RACING Kumai-Golden Blossom For Wingatui Double

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30453, 29 May 1964, Page 4

RACING Kumai-Golden Blossom For Wingatui Double

Kumai and Golden Blossom are selected to win the Dunedin Jockey Club’s T.A.B. double on their home course at Wingatui tomorrow.

Kumai is top weight with 9-6 in the Birthday Handicap, and Golden Blossom is engaged against the sprinters in the Winter Handicap.

Kumai ran a stone below his best form in the Waimate Cup last Saturday, and it was an expensive failure. But in past seasons he has shown he can improve so much with racing that he should not be regarded as a moderate prospect in this field.

He is a renowned galloper in bad ground; but he had pretty firm footing at Waimate. And he has shown his best form on the big courses, not on turning circuits like the one he appeared on for his lack-lustre run last weekOver the Birthday Handicap distance Kumai is rated 71b better than Sailorman and 151 b better than Golden Glen. Form Runner On Waimate Cup weights Golden Glen could be given an outstanding chance of beating Kumai tomorrow. Golden Glen was the Waimate Cup third under 8-4 and has gone up one pound. Kumai ran seventh under his Birthday Handicap weight of 9-6. But whereas Kumai faced that test without middle distance racing beforehand, Golden Glen was properly race-hardened by an autumn programme, during which he won races at Rivetron and Invercargill. Royal Crest will probably be next best to Kumai and Golden Glen over this distance. He lacks that spark of brilliance that would have made him a top-flight middle distance performer, but he runs his races out stoutly and picked up valuable minor placings in the Riverton Cup and the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Dominion Handicap at Easter. Just In Time Six furlongs and 44 yards at Waimate last week could have been an inch or two too short for Golden Blossom, but she responded brilliantly in her run from the middle of the field, and won in the last stride. Tomorrow she races over seven furlongs, which could be her best distance, and she looks equal to the task of beating some competent winter sprinters. Probably her strongest rivals will be the Gore-trained Tampa, a last-start winner at Riverton, and a very free galloper on loose and heavy

tracks; and Sir Athol, which is being switched back to sprinting after his Waimate Cup win. Sir Athol has a lively turn of early speed for a horse that does much of his racing beyond a mile, and a rainaffected track should help him to put up a strong showing at seven furlongs. Cranbrook and Tutton, third and fourth respectively at Waimate, have the most encouraging form of the others, and Lucky Son will find the ground more to his liking than when he campaigned unsuccessfully during the autumn. Fields, with form, for the doubles races are:— BIRTHDAY HANDICAP.

£700; Ilf. st lb 8047 Kumai (1) .. 9 6 0417 Sailorman (5) 8 13 1033 Golden Glen <3) 8 5 2367 Royal Crest (4) 8 9 0006 Rhythm Rein (2) 8 6 9624 Marwon (7) 7 10 1541 Captain Morgan (6) 7 7 6069 Gracefleld’s Pride (8) 7 7 WINTER HANDICAP, £500; 7f. st lb 1266 The Wanderer (4) 9 5 0181 Sir Athol 111) 9 4 7021 Tampa (10) 9 0 3603 Cranbrook (13) 8 7 2328 Gladaub (12) 8 7 0087 Lucky Son (3) 8 6 6864 Tutton (15) 8 6 2631 Golden Blossom (1) 8 5 8278 Brown Watch (6) 8 4 9199 Cobble (9) .. 8 4 3805 Tombob (2) 8 3 2735 Blue Haven (8) 8 3

9109 Mogambo <7) 8 2 1000 St. Malo (5) 8 1 4899 Magic Casement (16) 8 0 Promise (14) 8 0