RACING Skelton Brothers May Have Best Mounts

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31421, 14 July 1967, Page 4

RACING Skelton Brothers May Have Best Mounts

"The Press" Special Service

PALMERSTON NORTH. R. J. Skelton is within range of 100 winners for the season so his mounts on the first day at Trentham tomorrow will be given careful scrutiny.

Skelton will ride Rescator and Backfire in the T.A.B. double races and Treasure Castle and Automaton in the other two flat events.

Rescator is figuring prominently in prerace discussions for the $5500 Whyte Handicap. It is probable that he will dispute favouritism with Gus, which will be ridden by W. D. Skelton.

Backfire is also one of the leading chances for the Stewards’ Handicap, although he performed poorly in his final trial yesterday. Gus may shade Rescator for outright favouritism tomorrow. He has won at Trentham and can remain handy in a field, whereas Rescator must be given time to settle down. Gus won the ParliamentaryWinter Oats double last year, when a three-year-old. His form slumped later but he came back to his best with an easy win at Awapuni last month. Gus has worked well since. He will carry Bst 101 b and start from No. 10 at the barrier. “Out The Back” Rescator will be “out the back for a furlong,” according to Skelton, who rode the Terrington three-year-old to a thrilling victory in his open debut at Tauranga on June 24. Rescator cannot be bustled until he finds his feet. As a result he is likely to get well out of his ground in the early stages. Next to Gus and Rescator. Major Luca could be one of the best prospects in the rich mile.

Major Luca has won over the distance at Trentham and will handle the ground better than most

J. A. Messent, who is in great form at present, will ride Major Luca. This has been a successful

combination before. Wanganui’s tricky going beat Major Luca, and he was in need of a race anyway.

At his latest start, at Awapuni, he was ridden by an inexperienced apprentice, and he did not really get back into the race after drifting out early. Major Luca looked fit last week and that race will have topped him off nicely. His work at Otaki this week has been pleasing. If the favourites are to be beaten this Cappieluca gelding could be the one to do it Dunraven is sure to be prominent all the way. He has won at Trentham over seven furlongs. A mile could find him out although several Whyte Handicaps have been won from near the front Maria Mitchell (twice) is a shining example. Others which must be considered include Manana, a winner on the course in the spring; Surf Boy, Bijali and the promising light-weight Gayallan. This could be a little rich for Gayallan but track conditions will suit her. She has run good races as a stayer lately and won over a mile at Trentham in May. In Great Form Friendly Opal is in such great form that it may take more than her 9-5 to prevent her winning the Stewards’ Handicap. The second leg of the Trentham double has drawn a big but unusually weak field and Friendly Opal’s form is quite outstanding. Friendly Opal won twice at Ellerslie in June. Then it took a good performance by Amie to lower her colours at Tauranga. Friendly Opal made her rivals look mediocre in the open sprint at Avondale last

week, in which she carried 9-1 and romped home by two and a half lengths. The last Stewards' Handicap winner to carry more than 9-0 was Red Star with 9-3 in 1954. Pheroz Giri, a top-class sprinter, won with 9-6 in 1951, so Friendly Opal’s task looks hard. The Matamata apprentice, N. Landers, will ride the Byland mare, which is trained at Te Awamutu by J. Wickliff.

Backfire worked badly on Thursday. That is unusual because he is usually brilliant in training. He looked an improver at Hastings last month and appeared to work with great dash after the races at Awapuni last week. Backfire has won in all types of footing. Master Defence Master Defence is a prospect He failed over seven furlongs at Avondale last week but was a good second on the first day of the meeting. Conditions will suit Master Defence. Few in this field will be able to match him in the early running, so a wide draw should not hinder him. Royal Fair’s best northern form would give him a chance, especially as he is suited by wet ground. He seldom runs two races alike and was well beaten on the first day at Avondale after winning at Ellerslie. Time and Tide, a southerner with some ability, is a last-start winner. He has prospects, along with the other light-weights Astral Blue, a fast finishing third at Hastings, Feurig and Cambridge Fair. Feurig is getting close to winning form and Cambridge Fair looked a galloper of some promise earlier in the season.