RACING Open Field Engaged In First Leg At Westport

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30365, 14 February 1964, Page 4

RACING Open Field Engaged In First Leg At Westport

Stables from every South Island province except Southland will be represented in the Robert Patterson Handicap at Westport tomorrow.

This race, for open milers, is the main event and first leg of the double on the first day of the Westport Jockey Club’s summer meeting. The field is strong in form runners, from Julloch at the top of the handicap to the half-dozen on the 7-4 minimum.

Although there are no laststart winners in the field there are a number with solid form close Up on their records. These include eight of the nine runners from Canterbury. L. H- Pratt, who has made several successful raids on the West Coast, will saddle Julloch and Lola. Julloch Will be trying for his first win this season fog Mrs L. H. Pratt. He has topweight of 9-3. It is not Sri easy task, but he Would not have to improve much on an exasperating run of minor placings in provincial cup races in Canterbury to make the grade. Lola’s form has been more than useful since her eight-year-old racing began. She has been worse than fourth only twice in 12 starts since August, and her record includes a victory as a tniler at Omoto in December. Julloch and Lola are both prepared at Orari. Shalom and Mangus will be other strong possibilities for South Canterbury. They are both Washdyke-trained. Solid Record On performances Shalom will probably have the strongest backing. She improved a useful record this season with a middle-distance win at Reefton a couple of starts back, and that was her third win since September. Brown Watch, from Oamaru, has struck a fairly lean patch of form lately. But he would need only to strip ih the order which gave him victories against the milers at Hokitika and Omoto earlier in the summer to be in the finish this time-

Picrighfand Foxy Boy Will both try to improve on placings at the C.J.C. midsummer meeting. Picright will be one of the stronger fancies after his Midsurtitaer tikhdicap fourth. He Will not have Champ, Magician, of Sailorman to . contend with this time. Foxy Boy has Won three races in the hack class this season and all of them have been on the Wesit Coast—

the first two being at Westport in October. Last Saturday Week Foxy Boy was runner-up to Hullabaloo in the Hornby HighWeight on his home track. The start before that he filled a similar position behind Ups and Downs at Hokitika. Ups and Downs, from Nelson, has had one race since her Hokitika victory. That was the January Handicap at the Wellington Cup meeting. She failed to make an impression there, but will be more at ease in this field. She won this event last year. Queen of Sheba could be the pick of the West Coast horses in the field. • This Reef-ton-trained mare was third behind Shalom and Meandering at Reef ton the last time she raced. Before that she had Won a double against the sprinters at Omoto in December. Meandering won four races earlier in the season while the tracks were ..soft. Although this Canterbury veteran’s latest fotm has slumped there is bound to be marked improvement if there is tain.

Second Leg Favouritism in the second leg of the main double, the J. J. Corry Hack Handicap, will probably go to Aspasia. This will be particularly so if the Nelson-trained mare’s stablentate Ups and Downs wins the first leg. Aspasia Will be trying lor her third Win oh end. The only other runner With laststart winning form is Straight Forward, Which is one of six acceptors with an alternative engagement in the McPaddeh Handicap earlier in the day.

But the best of Aspasia’s rivals are expected to cotae from among those closest to her in the-handicap. They are the Riccarton hacks Matador, Mygnid and Marlow. The latter will form a useful bracket with Race Guide.