ROYAL BLUE PICKED IN CUP AT OAMARU

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31724, 6 July 1968, Page 6

ROYAL BLUE PICKED IN CUP AT OAMARU

Royal Blue and My Era will be a popular combination for the T.A.B. double at Oamaru Jockey Club’s second winter meeting on Monday.

Royal Blue is likely to be a firm favourite for the Oamaru Winter Cup. My Era will be trying for his second successive win on the course in the Waikaura Hack Handicap.

Royal Blue will also be attempting to keep a winning record intact. Last start he completely eclipsed a strong field at! Ashburton. T hat was a mile, a distance generally considered a little short of his best.

On Monday Royal Blue, which has taken high ranking as a middle-distance performer, will be going a mile and a quarter and 138 yards. Royal Blue, a member of J. R. Shaw’s team, will be one of four runners Riccarton trainers will saddle. On form, the best of the others should be Even Chance. He raised hopes that a victory might be close at hand with a strong finish for second at Washdyke on Wednesday. But the best-backed runner

outside of Royal Blue, could be Beau Supreme. This Wash-dyke-trained stayer beat Even Chance and seven others hands down on his home course on Wednesday. Although Blue Amber, from Wingatui, could have a fair following after two fourths at Washdyke the brightest hope from that centre might be Superspan. The only weak run on Superspan's recent record was at Washdyke last Saturday when he finished seventh of nine. But there luck of the running went right against him in a muddling race. At his previous start he had been second to Change at Oamaru. SECOND LEG

If My Era has held the form which gave him an easy win against the staying hacks at Oamaru three weeks ago he should take beating again in the Waikaura Handicap. If recent form proves the best guide My Era’s strongest rivals could be Our Wyn and Just Belle. Although both failed among the hack milers at Washdyke on Wednesday their earlier form was very sound.

Our Wyn, a close second in the hack mile on the first day at Washdyke, won at Ashbur-

ton at her previous start. Although the distance that day was seven furlongs she has also shaped well over more ground. Just Belle is a powerful finisher which lacks early pace. Before Wednesday’s failure she had twice been second over middle-distances —at Ashburton and Oamaru-r--with brilliant late runs. Most of the others have weak form but Loewe or Pacific Flight could get into the finish if they produced their best runs. Selections: Noon. Qamaru Hurdles: Etassem, Sierra Gold, Cedar Bank. 12.35 p.m.—Trial Stakes: Premarls, Stormbell, Tlng-a-Llng. 1.10 p.m.—Awamoa Hack Handicap: Gone Astray, Bank Again, Resmart. 1.45 p.m.—E. H. Aubrey Memorial Steeplechase: Lonvato, Lord Fair, Lambano. 2.20 p.m.—Oamaru Winter Cup: Royal Blue, Beau Supreme, Superspan. 3 p.m.—Grange Handicap: Waterfront, Billy Joe. 3.40 p.m.—Walkaura Hack Handicap: My Era, Our Wyn, Just Belle. 4.15 p.m.—Farewell Hack Handicap: Belcraze, Queen's Speech, Beau Leigh. .« ON-COURSE DOUBLE Noon. — OAMARU HURDLES $550; 11m. st lb

0414 Etassem (9) 9 10 6310 Gold Marc (1) 9 8 6344 Lorastan «2> 9 8 4302 Cedar Bank (5) 9 5 6521 Sierra Gold i7> 9 3 4024 Red Stole (11) 9 1 6826 White Rajah < 10) 9 1 0406 Bellcara (6) 9 0 0789 D’Archiac <4) 9 0 0800 Desert Wind (3) 9 0 5675 Gillie (12) 9 0 0540 Neilson (8) 9 0 0805 Sunny Filou (13) .. 9 0 1.10 p.m.— AWAMOA HACK HANDICAP 1440; 6f. st lb 9292 Gone Astray (13) 8 7 4471 Bank Again < 12) 8 6 6420 Kurwood <3) .. 8 4 5253 Resmart (7) .. 8 4 0120 Cody »8) 8 2 005 Brookfield s Hope (14) 8 1 0070 Cognac (4) 8 1 8616 Comprato (6) 8 1 0044 So False (5) 8 1 0 Steplite (11) . 8 1 Winchman (1) 8 1 9178 Strathern (9) 8 1 0190 Noteil (10) 8 0 4010 Exciting Belle (2) .. 8 0 TAB. DOUBLE 2.20 p.m.— OAMARU WINTER CUP 1100; Um. and 138yds. 2121 Royal Blue (1) 8 8 3227 Superspan (5) 8 6 3521 Beau Supreme (7) . 8 0 4682 Even Chance (4) . 7 8 5787 Kalimera (10) 7 8 6606 Master Sheeny <3) . 7 8 4044 Blue Amber < 8) 7 7 6086 Mighty Peak (9) 7 7 3677 Takatua (2) 7 7 Scratched: Queen Neptune (6). 3.40 p.m.— WAIKAURA HACK HANDICAP 8500: 11m. and 138yds st lb 6339 Loewe (5) 8 6 3331 My Era (11) .. 8 6 5120 Our Wyn (3) 8 6 8220 Just Belle (12) 8 2 0449 Pacific Flight (8) .. 8 2 4000 Sleeky Fox («) 8 2 4606 Thibell (7) 8 2 6480 Anker Fair (10) 8 0 568 Golden Supreme (4) 8 0 0700 Starvato (9) . 8 0 000 Silver Jet <2> 8 0 6670 Tsaoko Girl (1) 8 0