TROTTING ROYAL WALK FANCIED IN JUVENILE STAKES

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31542, 2 December 1967, Page 6

TROTTING ROYAL WALK FANCIED IN JUVENILE STAKES

If Orari form proves of any value at all, Royal Walk should take beating in the Juvenile Stakes at Addington Raceway tonight.

Royal Walk will probably be a firm favourite in this sprint event for three-year-olds at the New Brighton Trotting Club’s summer meeting. He earned that distinction when he gave Bewitched, the likely favourite for the New Zealand Oaks tonight, a start of 24 yards and ran her to two lengths in the Orari Challenge Stakes last Saturday. Fratello and Credo, the best behind Royal Walk last Saturday, are bound to be among the fancied runners, but they might not be the hardest for Royal Walk to beat. His strongest rival could be Lords. Lords did not distinguish himself in the Challenge Stakes last Saturday. But that was his first lapse in an otherwise sound patch of form. Lords finished third in each of his two races at the cup meeting last month. Just beforehand he had beaten Bewitched convincingly in the Waikouaiti Three-year-old Stakes. Abbey Nelson and Happy Hal will form a strong bracket for G. B. Noble’s Yaldhurst stable, a peak run from either could get them into the finish. The main attractions—beside the New Zealand Oaks, in which Double Cross and Terraton are expected to provide most opposition for Bewitched—will be the President’s Stakes and Raceway Stakes. The T.A.B. double will operate on these races. Stereo Scott, Lustre Scott, and Vista Abbey might be the most popular fancies in the first leg. There is no outstanding form runner in the Raceway Stakes, but if Student, Vantage, and Chief Command run up to their best form they might battle it out.

There will be a concession double for course patrons only on the Welcome Stakes and Members’ Stakes. Demure and Stylos could be the successful combination. The forecast is for continuing fine weather. The track will be firm.