Takanini Pair For Second Leg

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30038, 24 January 1963, Page 4

Takanini Pair For Second Leg

"Ths Press" Special Service WELLINGTON, January 23. The Takanini trainer, G. W. B. Greene, will saddle two strong form runners, Fountainhead and Expedite, for the Metropolitan Handicap, the second leg of the TJk.B. double at Trentham on Saturday.

Fountainhead, top-weight with 9-3, started his campaign at the meeting with a third in the Telegraph Handicap, six furlongs. Then he ran one of his greatest races for second to Rapido in the George Adams Handicap. Expedite, like Fountainhead, has had the experience of leading a vain chase after Rapido* at the meeting. They met in the Wellington Stakes on cup day, and Expedite could not strike a blow at her brilliant contemporary. But her second proved the best value as a guide for the City Handicap on the second day of the meeting, and she won very handily. Her recent urns have suggested that Expedite has lost some of her early speed, and that she will now find seven furlongs more to her liking than six. On Adams Handicap form,

High Disdain has one of the stronger chances. He was fourth after a slow start in the big mile, but he will have to show something much better than average to win here from No. 16. Cabriere, Astrid, Roodyvoo, and Home on the Range are competent at this distance. Cabriere has the early speed to capitalise on a favourable barrier position, and should run this race right out. He had a trailing run behind Rapido in the Adams Handicap until be dropped back beaten early in the run home, but he will not have such a brilliant pace-maker to chase this time. Astrid was fifth in the Telegraph Handicap last Saturday after a cramped run in the straight. She runs few bad races and should run out seven furlongs better than most Roodyvoo was forced wide around to the home turn in the Adams Handicap and came to the end of a likelylooking run starting the last furlong. He finished sixth and it was a very good gallop in a record-run race. Home on the Range was third behind Expedite and Tara’s Pride in a weaker field in the City Handicap on Monday. She might not run out seven furlongs quite as strongly as some of the others in this field, but as a form runner she has a chance to be respected. Sonare, the Telegraph Handicap winner, may not be quite as good at seven furlongs, but she has sharp speed and should be able to capitalise on it from one of the better barrier positions. Funny Story, the Telegraph Handicap fourth and Sonare’e conqueror rt Marton the start before, ran another fair race for seventh in the Adams Handicap and brightens the chance of the winner coming from the lower half of the handicap.