Highland Wedding Close To Certainty

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31017, 24 March 1966, Page 4

Highland Wedding Close To Certainty

Mr John Lawrence, a distinguished English amateur rider and writer, believes that Highland Wedding “must be as close to a certainty as one can get in such a chancy race” in the English Grand National on Saturday.

Mr Lawrence rode Carrickbeg into second place behind Ayala in the Grand National three years ago.

He believes that Highland Wedding has acquired the knack, so vital in a National, of “fiddling” when he meets a fence wrong—and is a strong

well-balanced horse likely to survive anything but a really wholesale blunder. Mr Lawrence confesses that Freddie will carry his hopes and prayers. Freddie, a gallant second last year, is regarded as a horse with outstanding qualities, which include supremely safe, economical jumping, tremendous courage, and the ability to keep on indefinitely at his own by no means insignificant pace. Fifty-two horses were declared on Tuesday to run in the Grand National. The field for the four miles 856 yards race, which will be worth £22,335 to the winning owner, may be further cut down at the final declaration stage tomorrow.

Among those left in Tuesday’s forfeit stage was Japanese challenger Fujino-O, topweighted in the handicap with 12.0.

All the candidates which have been prominent in prerace betting were left in the race today.

Acceptances, with probable riders:

GRAND NATIONAL STEEPLECHASE, £22,335; 4m 3f 186 yd—- . (J. King) 12-0; Freddie IP. McCarron) 11-7: What A Myth (P. Kelleway) 11-4; Flying Wild (P. Taafe) 11-0; Stirling (H. Beasley) 10-11; Forest Prince (G. Scott), The Fossa (T. Biddlecombe) 10-8; Vultrix (S. Mellor), Rough Tweed (P. Buckley) 10-7; Kapeno (D. Mould) 10-6; Honey End (J. Fitzgerald) 10-5; Packed Home (T. Carberry) 10-3; Greek Scholar (—), Solimyth (Mr Lawrence), Brown Diamond (F. Shortt), Some Slip-

per <—), Dorlmont (Mr ShandKydd), Popham Down (G. Robinson), Pontin-Go (T. Jones), The Count (L. Major), Bold Biri (M. Scudamore), Anglo (T. Norman), April Rose (Major Bengough). Game Purston (P. Cowley), Loving Record (B, Hannon), Northerner (P. Jones), L’Empereur (Duque de Albu querque), Supersweet (—), Willow King (L. McLoughlin), Monarch’s Thought (G. Cramp), Valouis (E. Prendergast), Major Hitch (P. Broderick), Royal Ruse <T. Hyde), Quintin Bay (Mr Crossley-Cooke), Big George (J. Morrissey), Jim’s Tavern (Mr Gaselee), Gale Force (R. Coonan), Groomsman (Mr S. Roberts), Irish Day (J. Magee), Vulcano (J. Gifford), Highland Wedding (O. McNally), Leslie (Mr Opperman), Scottish Final (J. Gamble), Mac’s Flare (R. Langley), Flamecap (F. Carroll), Black Spot (J. SpeidSoute), Me Oul Segocia (—), Ard Carrig (—), King Pin (Mr T. Durant), In Haste (J. Leech), Harry Black (R. Court), My Gift (—) 10-0.