TROTTING Mighty Chief May Win Tomorrow

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31584, 23 January 1968, Page 16

TROTTING Mighty Chief May Win Tomorrow

If the result follows betting trends Mighty Chief and Holy Hal will combine successfully in the T.A.B. double at Addington Raceway tomorrow night.

Mighty Chief, which is one of the Dominion’s most highly rated trotters, is the popular fancy for the Summer Free-for-all, the first leg of the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s main double. Holy Hal, one of the country’s most promising young pacers, will be equally popular with betters in the second leg, the Flying Mile.

Spectacular racing is expected because both races will be run at a mile from the mobile barrier. Mighty Chief won at Addington Raceway on New Year’s night at his last start. On that occasion he trotted a mile and five furlongs. He also showed ability as a miler on the first night of that meeting, when he finished third to Stylish Major and Glen Dee in the Stewards’ Free-for-all. Stylish Major and Glen Dee will be among Mighty Chief s rivals again tomorrow night. Glen Dee at his best is very good but he could hardly be called consistent.

Stylish Major is a top-class sprinter but his chance tomorrow will depend on how he fares from the second line behind the mobile barrier. He has drawn the No. 13

position in a 13-horse field. Stylish Major will be bracketed with Le Chant, which can sprint with the best on her day. For consistency the northern trotter, Mountain Pride, can not be overlooked. He overcame difficulties to finish fourth in the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup, which was won by Mighty Chief from Le Chant and Stylish Major on New Year’s night. Uteena does not win out of turn but as a sprinter she has at times shown ability well above average. Unless Mighty Chief tries for an all-the-way win she will be in front at some stage and may be capable of staying there. Break Through could be the best of the others. This unreliable beginner should be suited by the mobile barrier. If he gets away on terms with the others and reaches the lead he could—as he has sometimes shown—be very hard to peg back. Although Holy Hal will be the popular fancy for the Flying Mile he is unlikely to dominate the betting. He has drawn the outside position on the front line and that may be a big disadvantage at the mile, the worst barrier at Addington. Holy Hal will probably need everything in his favour to cope with Fort Nelson, another Southlandtrained four-year-old with an impressive record. Fort Nelson was the run-

ner-up in the two main events for pacers at the New Year meeting and those which beat him—lndecision and Lordship—are pacers held in the highest regard. Bob Again is not noted for his ability as a miler but after his New Year form, when he was twice runner-up to Good Chase, probably the best three-year-old in the country, he must be included among the strong possibilities. Stewart Hanover will also have a big following. He could not match Holy Hal for finishing speed in the Wellington Cup but beat the four-year-old in the main race at Hutt Park last Tuesday night. Although this will be a big step up for Demure, she, too, will have to be considered on form. She has won her last three races, including a double at Wellington recently. There will be an on-course concession double on the Airways and Harewood Stakes. Ten Grand and Halberg could be the successful combination.