RACING Veterans Fancied In First Leg At Omoto

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30302, 30 November 1963, Page 4

RACING Veterans Fancied In First Leg At Omoto

Form disclosed in the open handicaps at Hokitika last week-end points strongly to the prospects of the veterans in the Arthur Clouston Handicap at Omoto on Monday. The nine-year-old Meandering proved much too good for the open milers on the first day of the Westland meeting. In the corresponding race on the second day at Hokitika Brown Watch and Lola—two eight-year-olds—battled it out and Meandering led in the others.

Brown Watch and Lola will both be going the same distance again in the first leg of the Greymouth Club’s T.A.B. double on Monday and this time they will not have Meandering to contend with at all.

Brown Watch, which is Southland-owned but trained at Oamaru by J. C. Hobbs, might be the popular fancy. He is second top-weight with 8-9. 41b more than he carried to an all-the-way victory in the L. F. Hogg Memorial Handicap last Monday. A victory for Lola would be much deserved and just about as well received. Although she has failed to win a race this season, few open-class horses on the provincial circuits have been more consistent than this Orari-trained mare.

Altogether Lola has been placed in five of her eight races since August and three of those placings have been seconds. She has 7-11. the same weight she carried to within half a length of Brown Watch last Monday.

Skelton's Mount ?

Lola will be one of two runners L. H. Pratt will saddle. The other will be French Tray, which will be having his first start on the circuit. One of these two—possibly Lola —will be R. J. Skelton’s mount. s Now that Lady York has dropped out of the field, Riccarton representation will consist of Picket, Wyebank and Elrick. Both Wyebank and Elrick would have to improve on their Hokitika form, but one of Picket’s peak runs would be adequate to give him victory. Picket will give weight allround. He has 8-10. 11b less than he carried into second place behind Meandering last Saturday and 31b less than he carried in the L. F. Hogg Memorial Handicap, in which he weakened to seventh after covering extra ground. If there happens to be a heavy track. Master Conclusion’s form could sharpen, but two light-weights which will probably have solider backing are the Nelson stablemates, Gay Fiancee and King Panair. Neither improved their records at Hokitika but King Panair, in particular, was toiling under solid weights in hack class. His best at a mile is fairly good so he will have every chance to show his worth here with only 7-4. King Panair has already been scratched from the Brunner Hack Handicap, in which he was top-weight with 9-0.

The second leg of the main double, the Blackball Hack Handicap, has attracted a field which is far in excess of the safety number for the seven-furlong barrier. Eight of the 22 acceptors are on the list of reserves. Five of the runners balloted out with the right of re-entry have alternative engagements. The only dually, engaged horse left in the field is the Blenheim-trained Carnbeg. which is almost certain to be among the popular fancies. Carnbeg made an impressive debut from R. B. Taylor’s stable in the Apprentices’ Hack Handicap, his only race at the New Zealand Cup meeting last month. He carried 7-13 strongly into fourth place half a head and a nose behind Carpenter and Mossburn and a little more than a length from Castle Flight. Carnbeg will carry 61b less over the same distance among less-distinguished rivals on Monday. The Kumara-trained Fuji Yama and Grecian Prince, from Orari, are bound to be high on the list of fancied runners. They were both hack sprint winners at Hokitika last Monday.

But the most popular fancy could be Riccarton’s Foxy Boy. This newcomer to the circuit recorded two wins in hack class on a campaign it Westport last month. Hokitika form will also have proved valuable if Omasong. Gay Toby and His Host, which are 'so Riccar-ton-trained, prove to be the best of the other lightweights. An Omasong victory, in particular, would be popular. She will provide the Riccarton apprentice, A. Reriti, with his first race-ride. Fields, with form, for tire T.A.B. double races are:— ARTHUR CLOUSTON HANDICAP, £425; Im. st lb 0020 Picket (8) .. 8 10 0031 Brown Watch (3) .. 8 9

Shalom. BLACKBALL HACK HANDICAP,

Balloted out with the right of re-entry in the following order

Brackets: Grecian Prince and Ben Blue; Rae’s Hope and Silver Shell; Tax Evader, Subair and Carnbeg

4042 Lola (5) .. 7 11 000 French Tray (6) ..7 9 0000 Wyebank (2) .. 7 8 0000 Master Conclusion (11) .. 7 7 0000 Elrick (4) .. 7 0400 Gay Fiancee (10) .. 7 4 1000 King Panair (9) .. 7 4 Bracket: Gay Fiancee and King Panair. Scratched: Lady York,

£200 ; 7f. st lb 1 Fuji Yama (11) 9 6 1140 Foxy Boy (5) 8 11 0001 Grecian Prince (18) 8 10 00 Cabalina (9> 8 9 010 Awakeri (13) 8 6 00 Mystic (21) 8 3 0010 Rae’s Hope (19) .. 8 0 (MKie Omasong (2) 7 12 0304 Baywyn (3) 7 11 0 Bandarshar (15) 7 JO 3 Gay Toby (21) 7 9 4300 Shanty Town (17) 7 9 0044 His Host (12) 7 8 004 Carnbeg (7) 7

(MHO Silver Princess (1) 7 7 0002 Ben Blue (8) 7 13 1300 Sumptuous (4) 7 ■y 0030 Subair (22) 7 8 0000 Silver Shell (14) .. 7 7 0330 Pepe (6) 7 7 4242 Tax Evader (16) 7 11 0000 Crackle (10) 7 11