Magician, Royal Leigh And Vitamise Do Well

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

Magician, Royal Leigh And Vitamise Do Well

Magician and Royal Leigh, rivals for the North Canterbury Gold Cup tomorrow, and Vitamise, which will make a fresh start in the Ronald Macdonald Handicap at Rangiora, all shaped well in their final trials at Riccarton yesterday.

Magician and Royal Leigh were companions in a solid gallop over a mile on the plough. Vitamise was involved in a three-sided trial with Newbrook and Marlborough in a fivefurlong sprint on the big trial grass. Both tracks provided fast footing. Magician, with his race-rider, W. Traecey, up, and Royal Leigh (E. J. Wilson) still appeared to be galloping strongly at the end of a mile in lmin 42 2-5 sec. They sprinted the last half in 49 2-ssec and came home from the three furlongs in 37sec. Royal Leigh was just shading his companion at the finish.

Vitamise (Traecey), with the outside running, was upsides with Marlborough (C. T. Wilson), and three parts of a length ahead of Newbrook (Moriarty) after five furlongs in lmin 1 4-ssec, the final halfmile in 48sec.

Vitamise, which has previously sprinted well fresh on the provincial courses, might take beating in the second leg of the double tomorrow. Marlborough, the top-weight in the Okuku Hack Handicap, showed he was also in good order to begin a new campaign but Newbrook, which appeared to be right off the bit at the finish, was a bit disappointing. Misjudge was much too good for his stablemate, Hullabaloo (C. T. Wilson) in their mile trial on the grass. Misjudge, which had much the better of the weights with A. H. Eastwood up, ran the distance out strongly and evenly in lmin 42 3-ssec, his last half-mile in 51 l-ssec. Hullabaloo trailed by at least six lengths at the finish. It was not a very impressive Gold Cup trial on his part. Misjudge will compete against the hack stayers tomorrow. Omasong (E. J. Wilson) led Trold (McGuire) by a length at the end of an easy seven furlongs on the plough. They took lmin 36 4-ssec for the distance and came home from the three in 41 2-ssec. Dowmanca (A. H. Eastwood) had a length on Frolicsome (C. T. Wilson) after a smart six furlongs on the grass. They took lmin 16 4-5 sec and sped in from the halfmile in 49 l-ssec. They will be rivals in the First Ashley Maiden tomorrow.

Yacker (Wildermoth) and Jacmar (Telfer) ran in from the half-mile together on the plough in 49 4-ssec. Their respective engagements tomorrow are the Cust High-weight and the Second Ashley Maiden. Ridden Out Allegretto (Martin) was kicked out to beat We Wood (Daly) by three parts of a length at the end of six furlongs on the grass in Imin 15 2-ssec. They came home from the half-mile in 50sec. Polly’s Pal (Blair) made ground to get within a neck of Filspar (Low) after running five furlongs on the grass in Imin 3sec. the final half-mile in 50 l-ssec. Marlow (Eden) was half a length clear and appeared to be going better than Cumberland (Moir) at the finish of six furlongs on the plough. They ran the first two in 26 sec, the first three in 38 2-5 sec, and completed the distance in Imin 17sec. Knight of York (McGuire) ran into the last seven furlongs of a mile with a couple of lengths on his stablemate Research (Hadfield) and was still ahead by three-quarters of a length at the finish of their gallop. The last seven took Imin 33sec and the final three furlongs 39sec. Knight of York is the topweight in the Cust Highweight. W. A. Welton has made no decision yet about Research’s programme. He could be a rival for Knight of York but also has an alternative engagement in the Oxford Hack Handicap. Canadiana (Mrs Clutterbuck) rounded off her preparation for tomorrow’s open sprint by running in from the half-mile in 50 2-ssec. She was accompanied by an unnamed Summertime colt in J. R. Shaw’s team. The two-year-old was ridden by W. Traecey. Cup Prospect Count Pedro (Low) and Foxy Boy (Blair) took Imin 29 3-ssec to run the last seven furlongs of a mile on the grass. They came from the half-mile together in 50sec. Count Pedro is one of the form runners in the Gold Cup tomorrow. His stablemate has his first race since August in the open sprint Lucky Crown (Low) finished six lengths clear of Frigid (Hadfield) after running the last three of four furlongs in 38sec. Frigid, which is still suffering from the affects of a rick, is an unlikely runner in the Second Ashley Maiden.

Messmaid (F. H. Skelton) took 38 2-ssec for the last three of four furlongs. She is a form runner for the Inglewood Hack Handicap. Byair (Low) ran his first two furlongs in 28sec, took 41 2-ssec to run his first three and rounded off six in lmin 19 2-ssec. Lady Merling (F. H. Skelton) rounded off her work by sprinting home from the three in 37 3-ssec. Benefice (Swanson) and Waif (Collins) kept together throughout their mile. They were not bustled at any part of the gallop which took lmin 48 4-ssec. They came home from the half in 52sec and ran their last three furlongs in 38 l-ssec. They will be stable rivals in the Okuku Hack Handicap.