TROTTING Vanderford, Deft Picked For Festival Cup Heats

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30348, 25 January 1964, Page 5

TROTTING Vanderford, Deft Picked For Festival Cup Heats

I wenty-five of the Dominion’s top pacers will provide the major attraction at Forbury Park tonight when they battle to gain sufficient points to consolidate their positions as Dunedin Festival Cup finalists.

From the point of view of patrons the hirst and Second Qualifying Heats of the Dunedin Festival Cup will be important events in more ways than one. These two races will also be the respective legs of the totalisator double on the first night of the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s Festival Championship meeting.

Vanderford is “The Press” pick for the First Qualifying Heat. If he succeeds he will be assured of a start in the Punedin Festival Cup final for he will have gained the maximum points—four for finishing first and an additional three for recording the fastest time.

The Auckland-owned, Can-terbury-trained four-year-old is the lone runner on the back mark of 18 yards. Even a minor placing could prove valuable when points for the final are tallied. The runner-up in each heat will receive three points, the third place-getter two and the fourth horse one. In the event of tight finishes the handicapped horses gaining minor places will have a good chance of earning the points for fastest time as well. Cairnbrae and Van Hebeck, two of the 12-yard markers, are expected to be Vanderford’s strongest rivals tonight.

Three-sided Bracket

Cairnbrae might be the most formidable member of a three-sided bracket which will represent C. S. Donald’s Belfast stable- Cairnbrae’s stablemates are King Hal, which is also on 12 yards, and Gildirect, one of eight runners off the limit.

Flying Blue and Terrace Dale, which are both on the limit, will probably have the strongest backing of the others in the First Qualifying Heat.

The majority of the 12 starters in the Second Qualifying Heat will be trying to improve on fairly moderate form backgrounds. If recent form proves the most reliable guide Deft, Great Credit and Flying Note may battle it out for the major prizes. But there will probably be solid backing as well for Avante and Doctor Dan, whose best is a lot better than average. There was a change to fine weather in Dunedin during the week and the prospects of this spell continuing are good. The track is in excellent order and will be firm and fast.

Fields are:— 6.45 p.m.— VAUXHAIX HANDICAP, £450; trotters; 2:18 class; 13f and 108yds.—Ardgour (5), El Pestre (1). Fair Song (4), Halberg (7). Make Up (8). Sure Bill (3), Wayconi (2). Wayleggo (6) It; Bandsaw (4), Flying Minstrel (2). Pieta (1). Super Glow (3) 24; Medieval (2). 36.

Scratched: Straight Line. 7.15 p.m.— SUMMER HANDICAP, £500: 2:18 class; 13f and 108yds.— Bellajily (7), Game Chicken (2). Happy Sam (3). Idle Man

18) Jacobite (3), Leyava (5), Whisky’ Galore 11), Wildwood Chief (4) It; First Solo <2>. First Trick (3), Royal Tartan (I) 12; Garrison Girl (1), Stanorma (2) 36. Scratched: Johnny Supreme. 7.45 p.m.— TWILIGHT HANDICAP, £600; 2:16 class; Ilf,—Blonde Piper (II) Direct Terms (3). Jilaire (4). Lady Ngaire (14). Maggie Spangler (4), Overnight (1), Sand Drift (12). Storm Water (5), Trigside (9), True Fight (2). Willycan (7), Worthy River (10) It. Scratched: Angkor, Pancho Boy.

FIRST LEG OF DOUBLE 8.25 p.m. FIRST QUALIFYING HEAT, DUNEDIN FESTIVAL CUP, £1000; 2:11 class; 13f and 108yds 4309 Admit (8) .. ..It. 050 Bonny Starlet (7) .. It. 0615 Chiffon 16) .. .. It. 1702 Flying Blue (3) .. It. 5670 Gildirect (5) .. It. 1003 Kingsdown Patch (2) It. 9 Light Mood (1) ..It. 0151 Terrace Dale (4) .. It. 0132 Cairnbrae (3) .. 12 9884 King Hal fl) .. 12 7076 Master Alan (4) .. 12 2021 Van Rebeck (2) .. 12 0335 Vanderford (1) .. 18

Brackets: Admit and Van Rebeck; Gildirect. Cairnbrae and King Hal. 8.55 p.m.— OTAGO HANDICAP, . £650: trotters; 2:16 class; 13f and 108yds.—Dreaming (4), Good Luck (5), Grand Charge (3), Uteena (1) It; Minnow (1) 12; Ahumai (2), Anak (6), Asctralight (1). Flying Maiden (5). Oakleigh Lad (4), Rebel (7), White World (3) 24. Scratched: Poupette, White Martial. 9.25 p.m.— STEWARDS’ HANDICAP, £850; 2:15 class; 2m.—Captain Dee (3), Carver Doon (4), Central Range (5). Dark Louise (7), Johnny Dean (2). Soanfra (1), Worthy Pieman (6), Young Dieman (8)

It; Bonnieburn (1) 24. Bracket: Worthy Dieman and Young Dieman.

SECOND LEG OF DOUBLE 9.35 p.m. SECOND QUALIFYING HEAT, DUNEDIN FESTIVAL CUP, £lOOO ; 2:11 class; 131 and 108yds. 0150 Avante (2) .. .. It. 0982 Deft (5) .. .. It. 1004 Flying Note (1) .. It. 6091 Great Credit (8) .. It 3577 Inglemead (7) .. It. 4858 Rustic Lad (3) .. It. 4664 Safe Return (6) .. It. 6077 Dandy Briar (4) .. 12 5345 Doctor Dan (3) .. 12 0808 Grouse (5) .. ..12 0088 Oreti (1) .. ..’l2 2078 Sun Chief (2) ..12

Bracket: Dandy Briar and Grouse. Scratched: Trade Fair. 10.30 p.m.— ELECTRIC HANDICAP, £850; 2:14 class; 11m. —Cheta (7), Garrison Royal (3), Johnny Thunder (5). Lady Charles (6). Procella (4), Raft (2), Robyn (1) Van Rush (8), Winoma (9) It; Lakeda (2), Stormlight (3) Terrace Dale (1) 12. Bracket: Raft and Van Rush