RACING Count Pedro Tipped For Cup At Rangiora

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30578, 22 October 1964, Page 4

RACING Count Pedro Tipped For Cup At Rangiora

Count Pedro might run out a fast, mile and a quarter more strongly than all the others in the North Canterbury Gold Cup at Rangiora tomorrow.

This Wellington-owned Riccarton-trained gelding is well seasoned after North Island and Canterbury campaigns this season, and requires only average luck and a firmish track to improve a solid record for Mr G. A. Lang and C. G. Humphries’s stable.

Became he is owned in the North Island Coant Pedro has done more racing there this year than most South Island horses. His unbeaten record is also a good one. He was unbeaten in two starts against the hack stayers at Trentham in March. This season he has been taken to the North Island three times—first for a third to Bagush and Capless at Carterton on August 15, next for a win at Otaki, and again last week he failed in the Wellington Handicap at Trentham. He was unable to show his best on a rain-affected track at Trentham last Saturday, and was brought back to Riccarton. The North Canterbury Gold Cup will be his first race in the South Island since the Ashburton Cup on September 12 when he carried 8-2 into third place behind Calvados (7-7, 3/4) and Brown Brocade (7-7). Calvados made that form look good by beating a stronger field at the Dunedin spring meeting, and do so with greater ease than he beat Brown Brocade at Ashburton. If Brown Brocade goes Into tomorrow’s race in the same form she should be one of the hardest for Count Pedro to beat. St Mario and Morris Francis, two failures in the Ashburton Cup, are engaged again. In his only start since Morris Francis ran fourth in

the Geraldine Cup his run was solid but nothing spectacular, and he might have to show more brilliance yet to win a race over this distance on a firm track. St Malo weakened to fifth after leading close to home in the Ashburton Cup. He has a furlong less to master tomorrow on a track that makes less

exacting demands, and, being W. D. Skelton’s mount, he is bound to be a popular fancy. Problem Horse Magician is one of the problem horses of the field. On his best form at three years he would have an undeniable chance at this distance, but his regular followers probably wish for something more reasuring than his record so far this season. He started well with a close second to Seaend

over six furlongs at Ashburton on August 29, but he did not run within a stone of that form on the same course a fortnight later. This will be his first race in the meantime, but some solid gallops lately should have fitted him to run out a mile and a quarter with the best of them. Judged on his best form, and that might be the wise course, Magician should be a strong place chance at least Silver Kingdom, unbeaten in two starts at Westport, and the veterans. Gay Defoe and Royal Leigh, should be the strongest of the others. Gay Defoe was an improver’s sixth in the Geraldine Cup last time out Royal Leigh has been galloping with a lot of dash in training lately and must be given a light-weight’s chance over a distance he has mastered before.

Second Leg

Newbrook will be assured of a popular local following in the second leg of the double, the Ronald Macdonald Handicap.

He has already won this race twice, and he came through last year’s meeting unbeaten by winning the Dr. T. A. Will Memorial Handicap as well on the second day of the meeting. Success has eluded Newbrook in three starts so far this season but luck was against him first time out when he ran third to Seaend and Magician; and he had none the best of it either when sixth in the race won by Gold View at the Geraldine spring meeting. Vitamise, Newbrook’s regular galloping companion lately, and a sprinter with good form on metropolitan courses, is fit enough to run six furlongs with the best of them though making a fresh start. His recent gallops have been of a good standard. He impressed more than Newbrook in a Riccarton trial yesterday. Yankinville is another class sprinter making a fresh start He won three races including the Members’ Handicap and the Craven Plate at Riccarton last season and, though he has not really distinguished himself on the smaller tracks, his class could carry him over all difficulties.

Gold View, Canadians, Approval, and Deladana might be the best of the others if they all run up to top form.