RACING Red Count Picked For Ellerslie First Leg

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30879, 12 October 1965, Page 4

RACING Red Count Picked For Ellerslie First Leg

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. Red Count looks well placed for a middle-dis-tance win in the £2OOO Dominion Handicap at Ellerslie today. With No. 4, he has one of the most favourable barrier positions. A weight concession for a change from sprint racing means he will carry 8.6.

On the first day of the meeting on Saturday, Red Count finished with 9.3 over seven furlongs in the Flying Handicap under a higher scale of weights. Today the minimum handicap will be 7.0.

The last time Red Count raced more than a mile was when he failed in the Summer Cup, a mile and a quarter, at the Auckland summer meeting under 8-13. Meantime, his form has included two firsts at weight-for-age, two under handicap conditions, and seven minor platings. A five-year-old from Takanini. Red Count had his first totaiisator race for about 10 weeks when he ran on Saturday.

today’s programme is new, as tlie Auckland spring meeting is usually a two-day fixture. Saturday, normally the second day, will this year be the third day. ' As well as Red Count, good gallopers in the Dominion Handicap, the first leg of the T.A.B. double, include Clarendon, Markable, Earl of Foxwood, Corbassiere, Golden Defoe, and Sir Barton. Clarendon, in particular, looks a good chance. Clarendon won the Taumarunui Gold Cup, a mile and a quarter, impressively at the end of last season. He was fourth in the Cornwall Handicap, a mile and a quarter, at Ellerslie, and second, over a mile and a quarter and 180 yards, at Rotorua. In three starts this season he has been unplaced twice over 11 furlongs at Avondale and over seven furlongs at Ellerslie last Saturday. Last time, when beaten by First Tax, Red Count and company, he lost his chance with a very slow start and made ground to eighth. Clarendon appreciates soft ground, and the light rain yesterday was in his favour. Alkaid, Clipjoint and Wandering Minstrel will resume racing after spells when they contest the second leg, the Kennels Handicap. Each might be hard to beat. Alkaid has not raced for three months. It is four months since Clipjoint started and about six months since Wandering Minstrel had his last totaiisator race. Alkaid. a four-year-old gelding from ■A. Cook’s stable at Te Awamutu, is able to produce good form after a spell. He is a quick beginner, well placed /With No. 5. . Willful and Wiri are among others who will resume racing in the Kennels Handicap. Both will attract interest. Wiri was outstanding during the winter when he burst from hack company with four successive wins and five from his last six starts. Among the other events, the Ellerslie Stakes, Doncaster Handicap and Excelsior Handicap are notable. Each should be a good race. Unless there is unexpected heavier rain, the going will be only slightly soft. Selections: Noon.—Ellerslie Stakes First Division: Gay Garden, Coronita. Second Division: Even Break, Mala Marina. • 12.40 p.m.—Pakuranga Hurdles: Revello, Robert Earl, Lucid. 1.20 p.m.—Dominion Handicap: Red Count, Clarendon, Markable. 2.5 pjn.- -Doncaster Handicap: Prince Arra-

gon, Mac's Pride, Lady Gabador.

2.50 p.m.—Kennels Handicap: Alkaid, Clipjoint, Wandering Minstrel. 3.35 p.m.—Excelsior Handicap: Sonya’s Pride, Kurrewa, Vai Vua. 4.15 ’ p.m.—Regional Handicap: Creemore, Lucy Gray, Prose. 4.55 p.m.—Commonwealth Handicap: Mighty Fair, Special Request, Awaroa. Fields are:—

ELLERSLIE STAKES, £1300: two-year-olds; 4jf—First Division: Gay Garden (8) 8-5. What You Will (1) 8-3; Sumgent (6) 8-1; Coronita (4) 8-2; Persian Fox (10) 7-13; Bellette (2). Dashing Lu (9), Lynbrae <s>. Pelsen (3), Queen's Romance (7) 7-12. Second Division: Orsino (10), Royal Personage <8), Tailwind (6), Toy time (5) 8-3; Even Break (3) 8- Bonny Blue (1), Chino (4), Juliet (2), Mala Marina (9). Phylene <7) 7-12. Brackets: Orsino and What You Will; Tailwind and Sumgent Scratched: Pepomint (11). 12.40 p.m.— PAKURANGA HURDLES, £1250; 2m —Robert Earl (9) 10-0; Revello (4) 9-8; Repeal (2), To Reign (1) 9-5; Monoeeros (6) 9- Confer (10). Silver Eagle (7) 9-3; Caminar (8), Lucid (5), Riglaw (3) 9-0. FIRST LEG OF T.A.B. DOUBLE 1.20 p.m.— DOMINION HANDICAP,

