RACING Winter Cup Hop es In Washdyke Field

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30811, 24 July 1965, Page 6

RACING Winter Cup Hop es In Washdyke Field

Winter Cup candidates will contest the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s Claremont Handicap in good numbers at Washdyke on Monday. The Washdyke race does not take a successful owner far along the road to racing riches, but it has had its values as a Winter Cup guide.

Morris Francis, the Claremont Handicap winner last year, came from last for third behind the North Islanders, Gillin and Royal Duty in the £2OOO Riccarton mile. Morris Francis is engaged again in the Claremont Handicap on Monday with 9-0. He has a stone less to carry in the Winter Cup, a race with a minimum half a stone lower. This year Morris Francis has won two races. One was the mile Templeton Handicap at Riccarton at Easter. Riccarton, with its long, roomy straight, suits Morris Francis better than Washdyke, but if class is to have any bearing on Monday’s race

Morris Francis should be involved in the finish. Golden Blossom, equal topweight in the Claremont Handicap, and another Winter Cup entrant, is one of several competent southern milers in the field. She has improved with each race—she has made only three appearances this season—and was third over six furlongs at Washdyke last time out. She usually manages to run close to the pace, and one of the inside barrier positions could help her to round off her effort. Recent Wins Glenmorven and Debater were both winners for D. P. Wilson’s stable at the South Canterbury winter meeting. Glenmorven might be the better of the two if the ground is heavy on Monday, but Debater should run out a mile better than most if he gets firmish footing. MacDonald, a useful winner for Mr W. E. Hazlett at a mile or thereabouts this seasoon, has not raced since his third behind Combination and Shakes over the Claremont Handicap distance on July 3. He looks one of the better chances in the middle of the handicap. Another is Cobble, a strongly-finishing fourth over a mile and a quarter at Washdyke on July 7. Earlier in the winter she was fourth in the male Queen Elizabeth Handicap at Wingatui and also fourth in the Oamaru Winter Cup. Etoile Este won the Queen Elizabeth Handicap when meeting Cobble 61b better than she will on Monday. Etoile Este’s best run in the meantime was a fifth in the Donald Grant Memorial. Cobble and Etoile Este are not entered for the Winter Cup. Nor is Picket, whose second behind Gladaub at Waimate last week should not be his peak effort on his present campaign. Smart Miler Picket is a smart miler in winter ground and with con-

Iditions to suit he could overIcome his wide barrier position. Interesting fresh runners in this class on the winter circuits are Bell Man, Duplex, and Scent Bell Man looked very promising last spring. ’ Duplex has been away from ■racing since last November. He has come to Riccarton in [the meantime and after a j useful amount of work he is well forward. Scent recorded a spectacular win over a mile against hacks at Ashburton two starts back. This will be her first open class test, but from her place in the weights she could be equal to all the demands made in such company. Fieldmaster, the first of the reserves, was unlucky when equal second inches behind Glenmorven over this dis- • tance in intermediate class on the first day of the South Canterbury winter meeting. ■ and ha not raced since. ’ He lost his chance at the I start that day. Second Leg After an unlucky second against the intermediate milers at Washdyke on July 7 Apache will be heavily supported to make it a topweights’ victory in the Kennels Intermediate Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double. I Apache’s last-start placing was easily his best for some time, and it held out hopes that he will now fulfil the high promise of his early racing.

This five-year-old from Riccarton might have strongest opposition from Lord Fair, Skeltheen, and Dallabella, all last-start winners, and perhaps, from Windvale Lass and Tracy’s Comet. Lord Fair had a wellearned first win for the season at Waimate last Saturday. When he was racing so consistently for minor placings at the last Grand National meeting few could have thought his next win was so far distant. Skeltheen won easily over a mile and a quarter at Washdyke on July 3. He was also first home after a battle with Tracy’s Comet at Ashburton a week before but placings were reversed after an inquiry. Skeltheen, whose dam, Dreenagh, was a rather remarkable veteran, appears to be improving with each race. Dallabella won over a sprint course at Waimate last week, but is bred to run over a bit of ground, and has

shown some of the characteristics of a middle distance performer in her rating. Fields, with form, for the double are:—

1.25 p.m.— CLAREMONT HANDICAP, £450; Im and 35yds. lb st. 903 Golden Blossom (3) 9 0 0106 Morris Francis (26) 9 0 5000 Yankinville (6) 8 12 9001 Gold View (25) •8 11 0221 Glenmorven (2) 8 8 8990 Lorastan (8) 8 8 3703 Macdonald (16) 8 8 6044 Cobble (1) 8 7 0000 Silver Spire (19) 8 7 1750 Etoile Este (14) 8 6 0902 Picket (23) 8 6 8553 Red Siren (9) 8 6 6807 San Rafael (20) 8 6 2431 Debater (4) 8 5 7284 Bell Man (22) 8 3 3070 Duplex (5) 8 3 0260 Canadiana (12) 8 2 0880 Dark Seaman (21) .. 8 1 6215 Scent (7) .. 8 0 9790 Tuborg (18) 8 0 Balloted out with right f eentry until 5 p.m. tomorrow:5572 Fieldmaster (10) 8 0 8500 Gabbler (15) 8 0 6215 Status Symbol (13) .. 8 0 0709 Waverley (11) 8 0 7195 Llanawyn (24) 8 0 9146 Eiffel Tower (17) .. 9 8 Brackets: Eiffel Tower and Macdonald, Llanawyn and Waverley. 3.20 p.m.— KENNELS INTERMEDIATE HANDICAP, £350; Um. st. lb 0082 Apache (3) 9 0 7331 Lord Fair (11) 8 13 8240 Windvale Lass (9) .. 8 12 0678 Belle El Nil (10) .. 8 11 0793 Baal Hanan (8) 8 11 9000 Cantelo (2) 8 10 0500 Big Boy (5) 8 8 5621 Skeltheen (4) 8 7 7901 Dallabella (6) 8 5 4166 Tracey's Comet (7) 8 5 0275 Balken Boy (1) 8 3