TROTTING Smokey Hall Picked To Win Nelson Cup

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

TROTTING Smokey Hall Picked To Win Nelson Cup

The long list of minor placings which Smokey Ha J has compiled this season might come to an end in the Nelson Cup, the principal race and first leg of the double on the first day of the Nelson Trotting Club’s summer meeting tomorrow. Although the majority of Smokey Hall’s placings have been as a sprinter, she has also shaped well as a stayer. Her recoi*d includes two two«mile placings and the most recent of those was at Washdyke last Saturday week.

Smokey HaE left the impression that she would run out two mile* fairly well on the testing Nelson course when she finished brilliantly for a close third to Worthy River and Dominica in the Pukaki Handicap on the second day of the Timacu meeting.

Smokey Hall is the only last-start form runner among the handicapped horses. She will start from the 12-yard mark.

There will probably be solid backing for the Ashburton stablemates, Anama and Trusted, which share the same mark as Smokey Hall, but her strongest rivals are expected to come from among the horses on the limit.

Milngavie, the runner-up to Maudella in the Reefton Cup at his last start and a sprint winner at Westport one race earlier, could be fairly high on the list of fancied runners.

Dieman Lad and Mecca Star are two with dual wins close up on their records. The former was successful as a stayer and a sprinter at Washdyke this month.

Mecca Star’s successive victories were both over middle distances on the West Coast holiday circuit last month. Elusion and High Hopes both have sound form backgrounds, but they are noted mainly for their ability as sprinters. Natural Ability When it comes to natural ability the three-year-old Field Chief could fare as well as any. He has won two races this season and was the runner-up to Tactile in the New Zealand Derby. It will just be a matter of whether he can master this distance.

The North Island WiU put the only last-start winner into the field. He is Safety Light, a Light Brigade four-year-old trained at Trentham by J. S. Hunter. He managed 12| furlongs successfully at Claudelands last

Saturday fortnight, and that was his second win this season.

The majority of the field in the Steward*' Handicap, the second leg of the double, will already have had one run earlier in the day before contesting thia race. Form in the Stoke Handicap is certain to have a bearing on Steward*’ Handicap betting and if Central Range, Flak, Great Kick and Radiant Meadow perform well earlier, they will be among the popular fancies. But perhaps the outright favourite will be Fluid Drive, which has no other engagements during the day. This Reefton-trained mare has a sound form background which includes a sprint win at Greymouth earlier this month. She has yet to make the grade as a two-miler, but most of her best runs have been marked by strong finishes.

Double fields, with are:— form. a. NELSON CUP, £500; 4:46 class; 3n 0110 Dieman Lad (11) .. It. 9033 Elusion <i) .. It. 0000 Fallette (8) .. It. 1030 Field Chief (3) .. It. 0304 Giowater (5) .. It 2310 High Hopes (U) Johnny Warrior (3) .. It. 5880 .. It. 1790 Kllkivan (10) .. It. 1130 Mecca Star (0) Mllngavle (IS) .. It. 7012 .. it 0090 Paul Bunyan (4) .. It 00 lUmu Lass (7) .. It. 8081 Safety Light (0) .. It. 0000 Seafield Lady (14) .. It. 5057 Anama (1) .. .. 13 9770 Maud Noble (4) .. 12 0973 Smokey Hall (3) .. 13 0057 Trusted (2) .. 12 9349 Goldpeen (1) .. 48 Bracket: Amama and Trusted. STEWARDS’ HANDICAP, £325; 4:40 data; 3m. 1700 Backward (8) .. It 8035 Central Range (4) .. It. 0180 Flak (14) .. It. 4105 Fluid Drive (2) .. It

31 Great Kick («) It. 4503 Great Mystery (15) .. It. 0098 Hunting Song (7) .. Iniquitous (11 It. 9093 It. 900 Inky Prince (9) It. 5595 Light Away (13) It. OMO Nelson Ahoy (10) It. 9310 Radiant Meadow (1) .. Radiant Storm (15) .. It. 3S57 It. 1500 00 Shepherd's Pride (11) Tavistock (17) It It 1530 Tharleane (13) It. 0910 Wlella (3) .. Caledonian Lad (1) .. It. 3300 13 7509 Thrift (3) icket: Radiant Mead 13 Bn aw. Radiant Storm and Tavistock.