RACING Overdue Win Likely For Julloch At Reefton

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30332, 7 January 1964, Page 4

RACING Overdue Win Likely For Julloch At Reefton

Julloch, a consistent place-getter over the last month or so, might gain an overdue win in the President’s Handicap, main event and first leg of the double at Reefton tomorrow.

Julloch has yet to win this season, but he has been five times second, twice third and once fourth from nine starts. His only poor performance was at his first attempt for the season, when he was well beaten in a sprint at Ashburton.

Julloch is top-weight in the President’s Handicap, with 9-3, which is 181 b more than the 8-4 he carried when second to Zinder in the President's Handicap at Oamaru on January 2.

Julloch was only half a head behind Zinder on that occasion, and last Saturday, again carrying 8-4, he finished close up when he dead-heated for third behind Baalbek and Sailorman in the Kurow Cup.

The Reefton field is weaker, so the extra weight should not trouble Julloch. The last time he raced on the West Coast was at Westport in October, when, carrying topweight, he gained a second and a third. Supporters of Julloch will have their chance of a dividend strengthened by a mistake made by the club when acceptances were being compiled last week. The error has resulted in Julloch being bracketed with his stablemate, Lola, a smart mare with good form this season.

Meandering might be one of his hardest opponents tomorrow, especially if there is further rain. There has been rain in Reefton, but the track yesterday was reported to be good.

Lola, which raced well on the West Coast in November and December, when she won at Greymouth and was placed at Hokitika, is another which will be hard to beat, and so is Queen of Sheba, a dual sprint winner at Greymouth. One of the favourites, the Riccarton-trained On Account, has been withdrawn from the President’s Handicap. leaving a field of 10, one of which. Royal Pic, has an alternative engagement in the next race, the Crushington Hack Handicap. On Account and his stablemate, General Gilbert, will not make the trip to Reefton. General Gilbert, which would have been top-weight with 9-0 in the Mawheraiti Hack Handicap, was a winner at Oamaru last week. Other scratchings for the meeting are Messmaid from the Welcome Stakes and Blue Harken from the Crushington Hack Handicap.

All the 10 which will contest the President’s Handicap have raced on the West Coast this season, and four of them have won there. Another. Shalom, has been successful in high-weight company at

Ashburton and hack class at Wingatui. Royal Pic, in hack class, and Meandering, in open class, both won on the Reefton course in October. Meandering’s other wins have included the Geraldine Cup and the Michael Keenan Handicap at Hokitika as well as the Sumner Handicap, which he won at odds of 370 to one

at the Grand National meeting at Riccarton in August, so he has been having his best season. Lola, a stablemate of Julloch, has been racing very consistently, having been seven times placed and once a winner from 10 starts. The win was over a mile less 80 yards at Greymouth last month.

Queen of Sheba, the other Greymouth winner in tomorrow’s field, is a speedy mare but may have difficulty with the extra three furlongs at Reefton.

Ashleigh, the second topweight with 8-7, is another runner with placed form on the West Coast. He ran second to Brown Watch in the Moore Memorial Handicap, oyer one mile less 80 yards, on the second day at Greymouth last month.

The second leg tomorrow will be the Rahu Hack Handicap. A likely trio is Taxman, Serengeti and Star Maiden.

Bracket Made In Error (N.Z. Press Association) GREYMOUTH, Jan. 7. The secretary of the Reefton Jockey Club, Mr J. P. Lee, said he could not comment on the bracketing of Julloch and Lola, both trained at Orari by L. H. Pratt, in the President’s Handicap, first leg of the double at the New Year meeting of the club on Wednesday.

It was an error made when the acceptances were being compiled and nothing could be done about it, as the bracket was shown in the official book, and they would be bracketed on the T.A.B. charts, said Mr Lee.

Under the Rules of Racing a bracket, once announced, can not be dissolved.