RACING Personify Should Beat Picright At Ashburton

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30045, 1 February 1963, Page 4

RACING Personify Should Beat Picright At Ashburton

The Personify.R. J. Skelton combination has been a mighty one at times on the provincial tracks in the last two seasons, and will be much in demand again in the Tinwald Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday.

In four of his last five wins, Personify has been ridden by R. J. Skelton, the latest being the Timaru Cup last month.

Personify soundly beat the more strongly-supported Pieright at level weights in the Timaru Cup. Both carried S-X

Since then Picright has won the Waikouaiti Cup, and Personify has run a close second in the corresponding race at Oamaru. They will meet at Ashburton with a slight weight advantage for Picright This time Personify has fl-2 and Picright 8-13. On the higher scale both horses will be given testing races if the pace is st all solid early. But if it is one of those muddling affairs early, as it often is from the 11 furlongs at Ashburton, Personify might come up with another winning run for his Waimate owner, Mr M. D, Studholme. Personify is one pound below the top-weight, McCool, and is one pound above Compensate. McCool had to miss most of the holiday racing because of injury, and might not be conditioned to last a hard race right out Solid Record Picright will be trying for his fourth win in his last five starts. D. N. Hadfield, who rode him in his last two victories, is under suspension, and G. W. Mein has the mount at Ashburton. There is a drop of 131 b from Picright to Studio, the next in the handicap, with 8-0. Studio campaigned without success in the North Island up to and during the holidays. His best was a second over a mile and a quarter at Awapuni, but he did not hold his form, and failed in a later start before being sent back to Riccarton. At best Studio is a competent and game front runner, capable of getting this distance with ease. But unless a short freshening-up period has worked wonders, he might find success elusive. Sailorman. the Timaru Cup fourth, and the high-weight

winner on the second day of the South Canterbury meeting, does not run many bad races when he comes to form, especially when he has

strong riders up. He should be one of the best in the lower half of the handicap, though he will not run the distance out any better than Tirana. This Sabaean gelding lacks the brilliance that would have brought him to the top, but he seems to be fairly strong in stamina, and runs his races out doggedly. Second Leg The Riccarton-trained Royal Leigh rounded off a popular double with Personify by winning the Flying Handicap at Ashburton last autumn, and there is good reason to expect another sound run from this competent sprinter tomorrow. Royal Leigh should at least be a place prospect for a race in which Double will almost certainly be favourite, and probably at cramped odds. These two met over seven furlongs at the Dunedin Cup meeting in December. Double won unchallenged, but there was much to admire in Royal Leigh’s run from far back for second. Double won with 8-0 at Wingatui. She has won one of her two starts in the meantime, and has 9-3 at Ashburton, where she will be giving weight all round and 131 b to Royal Leigh. Double will have elearly established her class if she wins this race at all well. Candida, second top-weight with 8-9, was the outstanding performer on the West Coast New Year circuit, where she won at three successive appearances. She is a strong front-runner, when the tracks are firm, has won open-class races up to a mile, and might not go under easily. Paua, a stablemate of Picright, is another form runner. She won over a mile and 35 yards at good odds on

the second day of the Timaru Cup meeting, and everything suggests she will make a show at seven furtongs as well on Ashburton’s big track. Certainly should be the pick of the sprinters in the tail of the handicap. She won her last two races in the tower grade, and should “get” Seven furlongs strongly enough to have a real chance with her weight of 7-7.