Sonya's Pride (17). 2.5 p.m.— DONCASTER HACK HANDICAP, £1000: Of —Mac's Pride (9) 8-10; Prince Arragon (1) 8-9; Surg away (17) 8-7; Kopia (6), Swift Crick (7) 8-3: Blue Special (11). Gay Polo (15). Under the Weather ■3) 7-13; Gold Ruler (2). Hot Line (8), Lady Gabador (13). Think Twice (5) 7-12: Bellechasse (14). Captain Andy (10), Count Two (4), Spot On (12). Trina (18) 7-11. Bracket: Lady Gabador and Bellechasse. Scratched: Double Image (16) Venturer (19). SECOND LEG OF T.A.B. DOUBLE 2.50 p.m.— KENNELS HANDICAP, £1200; 6f.

3.35 p.m.— EXCELSIOR HANDICAP, £1100; Im—Tawa Mahal (11) 8-12: Kurrewa (14) 8-10; Sonya’s Pride (6) 8-7: Persian Heir (8), Vai Vua (9) 8-6: Anne Lane (7) 8-4; Ocean Mist (5) 8-3; Warea Bov (I) 8-1: Hustafa (12) 8-0: Ursinus (3) 7-12: Blossom Time (10) 7-11: Shapiro (4) 7-10: Gurkha (2), Standfast (15) 7-6. Scratched: Honestly (13). 4.15 p.m.— REGIONAL HACK HANDICAP, £1000: Um—Bright Chief (18) 8-13: Town Guard (10) 8-9: Four Aces (16), Lucy Gray (1) 8-5: Creemore <l4) 8-4: Bilveen <l5) Castle Dee (17) 7-12; Arabian Belle (12). Mycet (3). Prose (7) 7-11; Fairylore (5). Hygi (19) 7-10; Baroque (20). Easter Joy (II) Flanders Ridge (4), Golden Surprise (2). Sir Countax (13), Something Special (8) 7-9 Scratched: All Smoke (9), Bob Duff (6)( Redspot (21). 4.55 p.m— COMMONWEALTH HANDICAP, £1000: 7f.—Kowloon (15)

8-7; Mighty Fair (3) 8-5; Awaroa (12) 8-3: El Cid (7), Special Request (6) 8-2; Frigid (11), High Voltage (5), Hug (4). King of the Castle (10), Pinza Boy (20). Riff Raff (18) 8-0; Able Queen (9), Black Emperor (14), De Filou (2), Meadowlands (13), Red Sahara (8), Te Matai (1), Velusha (19) 7-13. Scratched: Silver Sunset (16), Peterman (17).

£2000; lim. st lb 241 Markable (7) 8 8 000 Clarendon (7) 8 6 2 Red Count (4) 8 6 2023 Action Packed (15) .. 8 2 000 Regal Ruler (6) 7 13 1000 Crojack (14) 7 11 0 Golden Defoe (13) .. 7 11 2200 Sir Barton <10) 7 10 10 Damian’s Pride (20) 7 6 4 Blue Lodge (3) 7 3 023 Earl of Foxwood (12) 7 3 00 Kamikaze (5) 7 3 2044 Corbassiere (8) 7 1 000 Inner Circle (16) .. 7 0 0000 Queen’s Poet (1) .. 7 0 4100 The Prophet (11) .. 7 TO 0000 Viti (19) 7 0 0023 Yara (2) 7 0 Scratched: Gold Chick (18),

st lb Alkaid (5) ..8 3 Clipjoint (8) ..8 2 Wilful (9) ..8 0 1030 Misere (16) ..7 13 Wiri (11) .. 7 10 00 Bottle Top (14) .. 7 Wandering Minstrel 9 (3) ... 7 9 0300 Blue Bay (2) ..7 7 Count de Loot (12) .. 7 7 Dolly Mac <7) ..7 7 0 Isfahan (4) ..7 000 Loyal Ruler (10) .. 7 7 0 Nicodemus (6) ..7 7 3 Seasonal (1) ..7 7 0 Te Pari Chat (17) .. 7 7 000 Travel Alone (13) .. 7 '7 Scratched: Mali Peter (18). Yondee (15).