but Roman Maid in the Great Easter, then won the CJ.C. Waltham Handicap before spelling. There is hardly any doubt about her fitness for a six furlong race; she has been sprinting brilliantly in training at Washdyke and if she rune at all well she will became an early fancy for the Stewards’ Handicap st Riecarton next month. There may be little to choose between most of the others, but Newbrook and Neron represent fairly good class at best, and will be improvers. Both started fresh campaigns at Orari last week. Hopeful easily won this race last year in the hands of R. J. Skelton. He is now eight, but has been racing usefully and could reach one of the places. Double fields, with form and riders, are:— PRESIDENTS HANDICAP.

r-a KAJiUSVa £750; lim. ur, st. lb 0210 McCool (8), C. McDonald 0 2 WOO Gay Defoe (11), C. T. Wilson 9 1 1341 Omaha (4), F. H. Skelton 8 11 3505 Valaris (19). W. Beck Quick Time (7), B. D. Collins 8 8 001 8 7 0300 Persuasive (14) .. Kastanea (17) 8 4 023 7 12 04 Sailorman (1), W. D. Skelton 7 13 0048 Gay Tommy (10), E. G. Low 1 11 1263 Donna Maria (10), D. N. Hadfield 9

8230 Derailment (12) ..7 7 0045 Matauwhi (3). G. W. Mein ..7 7 8560 My Fair Lady »), R. W. Donovan 7 7 7360 White Skies (16) ..7 7 0 Wyebank (5), M. J. Skelton ..7 7 883 Navarone (2), N. Eastwood ..7 7 Balloted out with right of reentry in the following order:— 70 Jesse Owens (13), R. N. Marsh ..7 7 0700 Golden Howe (15) ..7 7 99 Ups and Downs ( 20) 7 7 Scratched: Personify. RONALD MACDONALD HANDICAP, £400; Of. stfc Compensate (2), W. Wilson T. ..S3 Double (7), R. J. Skelton .. 8 13 1 Vltamise (1) ..8 3 75 Hopeful (12), W. D. Skelton ..8 6 0 Payout (9). J. Messent ..8 4 8 Neron (8) ..8 0 6 Fair King (3) .. 7 12 3 Newbrook (10), G. W. Mein ..7 7 Flaxman (11), M J. Skelton ..7 7 7 D. N. ..7 7 8 Queen of Sheba (5) 7 7 0 Ruffle (4), R. Swindlehurst ..7 7 Bracket: Hopeful and Payout. Scratched: Tutton.