RACING Royal Tudor Has Classic Potential

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31768, 27 August 1968, Page 5

RACING Royal Tudor Has Classic Potential

Royal Tudor’s Robinson Handicap victory at Foxton on Saturday was significant in more ways than one. He emerged from that contest with strong rating for the early spring classics. He also became the first horse of his age to win the event for many years.

The Robinson Handicap was Royal Tudor’s first open-class test and also his first race as a three-year-old.

The last winner of the event —and many have tried—in the same age group was the Tren-tham-trained filly. Pay Roll, in 1941. Some of the well-per-formed failures as three-year-

olds in recent years include Le Danois, Raidan, Kintyre, Fairford, Shiloko, Dunmure, and Arbelle.

Royal Tudor, a member of the highly successful Pakistan II tribe, is likely to contest the first of the new season’s classics next Saturday week. His veteran Hastings owner-trainer-breeder, J. M. Paul, has him entered for the Wanganui Guineas.

Although, as yet, Royal

Tudor has not been tried farther than six furlongs his Robinson Handicap run—he finished strongly after being ridden in behind—raised hopes that he will run a good mile.

This will be confirmed before he runs in the guineas. Royal Tudor is an acceptor for the Intermediate mile on the first day of the meeting. A sound run under 9-0, 141 b more than he carried last week, in next Saturday’;, race would bring him into strong favour for the classic the next week. At Riccarton Spanish Fox. which was passed in at the special South Island bloodstock sale held in Christchurch earlier this month, will do his future racing in the colours of Mr R. A. Young, of Christchurch. Spanish Fox, which had been quartered at J. S. Dalgety's Templeton stable since the sale, entered G. D. Lee’s Riccarton stable last week. A six-year-old Arragon entire, Spanish Fox has not shown winning form since the Grand National meeting a year ago but he has been one of the South Island’s most consistent minor place-get-ters.

Spanish Fox requires one more win to earn open-class rating. His success—the third of his career—against the hack milers in the Longbeach Handicap 12 months ago brought his stake-winnings to $1320.

Spanish Fox, a younger half-brother to the former good handicap horse, Royal Estate, was formerly trained by A. N. Didham at Wingatui. His new trainer has no immediate plans for anothei I campaign. “We'll just carryon meantime and see how he goes,” Lee said yesterday I morning. Change Of Stable Oddetta, a four-year-old Jekyll mare, is the most recent addition to J. L. Barr’s Riccarton stable. She was formerly trained by W. H. Beck. Oddetta has had only two starts. She raced at Amberley and Ashburton during the winter but was slow to begin in both races. Oddetta is from a good family. Her dam, Suncrest, by Svn King, is a half-sister to the good sprinter, Regoli, and to Royal Symbol, Flying Symbol, Hannibal, and Gambol, all useful winners. Oddetta is raced by Messrs G. M. and M. M. Smith, for whom Barr trained Desert Terror a few seasons back. For a nominal colt. "THE PRESS” daily readership of MORE THAN 70.000 FAMILIES ensures that your message

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