TROTTING Form At Rangiora Good Pointer For Holidays

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30630, 22 December 1964, Page 5

TROTTING Form At Rangiora Good Pointer For Holidays

Form shown at the Rangiora Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday could be a sound pointer to prospects at meetings to be held in Canterbury and on the West Coast during the holidays. The holiday circuit starts in earnest on Saturday with the Ashburton summer meeting and the first day of the Westport annual meeting.

A large proportion of the acceptors for slow and intermediate-class races at the Ashburton meeting raced prominently at Rangiora where most interest centred in candidates for the £1250 New Zealand Champion Stakes, one of the three recognised classic races on the calendar for three-year-old pacers.

Ten of the 20 acceptors for the Champion Stakes raced at Rangiora, the majority of them competing in the Rangiora Challenge Stakes, a race over 10 furlongs for three and four-year-olds.

La Garrison’s win was a first-class effort and one which entitles him to consideration in the Ashburton race, in spite of the fact that the opposition will include such well-performed horses as Golden Oriole, Donald Dundee. Smokey Range, Douce and Black Tryax. La Garrison is expected to appreciate the extra two furlongs and the longer home straight at Ashburton. He

probably began better than ever before at Rangiora and he came with a determined stayer’s run to wear down King Gypsy, which might have had to go to the front earlier than his driver, D. G. Jones, had intended. La Garrison won by only a neck, but he had his rivals well covered at the finish. He became one of the most highly-regarded horses in his age group when he finished an unlucky fifth in the New Zealand Derby Stakes last month. A win for him at Ashburton would in some ways be an upset, but not a complete surprise. It will be most surprising if he fails to give a good account of himself.

King Gypsy added to a fairly lengthy list of placings when he held on for second. He, too, is engaged at Ashburton where his consistency will entitle him to consideration at least as a place prospect. He was runner-up to Golden Oriole in the New Zealand Sapling Stakes on this course last May. Royal Fame, a half-brother to Balcairn, did best of the other Ashburton candidates when he finished fifth at Rangiora. He is now at the improving stage and could soon show worth-while form. In Handicap Cloudy Bay, a sound finisher for fourth in the Rangiora Challenge Stakes, will revert to open handicap racing in the two-mile McLean Handicap at Ashburton. There seems to be no reason why he should not master a strong two miles and he could easily make amends for recent defeats.

Lightning Scott recorded a splendid trial for the Netherby Handicap when he made up ground for third and recorded 4min 29 3-ssec for two miles in the Coldstream Handicap. He began safely, but went to a break before long, losing valuable ground. He put in a tremendous run over the last mile for his placing. He was a stylish winner at Orari last month at his previous start and looks to be right back to the promising form he showed about 15 months ago. He will encounter strong opposition at Ashburton, but he comes in on the front. He has shown great front-running ability and could be seen in that role at Ashburton.

Flying Over’s third and the fifth of Cuddle Doon in the Rangiora Cup could herald a bold showing from both in the Mid-summer Handicap, the second leg of the double at Ashburton. Flying Over was far from disgraced when beaten by Cloudage and Forshy, both of which are in splendid form at present.

Cuddle Doon was a shade disappointing at Rangiora, but he drifted rather badly early and had to work hard to make up leeway in a solidlyrun race.

Heriot. which lost the Cheviot Handicap after an inquiry. will have to be respected in the Mid-summer Handicap in which he will receive a start of 36 yards from Cuddle Doon and Flying Over. Heriot’s consistency has been outstanding in recent months and he looks to be capable of further wins.

Eudora and Jay Queen, sixth and fourth respectively in the second division of the Maiden Handicap at Rangiora, will meet again in the first division of the Wakanui Handicap at Ashburton. Jay Queen looked unlucky not to return a dividend on Saturday as she was checked when another horse broke in front of her at the furlong post. M. M. Purdon had to pull her to the outside fence to secure a run after that and she put in a tremendous burst to finish close up. She is now at the improving stage and should soon win.

Eudora lost her chance at the start and after two furlongs she was among the tailenders in a spread-out field. She had not made up much ground before the three furlongs, but ran on boldly from that point to finish about seven lengths from the winner. Epona. Eudora will have to show very little improvement to be an early winner.