RACING Vitamise Favoured For Motukarara First Leg

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30277, 1 November 1963, Page 4

RACING Vitamise Favoured For Motukarara First Leg

Vitamise, ridden by the Riccarton jockey, N. Eastwood, won two of the major sprint races at Riccarton last season. They could be successful again in the J. F. Buchanan Memorial Handi* cap at Motukarara tomorrow’.

Vitamise will be racing a middle distance in the first leg of the double at the Banks' Peninsula Racing Club’s spring meeting.

Vitamise has already been tried once for stamina in a light campaign this season. That was in the Geraldine Cup, in which he was sixth. He found it hard to make ground under the top weight of 8-12 around the turns at Orari

Vitamise, which has taken high ranking up to a mile, came into strong favour after a sound training gallop at Riccarton yesterday Vitamise has 8-7 in the Buchanan Memorial and will concede weight to all but Palisade, which at his best could be the hardest to beat. Palisade arrived back at Riccarton on Tuesday after an

unsuccessful attempt against the milers in the Wainui Handicap on the first day at Trentham. According to J. R. Dowling, who is in charge of the horse, Palisade did not settle down in the north. But he looked well enough and also shaped well in his gallop at Riccarton yesterday. Palisade was also unsettled when he came to Riccarton for the Grand National meeting, but he won two races in succession.

Now the tracks are much firmer Rhythm Rein is finding it bard to regain his best form.

Both Picket and Sailorman would have probably found Boundless more than a match at about level weights but now that this colt is almost certain to drop out of the field both these form runners will have solid backing. Recent Winners Sailorman and Picket were both minor place-getters in the major handicaps at Rangiora last Friday and Monday At their start before that Sailorman won the Geraldine Cup and Picket bad managed the same distance successfully at Westport. Picket's stablemate. William David, has failed to strike form in two starts on the flat since his return from the north. But he is a sound stayer at best, and could shape better on the roomier track.

Of the other light-weights Valuate appeals most. This Balloch colt won two races at the start ot the season and

has not finished further back than fourth in three starts in the meantime. Valuate was tried wtice at this distance—the Buchanan Memorial is run over 10 furlongs—in the intermediate classes at Rangiora last Friday and Monday. He Shaped very well for a close second and a third.

The Second Leg

Yankinville and Double, both trained in South Canterbury, may battle it out for open sprint honours in the Le Bons Handicap, second leg of the double. Yankinville shaped as if he would eventually take high ranking as a sprinter when he was involved in a nose-and-nose finish with Vitamise and Warfare in the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton last Easter.

A fast-finishing third in the open sprint at Rangiora last Friday showed he was making good progress on his present campaign.

The open sprint at Rangiora on Monday was the starting point in a fresh campaign for Double. She produced her usual game run under top weight of 9-3 and was the best behind Newbrook and Seaend at the finish. Double has been weighted at 9-4 this time but she will get some relief with the stable apprentice, C. L. Reeves, as her rider. Even so she will still be giving Yankinville more than a stone.

Rangiora form will have also proved valuable if Newbrook, the open sprint winner each day, and Approval and Seaend, which both chased him home, are involved in the finish.

Royal Leigh will be another strong fancy. He has raced twice this season for a win and a fourth. His la'est placing was at Wingatui early last month, but he races well fresh and can muster a very good sprint on the roomier tracks.

The best of the others could be Shakes. His record in four starts on metropolitan courses this season has been two I wins, a second, and a last- | start eighth among the milers in the Wainui Handicap at I Trentham last month.