RACING South Island Stayers Dominate Adams Hep

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31326, 23 March 1967, Page 4

RACING South Island Stayers Dominate Adams Hep

Cassarook and Court Belle will have added lustre to the grand record of South Island stayers in major events if either is successful in the George Adams (Tattersail) Handicap at Riccarton on Monday.

Both of these good stayers from Southland have the credentials and class to carry off the major share of the prize in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s £3600 race.

Cassarook and Court Belle established their class by winning at Trentham where the Dominion’s best stayers compete. Cassarook convinced many good judges he was in the top flight when he won the Wellington Racing Club Handicap against strong competition at Trentham in January.

Court Belle, too, proved she was match for the best at a mile and a half by winning the Summer Handicap at the same meeting 12 months beforehand. But it will not be their Trentham records alone which will make Cassarook and Court Belle popular with Riccarton patrons. On this course both have compiled very good records and have shown winning form up to a mile and a half. Cassarook has a Metropolitan Handicap win on his record and Court Belle has won a Great Autumn Handicap. Both Cassarook and Court Belle have been evenly rated by the Canterbury Jockey Club’s handicapper, Mr H. V. Spicer. He has them both on 8-5, 4 lb below Bandon, the top-weight

Wearing Well The Awapuni trainer, N. D. Eales, has made many successful “raids” at Riccarton with Bandon. On one of his earliest trips—four years ago —Bandon won the Great Autumn Handicap. Although now rising nine he is still far from a spent force. Bandon has gained two staying wins in the last few months. He ran a mile and a half successfully against strong opposition in the Manawatu Cup in December and was successful over 11 furlongs in the Wanganui Queen Anne Cup last month. Bandon will be one of two northerners in the George Adams field. The other is

Teh tar which has run some of his best races on the Riccarton course. On his last campaign here he won the Provincial Handicap at the mid-summer meeting early last month. Seminole could race with distinction for Riccarton stables. She has won four races this season and two of those wins were on her home course. Her latest success was in the Caltex Gold Cup at Ashburton last Monday. Fourth In Cup Although all of Seminole’s victories have been over less ground than a mile and a half she should have little trouble managing the distance. One of her notable

placings this season was a fourth, over two miles, in the New Zealand Cup. There could be some doubt about the programme for Cassarook’s stablemate, Red Siren. This season’s Metropolitan Handicap winner is also engaged in the Riverton Cup on Saturday. If form at the distance proves of value at all Gingerbread and Segundo should be sound prospects among the tail-enders. Gingerbread was first and Segundo was second in the Otaio Plate at the New Zealand Cup meeting. Segundo has since gained one open-class win and Gingerbread has compiled a sequence of minor placings in her latest racing.