Orbiter Picked For Festival Cup Final

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30976, 4 February 1966, Page 5

Orbiter Picked For Festival Cup Final

(From Our Own Reporter)

DUNEDIN.

Orbiter will be strongly supported to end his career in New Zealand on a winning note in the Dunedin Festival Cup final at Forbury Park tomorrow night. One of his peak performances could see him well clear of his rivals at the finish, even though he will start from 30 yards.

Orbiter looked in great heart when worked free - legged yesterday morning. He finished by taking Imin 5 2-ssec for his last half-mile, the last quarter in 30 3-ssec. He was at top for only the last furlong.

Orbiter will be bracketed with Van Rebeck and Golden Oriole. Van Rebeck has had a win and a rather unlucky second from two starts at the meeting. He will be driven by J. A. Carmichael, who two years ago won the same race for Mr N. Simpson with Great Credit, a pacer he had purchased a few weeks beforehand.

Van Rebeck will again be a sound place prospect in what will also be his last race in this country. Golden Oriole was surprisingly placed in this race. She finished a fair fourth in a heat and looked a logical favourite for the consolation race.

She does little to strengthen support for an already strong bracket, but on her own in the consolation race could have attracted considerable betting.

Cloudy Bay looks likely to be the hardest to beat. He was a little unlucky when beaten on Saturday and confirmed that with an easy win on Wednesday. He is still at the improving stage and from

the front he is certain to make a bold showing. The Dunedin-owned Waitaki Hanover will be in demand after his two forward showings at the meeting. He will again be driven by R. Young, Who was in fine form on Wednesday when he drove the winners of half the programme.

Junior Royal could upset calculations. He has never looked better than at present and he is racing most generously. He finished at a great rate for his placing on Wednesday and looks capable of an early win. Capable Runners Pancho Boy, Space Cadet, Happy Ending and Cuddle Doon are all capable of showing to advantage but they should be held quite safely by Orbiter, Cloudy Bay and Waitaki Hanover. The Festival Cup final will be the first leg of the T.A.B. double, the second being the Mornington Handicap, a twomile race for trotters. Le Chant, a desperately unlucky fourth, on Wednesday, looks the likely winner. A fine stayer, Poupette, another Southland trotter placed on Wednesday, and Acquit could be two of the hardest for Le Chant to beat, while the chances of Flying Maiden, Tromso, Uteena, Forward March and Harbour Light must be respected.

Handicap and the Visitors’ Handicap. Fair weather is forecast and the track should be fast. Acceptances: 4.30 p.m.— ’ PLUNKET HANDICAP, £600; trotters; 2:16 class; 13f and 108yds.—Betty’s Song (4), Direct Globe (2), Our Debbie (1), Phenoma (5), Phoebe Martial (3) It; Marshella (1) 12; Seven Nights (1) 24. 7 p.m.— FORBURY TWO-YEAR-OLD STAKES, £500; lm._Athenie <9), Broughton (2), Holy Hal (12), Instamatic (6), KHadair <8), Local Frost (1), Lucky Gay (3), Mokoreta (5), Montage (7), Really Good (4), Reporter (10), Stewart Hanover (11) It. 7.35 p.m.— VISITORS' HANDICAP, £850; 2:15 class; 13f and 108yds— Anterior (3), Bob Again (10). Gayiee <6), Indecision (9), Julie Hanover (4), Lottery Song (7), Majeur (8), Omar On (1), Trigside (2), Tuarangi Chief (5) It. 8.5 p.m.— AIRWAYS HANDICAP, £600; 2:17 class; 2m.—Brigitte Bardot (2), Co Pilot (3), Donald Dundee (12), Fancy Ways (4), Garrison Girl (6), Gay Paree (5), Guyfa (11), Ingleburn (8), Leyava (13), Shadydale (10), Sir Echo (7), Song Boy (9), Tracey Hanover (1) It; Loyal Light (1) 36. 8.45 p.m.— DUNEDIN FESTIVAL CUP FINAL, £2500; 2:11 class; 13f and

There"will be an on-course double run on the Plunket

9.15 p.m.— FEBRUARY HANDICAP, £700; three and four-year-olds; special conditions; Um. —Goldmount (1), Lustre Scott (4), Option (3), Shy Bess (2) It; Airborne (3), Chief Command (6), Double Step (4), Sonny Jim (1), Spry (5), Tasmanian Lady (2) 12; Bass Strait (1), Inky Boy (3) Roydon Prince (2), Torpi (4) 24. 9.50 p.m.— CONSOLATION RACE, £1100; 2:11 class; 13f and 108yds.—Admit (1). Bellajily (2), Cheta (4), Colours Flying (6), Lady Charles

Classic Stakes Increased (N.Z. Press Association) ASHBURTON The Ashburton Trotting Club has increased the stakes for its two classic races. The New Zealand Sapling Stakes, for two-year-olds, has been increased from £2OOO to £2500, and the New Zealand Champion Stakes, for three-year-olds, has been increased from £1250 to £l5OO.

<9l, Lauder Scott (7). Peel (8). phillmark <3), Procella (5) It. 10.30 p.m.— MORNINGTON HANDICAP, £1100; 2:13 class; trotters; 2m.

108yds. 4221 Cloudy Bay (4) It. 8894 Cuddle Doon (1) . It. 4604 Golden Oriole (2) It. 5773 Happy Ending (5) It. 4352 Space Cadet (3) It. 0333 Junior Royal (3) . 12 7635 Pancho Boy (1) . 12 9612 Van Rebeck (2) . 12 21 Waitaki Hanover (1) . 18 3114 Orbiter (1) . 30 Bracket: Van Rebeck. Orbiter and Golden Oriole.

0062 Acquit (3) It. 1100 Break Through (2) .. it. 0689 Doctor Kyle (8) It. 9070 Free Return 16) It 5047 Ipiana 17) It. 4614 Le Chant (9) It. 00S9 Snow Globe (9) It. 6976 Tronso (7) It. 0758 White World (5) It. 5130 Flying Maiden (2) .. 12 7521 Uteena (1) 12 0030 Forward March <1> .. 18 0312 Harbour Light (2) .. 24 4413 Poupette (1) 24