TABAK WILL CLASH WITH ITALIANS

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31248, 21 December 1966, Page 24

TABAK WILL CLASH WITH ITALIANS

The events which have aroused most interest and excitement at English Park this season—the five-mile amateur scratch races—could be the feature of the first appearance in Christchurch this evening of the Italians, Giordano Turrini and Luigi Roncaglia.

This race is one of four events in which the Italians will feature.

The others are a one - mile invitation scratch race, a halfmile open handicap race, and a brief series of sprints.

Canterbury probably has a better team of scratch riders than any other province, and there will be keen interest in the performance of C. B. Fitzgerald and T. J. Tabak against the Italians. Fitzgerald, though he has been a little sluggish lately, was in outstanding sprinting form early in the season and has a fine record in important events. Depends On His Mood Tabak, if the mood strikes him, could break away from

the field and, if he had someone with him—say, P. A. Skilling or J. H. Cleary—could stay out in front.

The 500-metre sprints comprise two three-up races and a final. Skilling and M. W. Litolff, runner-up in last year’s national junior championship, are matched with Turrini, and Fitzgerald and Cleary with Roncaglia. Turrini, one of the world’s greatest sprinters, is hardly likely to be beaten but Roncaglia, although a good allrounder, is not a specialist in this event. Provided all the backmarkers qualify in the halfmile, there could be another interesting tussle. Turrini and Roncaglia are not handicapped out of the race—as apparently happened in Austra--lia on occasions—but they are giving away 20 yards to four Canterbury scratch riders— Cleary, Skilling and Tabak. Litolff and R. D.

Mann have another 10 yards. The meeting will start at 7.30 p.m. and there are supplementary events, including two cup races, the Williams Cup, a cash 2-mile handicap race, and the novices’ halfmile handicap race for the Cairns Cup.