RACING LLANMAI MAY BE TOP PROSPECT

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30076, 9 March 1963, Page 4

RACING LLANMAI MAY BE TOP PROSPECT

South Island Horses At Trentham

Chances of a South Island win at Trentham today look brightest in the £2750 Thompson Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double.

The South Island will have only eight ninners on the whole programme, and three of them —Llanmai, Royal Estate, and Vitamise are Thompson Handicap candidates.

Llanmai is one of New Zealand’s top milers, and if the track does not deteriorate he will take beating with 9-1. He was in a field even stronger than this one when he ran third to the brilliant northerners, Rapido and Fountainhead, in the George Adams Handicap at Trentham in January.

Success has eluded horses carrying 9-0 or more since 1956 when Mighty Dollar won brilliantly after “walking” out of the stalls.

Mighty Dollar, the last South Islander to win the race, mastered 9-3. Llanmai is trained at Wingatui by D. P. Wilson, who has had two winning experiences as an owner in the Thompson Handicap with Frances in 1948 and with Clinker in 1954.

Royal Estate is another smart gaUoper from Wingatui in the Thompson field. He earned a start at Trentham with a brilliantly easy win over seven furlongs on the first day of the Dunedin

autumn meeting just over a fortnight ago. Two starts earlier, Royal Estate won the Gore Racing Club’s Croydon Handicap, six furlongs, by two lengths from The Wanderer, and finished three lengths clear of the third place-getter. Warfare.

Warfare then came to Riccarton and won the Windsor Castle Handicap, seven furlongs, in style, and on that run she is one of the strong fancies for the Handicap at Trentham today. Vitamise will be Riccarton’s lone runner in the Thompson Handicap, and only one of three Riccarton representatives on the whole programme.

He has been ridden far back in most of his races, and has had the odds stacked greatly against him in big fields. But he has shown at times that he can muster early speed, and still run his races right out. In this field his chances should brighten if he can. be kept fairly dose to the pace. Blue Blade was scratched yesterday for the H. R. Chalmers Handicap, first leg of the TA.B. double today. On form there may be little to choose between the Waikato pair, Sybeau and Don Filou.

Any change in track conditions wiU hardly affect their chances.

Sybeau was the best hack at the last Wellington winter meeting, where he won two races in the mud. And Don Filou, like most of Le Filou’s stock, has welcomed easing tracks in the past. The Te Rapa-trained Don Filou will be ridden by the Oamaru jockey, W. D. Skelton.

Hiis combination just missed winning the Wellington Racing Club Handicap, one mile and a half, on the last day of the Wellington Cup meeting. Don Filou ran Doradeb to a head in that race. Skelton was engaged yesterday to ride Jupete in the Railway Handicap today. This Otaki light-weight ran usefully for fifth in the Windsor Castle Handicap at the Royal Riccarton meeting and this wiU be her first start since. Local Interest The South Island will not be represented in three races today—the Ngaio Highweight, the North Island Challenge Stakes, and the Silverstream Handicap. . But the Challenge Stakes will command strong local interest, for Key and Moy, two high-dass mares in the field, both won at Royal Riccarton. Moy won this race last year, but the younger Key should beat her at seven furlongs today. There had been no rain at Trentham up to Igte yesterday morning, and showers forecast for today should not make the ground worse than easy.