Alaska And Trial Offer Arrive Today

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30897, 2 November 1965, Page 4

Alaska And Trial Offer Arrive Today

Alaska and Trial Offer, which will form one of the popular combinations for the T.A.B. double on New Zealand Cup day, will arrive at Riccarton from the North Island this morning.

On Saturday Alaska will attempt to win the New Zealand Cup for the second successive year. Trial Offer is the Stewards' Handicap top-weight. This brilliant Hawera mare earned favouritism for the Canterbury Jockey Club’s rich sprint by winning the Awatea Handicap brillantly at Trentham the last time she raced. Alaska is being brought south by his Awapuni trainer, M. B. Andrews, and Trial Offer will be in the care of her part-owner and trainer, B. Hayter. The Riccarton apprentice J. A. Messent, will have the mount on Alaska in the New Zealand Cup. They were a successful combination in the race a year ago and also in the Wellington Handicap at Trentham last month.

If victory goes Trial Offer’s way in the Stewards’ Handi-

(cap she will have been unbeaten in three starts on the course. On her last visit to Riccarton she won the New Zealand Derby and Oaks at this meeting last year. Beside Alaska and Trial Offer there were 10 other North Island horses with engagements at the New Zealand Cup meeting booked to travel on last night’s inter-island steamer.

They include Sir Torre and Howe Good, two New Zealand Cup light-weights, Scramble, which is engaged in the Stewards’ Handicap, and the New Zealand Derby rivals, Feiramor and Warm Up.

Howe Good is one of six horses which will carry Mr A Clouston’s colours on New Zealand Cup day. The others which Mr Clouston’s private trainer, J. T. Walker, of Opaki, has brought south are the Riccarton Handicap rivals, Lady Dilemma and Carnbeg. Up and Under, an acceptor for the Waimairi High-weight, Bold Invader,

which will contest the Spring Plate, and So True, a Hagley Handicap light-weight. Carnmor, a strong prospect for New Zealand Cup honours, and Kintyre, which is entitled to a high place on the list of New Zealand Derby fancies will arrive at Riccarton later today. Carnmor, which is raced by Mr D. Macpherson, of Wellington. and Kintyre, which is raced by his wife, crossed from Wellington yesterday on the Aramoana and will travel by road from Picton today. They are both in the care of their Trentham ' trainer, T. G Stokes.

Two planes of horses from Manawatu will be flown south on Thursday. Although details of the consignment could not be confirmed yesterday it will almost certainly include E. Ropiha’s team. He will bring five horses south for the New Zealand Cup meeting and he prefers to travel by air.

Even Chance, one of the horses on the list of reserves, is now assured of a start in the New Zealand Cup. He reentered the field yesterday when the Wingatui-trained Calvados dropped out. So far the only other scratching on New Zealand Cup Day is Tumble from the Riccarton Handicap. His trainer, R. Preece, has decided to run him in the Stewards’ Handicap. ■White Rajah, an acceptor for the New Zealand Derby, will not be able to race at the meeting. This gelded son of Rawalpindi II received a bad gash on the off-hind leg when he was galloped on during the running of the Halswell Hack Handicap at Motukarara on Saturday. Talic, a stablemate of White Rajah which is also trained by J. R. Shaw for Mr W. H. Williamson, was also injured during his race at Motukarara. This Talismano gelding did well to finish third in the Little River Handicap after injuring a stifle when he was bumped on to the running rail. He was very sore behind yesterday and may have to drop but of the Welcome Stakes field.

Castle Flight, which was expected to produce a winning trial for next Saturday’s Stewards Handicap when he contested the Le Bons Handicap at Motukarara, was also in trouble during his race. He scalped himself several times on the inside of the nearhock. This, and his unhappiness when trailing alongside the rails, could have accounted for his failure to run the race out, his Wingatui trainer, D. G. O’Neill, said yesterday.

WESTLAND RACING CLUB (Inc.) Hokitika Summer Meeting. Saturday and Monday, November 20 and 22. 1965.

Nominations for all events close with the Secretary on Thursday. November 4, 1965, at 4 p.m.—P.O. Box 118, ‘Phone 724, Telegraphic address "Races." Programme in Calendars of October 20 or 27, 1965. —Advt.