TROTTING Spandau May Win At Invercargill

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31864, 17 December 1968, Page 5

TROTTING Spandau May Win At Invercargill

"The Press” Special Service INVERCARGILL. Spandau in the Invercargill Handicap and Blonde Sister in the Christmas Free-for-all will be a strongly fancied T.A.B. double combination on the first night of the Invercargill Trotting Club’s twilight meeting tomorrow.

Both races bear an open appearance with quite a sprinkling of northern horses engaged. A fast track seems likely.

Trials at Gore on Saturday threw some light on Invercargill prospects which should also give a lead to the second day on Saturday and the Gore

and Winton meetings to follow. Spandau, whose best form has been shown as a sprinter will be will suited by the mile and three furlongs of the first leg, the Christmas Handicap. He was a winner at the Kaikoura meeting last month when he beat Michaeloe and El Caballos over a mile and a half in 3min 17 l-ssec, and a repetition of that effort would see him hard to beat. Jimmy Tryax will be trying for his third successive win and he will have a good chance of doing so. He was hard pressed to beat an improvers’ field at the Wairio meeting but he had little difficulty in accounting for a 2min 19sec field at Wyndham. He took some time to make much headway but his latest racing shows that he is capable of improving further. Bright Warrior will run out a sprint distance better than most and Dawn Peterson’s fourth at Wyndham and sixth at Waiinate has indicated that she could be a danger. Dunluce Castle has shown fine form as a trotter and although it may appear hard for him to hold his own against the sprinters he has the ability to do so. Newella showed outstanding form as a four-year-old last season when she won three races in quick time. She was produced in the spring in strong company at ForIbury Park and Oamaru. In one of her Forbury appearances she was assured of a placing but for tangling at the half-furlong. Petite Dell is a capable sprinter in spite of her lack of recent form. Solomon was a winner at Wairio at his first appearance for the season but although he would be suited over further ground he would only have to start well to have a ehance. Cardinal Hanover, runnerup to Blonde Sister at Wyndham when having his first start from H. W. Cox’s team, gives the impression that he will be well suited as a sprinter. The second leg of the double is the Christmas Free-for-all. Selections: — 3.35 p.m.—Welcome Handicap: Tulsa, Water Sklar, Young Shona. 4.5 p.m.—Rosedale Handicap: corsair, Mystic King, Caledonian Queen. 4.35 p.m.—Avenal Handicap: Upper Class, Sol, Double Luck. 5.5 p.m.—Vice President's Handicap: Irish Whispers, Scottish Hal, Thumper. 5.45 p.m.—lnvercargill Handicap: Spandau, Jimmy Tryax, Cardinal Hanover. 5.15 p.m.—Milford Handicap: Golden Heights, Conclusion, Clifford Ray. 0.50 p.m.—Waverley Handicap: Special Mixture, Calnard, Revilo. 7.30 p.m.—Christmas Free-For-All: Blonde Sister, Ngalthu, Dixie Hanover. 0.10 p.m.—Goodnight Hancap: Our Conga, Spandau, Flying Tutta. Fields, with form, for the T.A.B. double races are: 5.45 p.m.— INVERCARGILL HANDICAP $1000: 2:17 class; Ilf. 0000 Balfour Chimes <5) .. It 0 Bright Warrior <6) .. It 0000 Chief Judge <4) .. It 3000 Dawn Peterson < 12) .. It 0 Dunluce Castle <7) .. It 11 Jimmy Tryax <3> It 000 Newella <S) .. It 000 Petite Dell <11) It 1 Solomon <2) It 0010 Spandau <lo> It 000 Tasmanian Lady (1) . It Void <t>) It 0043 Cardinal Hanover (2) 24 Garry Kent (1) .. -. 24 7.30 p.m.— CHRISTMAS HANDICAP $1350 : 2:15 class: 2m. 0 Alpha Girl <lOl It 1 Balmacraig <6l ■. U Blonde Sister <7) It 4000 Dacron <9> It 34 Dixie Hanover is) .. It o Dresden Blue <4l It Garrison Girl <3) .. It 000 Jimmy Dieman 113) .. 11 Kate Smith <2> .. It 0000 Lord Avon <l2) .. It 003 Ngaitahu <l> • • 1* 4310 Platform 115) .. ■■ It

I 00 Sandy Mac <l4) it 0000 Tyrone (11) it Balloted out with the right of (re-entry:— Lucero (16) it I Scratched: Senator Frost.