RACING Riccarton Trainer Has Likely Winter Team

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30085, 20 March 1963, Page 4

RACING Riccarton Trainer Has Likely Winter Team

The Riccarton trainer, I. McClure, should have one of the strongest teams of winter performers in Canterbury this year. He has brought Melodic, Waverley, Sal’s Pride, and Knight of York into work in the last few weeks. These horses have shown ability on soft tracks, and should not be hard to place to advantage when back to peak fitness.

Melodic was put aside for • few Feeka after two unplaced runs at the Wellington Cup meeting in January. He did better at the Auckland Cup meeting before his Treatham campaign, running third in the weigfat-for-age King's Plate and fourth in the Christmas Handicap. In his first of two starts at the New Zealand Cup meeting Melodic easily won the Riccarton Handicap on a soft track. Consistent Waverley was a consistent performer for the stable in the spring, eight starts producing one win, two seconds, one third, and two fourths. He beat some smart hack aprtoters in the Rimutaka Handicap at the Wellington spring meeting, and was a gwod second over a mile ait Trentham two days later. Waverley is a four-year-old and should have his best racing ahead of him. His performances have been characterised by his keen galloping and gameness when challenged. Like Waverley, Sal’s Pride was spelled after the New Zealand Cup meeting, and she thrived while away from racing. She showed her possibilities as a winter performer when she won on a heavy track at the Banks Peninsula spring meeting at Motukarara. Knight of York has raced only twice, and both starts were as a two-year-old last season.

He Showed speed in both races and in the second of them, a division of the Haldon Stakes at Riccarton, he beat all but the very useful Manana

Knight of York has good size, and has developed since he last raced. He is a bay gelding by Isaac of York from Herb O’Grace and is owned by Mrs H. B. Westenra. The Riccarton trainer, A. J. Williams, has made another start with Cheroot, and Golden Howe has also joined this team. Cheroot showed marked brilliance in his education iar hurdling, but his standard of racing performance was disappointing. He has galloping as well as jumping ability, and should win races if he gives of his best

Hurdling Career Hopeful may have his first race as a hurdler at Riccarton at Easter. He has shown high promise in all the schooling he has done lately, and as he gathers racing experience he could be very useful in the shorter jumping races. Hopeful was dose to top class, at times, as a sprinter and he retains much of that speed. He sprinted keenly at Riccarton yesterday after three

good rune over the pony hurdles.

Hopeful was ridden by N. Cowles, who wiU also ride him in the high-weight at Oamaru on Monday. Mutineer, another member of the Murfitt team engaged at Oamaru, may be ridden by the leading jockey, R. J. Skelton. Mutineer hung badly in his race last Saturday, so his third was a useful tun.

The stable apprentice, J. Messent, will ride Payout in the Oamaru Autumn Cup and, Piece Leigh in the Elderslie Handicap, second leg of the double.

Picca Leigh showed she should quickly make the grade in open class with a good third on the first day of the meeting. She was cramped for room in the straight, otherwise she might have beaten John Jameson and Desert Chief.

The Riccarton light-weight jockey, N. Eastwood, will ride at Awapuni on Saturday, and will return to ride at Oamaru.

He will ride Paua in the Oamaru Autumn Cup. D. N. Hadfield will again ride Picright, a strong finisher from the tail of the field for fifth in the main race on the first day at Oamaru.