CANTERBURY DERBY HOPE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30143, 29 May 1963, Page 4

CANTERBURY DERBY HOPE

Merchant Venturer will carry the hopes and the support of members of a Canterbury family in the English Derby Stakes, run at Epsom early tomorrow morning (New Zealand time).

This Hornbeam colt is owned by Sir Foster Robinson, a cousin of Mr C. G. Robinson, of Moreton Marsh. Rakaia.

Sir Foster Robinson is chairman of directors of E. S. and A. Robinson, a firm of paper manufacturers, which was established in England, and is now represented in the North Island.

Merchant Venturer was quoted at 14/1 at a call-over on Thursday of last week and only Relko, Corpora, and Happy Omen were at shorter prices.

Merchant Venturer's price shortened after an easy win over Im 2|f at York on May--14.

Sir Foster Robinson races on a fairly big scale in England and South Africa, but has never had a Derby hope before.

Merchant Venturer is a chestnut colt by Hornbeam from Martinhoe. He will be ridden by G. Starkey. Mr C. G. Robinson said by telephone from Rakaia last night that he would listen to the rebroadcast of the race through Wellington early tomorrow morning. “Sir Foster Robinson sounded quite hopeful in a note we received two or three days ago,** Mr Robinson said last night