TROTTING Eyreton Favoured At At Nelson Today

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31085, 14 June 1966, Page 5

TROTTING Eyreton Favoured At At Nelson Today

(From Our Own Reporter) NELSON. Rain yesterday morning heightened the prospects of Eyreton in the Craddock Handicap, the first leg of the T.A.B. double on the second day of the Nelson Trotting Club’s winter meeting today.

Eyreton has already proved his ability to master winter conditions at Richmond Park and is certain to receive strong support as a result of that alone. However, he looked a ready-made favourite for the race after his strong finish for third over two miles on Saturday in the Caltex Gold Cup after receiving a poor run over the last three furlongs.

Richard Hanover nearlycaused a major surprise when he just failed to hold off Gold Boots on Saturday. He will not be at a big price today and could prove to be the hardest for Eyreton to beat. Ulight will be driven by M. Holmes, and D. G. Jones will be behind her bracketed stablemate, the first-day winner, Showpiece. Ulight finished fifth on Saturday after being checked at the start and one of the tail-enders until late in the race. She will have to show very little improvement to be one of the brightest prospects. Showpiece won handily in a slower class on Saturday and once more must be given a chance, in spite of the rise in the class of the opposition. Vantage, Boblita, Stormy Scott and Tahu are others capable of adding interest to the finish. Had track conditions remained as they were for the first day of the meeting, Student wou’d have been a shortpriced favourite for the Motueka Handicap, the second leg

of this double. The changed track conditions might not suit him as well as when he finished second to Showpiece, but his form background is such that it is difficult to go past him as the likely winner. White Smoke paced splendid races on Saturday and will only need to begin smoothly to take beating.

Dawn Peterson and Golden Garry will represent the Gore trainer, L. F. Norman. Dawn Peterson was an impressive winner on Saturday and might handle the changed track conditions better than many. Unreal, another runner trained on the track, paced fair races in two starts on Saturday. She is by Fallacy, the sire of many noted winter performers and could easily upset calculations. Winfield Chief, a fast finisher for third on Saturday, could be the pick of the other Southland horses in the field, and Spry and Torpi could be prominent There will be an on-course double on the Canvastown and the Murchison Handicaps.

Black Tulip is a doubtful starter in the Probationers’ Handicap, a race for which she was a firm early favour-

ite after her win on Saturday. Her owner and usual driver, A. Johnson, said yesterday that he had not been able to secure the services of a suitable driver and might reserve her for the Farewell Handicap. The Nelson club has been widely criticised for making the distance two miles in the race for probationary drivers. More support probably would have been accorded the race had it been run over 12 furlongs or less and on the first day of the meeting. Further unsettled weather is forecast and the track is certain to be much heavier than on Saturday.