RACING COUNT FILOU HAS FORM

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30804, 16 July 1965, Page 4

RACING COUNT FILOU HAS FORM

Winter Oats Prospect Tomorrow

if rum Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. Count Filou’s second to Fleeting Moment in the Parliamentary Handicap on Wednesday was an out* standing race trial for the Winter Oats Handicap at Trentham tomorrow.

Count Filou was beaten only in the last few strides over the same distance in the Parliamentary Handicap and it is almost certain that this hard-wearing veteran will be all the better for the race.

Count Filou was weighted at 7-7 in the Parliamentary Handicap, but R J. Skelton had to ride him at 7-12. so it was a rather expensive placing. Tomorrow, this once unsound Le Filou gelding has 8-1, but appears to dominate the field in the middle and lower part of the handicap and it seems doubtful that Fleeting Moment will be able to give him 91b Fleeting Monent is the second top-weight, with 151 b less than Kumai Kumai ha., dropped one pound on his Parliamentary Handicap weight Weights alone do not appear to give the Wingatui grey any chance of winning his four!b Winter

Oats Handicap, but there are good reasons for confidence in a much-improved run by the Kurdistan gelding tomorrow Kumai drew one of the wide barrier positions n the Parliamentary Handicap He has drawn ’Jo 4 tn the Win ter Oats A draw elose to the inside could mean that Kumai will get a run close to the pace from the start this time

In the Parliamentary. B J Anderton was obviously not keen to let the top-weieht use his early speed for fear he would be forced over a lot of ground on the outside of the leading group As It was. Kumgi was nearly at the tail of the field after two furlongs and had to be taken down where the ground was at its heaviest to make ground betweer the half mile and the home turn Although he has mastered winter tracks In everv shape and form Kumai at his present place in the weights would nrohahly fare better if the ground became loose rather than sucky, as it was on Wednesday Blissful Lad. a stronglyfinishing third in the Parlia mentarv. came through the race well and must be regarded as one of the brightei prospects My Contact the Parliamentarv Handicap fourth, is encased again He is most consistent when he eomes to form and his rhanee, eannot he taken lightly because of his un".known iikiny fe» heaw tracks. Windvale f »d'a «|x»h tn the Parliamentary Handicap p'eased the gelding's South Canterbury owner-trainer Mr C ’tewart.

Winrtvale I .ad did not ap pear to act well In the gome when he galloned er an in Side crass last Monday but he was at ease in the condt t'nns in the ParlKmentan Handicap and his sixth was prohahtv the performance of an ‘mnrnver

Tundra mnv drut> out of the fieM. leaving Golden G'en to run for the Wtnsloe stab's Tundra was la , -> in »he Wh'te Handicap last Saturday and doe* not annear to have done stall on the trip •I R Dowline will rtdr Golden Glen, whirh ran a good

| race to the home turn in the ; Handicap before weakening to finish just j behind Kumai in the middle lof the field Princess Taiaria, the Whyte Handicap winner last Saturday. and Caballero, the surprise Members' Handicap winner on Wednesday, are two form runners in the Onslow Handicap the second leg of the TAB double Others with chances on jtheir form at the meeting are -Toureg and Bold Venture. I which have placed form And fit will he surprising if Lei and Shakes fail to improve on their disennointing rt’ns in the ! Whvte Handicap Lei was a disappointment jin her first of three starts as ia hack at this meeting two years ago But she won her two other races, befrre going to Riccarton to win the Winter Cup Her greatest handicap tomorrow could be the No 14 barrier position, although she should be able to find the early speed to take up a position where she can avoid be ing forced over a lot of ground The most interesting new comer in this field is Waver ing. a good second to Equality ai Awapuni at her last start

She has been only once unplaced in 12 starts this season. After rain overnight and yesterday afternoon the track remains very heavy.