RACING Heavy Track May Upset Form At Nelson

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30121, 3 May 1963, Page 4

RACING Heavy Track May Upset Form At Nelson

(From Our Own Reporter)

NELSON, May 2.

The prospect of a “mud-larks” victory in the Nelson Cup on Saturday is becoming a stronger possibility every hour. Heavy rain set in at Nelson on Wednesday and it has continued steadily during today.

The way the weather is shaping at present the track at Richmond Park could be just about as bad as the Riccarton track at the Canterbury' Jockey Club’s autumn meeting last month, so Riccarton form might prove the most reliable guide.

The stayers which performed with distinction there are certain to be among the strong Nelson Cup fancies.

The favourite might be hard to choose, but the popular fancy could be Windvale Lad.

Windvale Lad will be one of the two runners the Oamaru trainer, J. C. Hobbs, will saddle. The other will be Valaris, last year's Nelson Cup winner and a sound second string for the stable if there is any improvement in the weather and ground starts to dry. While the tracks have been hard Windvale Lad has had few opportunities to improve his record this season, but he was able to produce one of his best winter runs the last time he raced and chased Kumai home in the Sockburn Handicap at Riccarton. Windvale lid will be ridden by W D. Skelton, who has ridden four of the last five Nelson Cup winners, all trained by Hobbs.

Riecarton’s sole representative will be the top-weight McCool. Mr and Mrs J. F. Tutton's big Balloch gelding is at the top of his form at present. In spite of the hard ground the Great Autumn Handicap winner went a grand race for fifth in the Marlborough Cup. Ravelston. which will be trying to improve on a win and three seconds in his last five starts, is bound to have solid Otago backing. Julloch’s form slumped badly in two starts at Blenheim but he would only need to run up to his Great Autumn form to get into the finish.

Perhaps the most likely improver of all could be Rhythm Rein, the DominionHandicap fourth at Riccarton a couple of starts back. One run meantime on firm ground at Blenheim should have been sufficient to bring him to peak Teneriffe and El Jildi will be respected North Island competitors in the under 8-0 section of the handicap.

Teneriffe, a newcomer to the circuit with a sound form background, has previously raced well in major handicaps at Nelson. The best of El Jildi’s two runs at Blenheim was his Marlborough Cup fourth, when he came from the back. That performance suggested he could do even better on a more testing course. Of the South Islands tailenders Ups and Downs might be best Her third to Personify and McCool in the Dominion Handicap at Riccarton and second in the Marlborough Cup showed she is fairly versatile as far as the ground is concerned. The Nelson Cup will be the first leg of the double on the first day of the Nel-

son Jockey Club's annual meeting.

If Fair Symbol and Fine Time can produce their best runs in the going they will probably prove more than a match for the South Island sprinters in the second leg, the Newman Handicap.

These two Otaki stablemates have performed with distinction in strong metropolitan sprint class this season.

Tocsin and Tarlon, the open sprint winners on the last two days at Blenheim, will still be at ease in this going but the ground could cause bother to some of the others which have shown form on the circuit.

French Tray, which was kept in the box because of the firm track until the last day at Blenheim, could be the most likely improver. He

has usually produced his best runs when the tracks are soft or heavy. Riding engagements include:— N. Eastwood: El Jildi, Fair Symbol. Vienna Woods. W. H. Beck: Gay Fiancee, Mushtara, Taxman, King Panair, Timatan, Filspar. M. J. Skelton: Silver Wood. B. D. Collins: Clipper. L. J. Hodren: Teneriffe, Fine Time, Turps. Benz, Flockhart. As Ordered. Aspasia. W. D. Skelton: Windvale Lad. Tocsin or Neron, Lucerna, Mimette, Irina, Naumai (Champion Hack), Falrayne. D. N. Hadfield: Valaris. Tarlon, Obscure, Sirtax. G. W. Mein: Julloch, Tax Evader. B. T. Jones: Mangus. R. W. Taylor: Patrician, Rewarded, Kamina, Dart. C. McDonald: McCool. R. J. Skelton: Rhythm Rein. Legal Game or French Tray. Deladana, Grecian Prince. Ben Blue. M. J. Wildermoth: Lido. B S. Finlayson: Mozart, Lyn Leigh. C. Hercock: Jen Hai, Cuchulain. Grand Coeur, Te-o-Tane Double fields, with form, are: NELSON CUP, £1000; Ilf. st. lb

1265 McCool (13) 8 12 3942 Windvale Lad (9) .. 8 9 2292 Ravelston <151 8 8 2822 Studio (18) 8 2 0405 Julloch (14) 8 1 0846 Rhythm Rein (12) .. 8 0 1233 Teneriffe (11) 7 13 0636 Valaris (8) 7 9 4845 El Jildi (2) 7 7 4320 Ups and Downs (7) 7 5 0839 Elrick (1) 7 4 1113 Grand Coeur (5) .. 7 3 8050 High Dive (10) 7 3 6184 Lyn Leigh (3) 7 3 67 78 Totara Lass (16) 7 3 0650 Wyebank (4) 7 3 Scratched: Mighty Son. Naumax. NEWMAN HANDICAP, £400: 7f. st. lb 0891 Tocsin (8) 9 0 8216 Fine Time (1) 8 13 6021 Tarion (7) 8 12 4626 Legal Game (2) 8 5 0839 Elrick (3) 8 4 4820 Fair Symbol (4) 8 4 7378 French Tray (10) .. 8 2 5074 Neron (8) 8 0 0008 Dart (11) 7 13 0047 Gay Fiancee (9) .. 7 13 9058 Silver Wood (5) 7 13