RACING First Leg Win Likely For Golden Blossom

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30471, 19 June 1964, Page 4

RACING First Leg Win Likely For Golden Blossom

If recent form proves the most reliable guide Golden Blossom should take beating in the Maronan Handicap at Ashburton tomorrow.

Golden Blossom will be trying for her sixth win for the season and her second on end among the milers in the first leg of the Ashburton County Racing Club’s double.

This season Golden Blossom has compiled an outstanding record for her Dunedin owner, Mr J. M. Samson. She has failed to weigh in only once in 12 starts.

Golden Blossom won as a miler on her home course in December. She went very’ close to victory over the same distance again at Wangatui the week before last.

She followed this up with a win over seven furlongs on the final day of the Dunedin winter meeting last Saturday week.

Wingatui stables will also be represented in the Maronan Handicap field by Blue Haven and Lostalon—if he gets a start. The latter is one of three on the list of reserves in a capacity field. The field also contains Robin Adair and Wyebank, from Blenheim, but on recent form credentials it would

seem that Golden Blossom’s strongest rivals will be Can-terbury-trained. Lack Racing Without a doubt Riecarton’s best milers are McCool and Manana. But both could be at a disadvantage this time, for neither has raced for several months now. If Apache and Foxy Boy, which are thoroughly seasoned, run well for Riccarton stables, form will not be astray. Apache showed that he was on the brink of top form with a solid finish for fourth in last Saturday’s Oamaru Winter Cup. His peak form has given him two seven furlong wins this season and in one of those wins he had the distinction of beating the well-performed Champ. Foxy Boy’s record has been very solid. At his latest attempt he was the runner-up to Sir Athol in the Waimate Cup and the start before that he had finished second in the main race at Westport. They were both middle-distance events, but in his six wins

this season he has also done very well as a miler. Count Pedro, a stablemate of Foxy Boy, and Picca Leigh are others from local stables with last start form on their records. But Count Pedro is inclined to get back in his field and a mile might be a bit short. On the other hand, Picca Leigh, which has done best as a sprinter, might find it a shade too far. Waverley, an open sprint winner at Ashburton last month, could also shape well. But he goes very keenly and that might not help much at the end of a mile. Approval, a Waimatetrained sprinter with five wins on his record this season, could be the best of the South Canterbury hopes. He has no form as a miler but showed that he might run the distance quite well with a fast finish for fifth among the sprinters at Oamaru last Saturday. Sometime Fancied Sometime, another of J. R. Dowling’s mounts, will be a popular fancy for the second leg, the Mayfield Hack Handicap. Sometime and Dowling have already successfully combined in two races this season. This Gore-trained hack stayer has been placed three times from his last four starts, the most recent of those being a second to The Toff at Oamaru last Saturday. Fieldmaster and Baywyn, from Washdyke, and Riccarton’s Charlbordugh could be the hardest for Sometime to beat. Fieldmaster made an encouraging start to a fresh campaign among the hack sprinters at Oamaru last Saturday. He came right from the back for a close fifth.

Stamina is one of Baywyn’s Strong points. The last time he raced he chased For Sure home over 13 furlongs at Waimate last month.

Charlborough rounded off some consistent minor placings with a decisive winning run against the maiden milers at Wingatui the last time he .raced.

-The runner-up to Charlborough was Tracy’s Comet, which meantime has won- a maiden sprint and was third to The Toff and Sometime over a middle distance at Oamaru last Saturday. Golden Cassock and Avast, the principals in the finish of the hack stayers’ event at Ashburton last month, and Gold Shower will be other possibilities. ’ But the latter has an alternative engagement in the hack mile.