RACING Royal Encounter Is Likely Light-weight

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31631, 18 March 1968, Page 4

RACING Royal Encounter Is Likely Light-weight

The combined efforts of Royal Encounter and Millie Small could make the Ashburton County Handicap tomorrow a triumph for youth.

Both are four-year-olds, both will be running for Riccarton stables with backgrounds of winning form up to a mile and a half.

A deciding factor in favour of Royal Encounter is that he has 111 b less than Millie Small.

Millie Small has 8.6, and after one win —minor placings have been frequent, though —she is only 4lb below Carpenter, winner of five races including the Dunedin Cup last season.

Royal Encounter, a close relative of Even Stevens, showed he had his share of family talent in winning the Otaio Plate at Riccarton last November. In only three starts in open company he has been placed once—behind Royal Master in the Timaru Cup. Royal Master has since won at Greymouth and tomorrow he will meet Royal Encounter 91b worse than in the Timaru Cup, in which he beat the latter by three lengths. Millie Small, like Royal Master, won last time out Her change of luck eventually came at Motukarara where she showed utmost gameness

for a neck victory after being in front some distance out. In this field, which looks stronger, she may not manage her second successive win unless she can be ridden back in the field and reserved for a final run down the long Ashburton straight. Greater Zest Carpenter may lack some of the seasoned racing condition of many of his rivals, but he may approach this task with greater zest than those which have been busy on firm tracks in the last few weeks. If there is a horse for all seasons in this field Carpenter is surely the one. After wins in the C.J.C. Fendalton Handicap and Dunedin Cup in the first half of last season he held his form well to add the major race at the Geraldine meeting in the autumn, then the main race at Invercargill and the Birthday Handicap at Wingatui in the winter. Flowing Gold Carpenter’s Wingatui trainer, A. N. Didham, also has Flowing Gold in the field. This five-year-old won against a good field of hacks at the last Grand National meeting —Royal Master was a minor place-getter—then won as a sprinter at the Dunedin spring meeting. Southern support for Pee Wee will strengthen if the ground is soft, but in any conditions this Christchurchowned, Wingatui-trained gelding should go well if he has made expected improvement with his latest run, which produced a fourth at Wingatui. General Gilbert recaptured his peak form for a narrow win over Millie Small at Riccarton last month, but his two wins in the meantime have been nothing to enthuse over. Sir Limond and Anasiwa were both ahead of him at Motukarara when third and fourth respectively behind Millie Small and Kalimera. Second Leg The Coldstream Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double, has drawn a field that gives the race a wide open look. In the absence of a class sprinter, there will be much to commend the claims of one as consistent as Tumble. But there will be many equally attracted in the circumstances W w T

by up and coming lightweights like James Arthur, Cosmetic and Never Again. And if earlier experience of sprint races at Ashburton counts for anything a winning run could come fresh up from one such as .Sandbank, a horse that, has fashioned his best form at a middle distance but quite capable when fresh to employ Ashburton’s roominess to best effect over a sprint distance.

FIRST LEG OF OHCOURSE DOUBLE 12.15 p.m.— WINCHMORE HIGH-WBIGH1 $500: 1m. St lb 3483 Allegretto (5) 9 12 37 Sir Athol (12) 9 12 3670 Lorastan (1) 9 11 1015 Jes Tar (4) 9 8 6251 Beau Leigh (10) 9 6 8623 Doraldo (11) 9 4 6308 Ngatua (6) 9 2 907 Port Bank (9) 9 1 0743 Chariima (8) 9 0 6807 Expel (3) 9 0 03 Lady Bellborough (2) 9 0 0054 Jester Maid (7) 9 0 Bracket: Beau Leigh and Port Bank. SECOND LEG OF ON-COURS DOUBLI 1.25 p.m.— LAURISTOH TWO-YEAR-OLD HANDICAP $500; Of. ■t lb 9218 Willie’s Pride (8) .. 8 9 4431 Sony (11) « 2 2486 Equal Chance (1) 8 1 751 Tarata (14) 8 0 4532 Break A Comin (12) 7 12 72 Bargain Hunter (10) 7 11 6727 Court Star (5) 7 11 4463 Hombroe (4) 7 10 Auto’s Pride (15) .. 7 9 9 Bright Blue (7) 7 9 Gold Vite (6) 7 9 Intervene (3) 7 9 8 Maliron (9) 7 9 Persian Journey (13) 7 9 9 Yule Count (2) 7 9 FIRST LEG OF T.A.B. DOUBLE 2.40 p.m.— ASHBURTON COUNTY HANDICAP $1200; Ilf. st lb 55 Carpenter (5) 8 10 4221 Millie Small (11) .. 8 0 2541 Royal Master (6) 8 b 3155 General Gilbert (7) 8 2 4193 Sir Limond (9) 7 11 5178 Gingerbread (10) 7 10 1027 Boyal Encounter (1) 7 9

<214 Anaaiwa (2) 2000 flowing Gold (8> 7754 Pee Wee (3) 9092 Takatua (4) .. SECOND LEG OF T.A.B. ..7 8 ..7 8 ..7 8 ..7 8 DOUBLE 4.05 p.m.— COLDSTREAM HANDICAP $800; 7f. st lb 3432 Tumble (9) . ..8 8 1424 Totara Lad (6) .81 3413 Rae’s Hope (4) ..8 0 5009 Sandbank (2) .. 7 11 1157 Lady Fort (14) .. 7 10 2780 Pango (17) .. 7 10 0328 Bob’s Secret (15) ..7 9 0 Talic (1) 7 9 3629 Warm Up (18) ..7 9 3306 Danny Kaye (20) ..7 8 1005 Cosmetic (10) .. 7 7 7587 Dry Time (12) ..7 7 0698 Ibn (19) .77 7111 James Arthur (16) 7 7 640 Never Again (3) .77 0063 Ronrico (13) .77 0009 Running Scared 7) 7 7 Standout (8) ..7 7 8000 Shoelace (11) ..77 Scratched: Sir Limond (3).