TROTTING Humphrey Looks Well Placed At Rangiora

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31866, 19 December 1968, Page 4

TROTTING Humphrey Looks Well Placed At Rangiora

Humphrey should be untroubled to gain his fourth win for the season when he contests the Rangiora Cup, the first leg of the TA.B. double at the Rangiora Trotting Club’s summer meeting at Rangiora Raceway on Saturday.

This race is part of the preparation of Humphrey for the $15,000 Auckland Cup on December 31. Last month’s New Zealand Cup winner showed that he had recovered from his exertions at that meeting when he won handsomely at the Methven trials on Tuesday.

Humphrey did not return a particularly fast time, but he was running strongly at the finish and can be expected to improve still further as a result of the race. Atanui will be bracketed with Humphrey and will also start from 12 yards. She disappointed a little at the Methven trials, but looked particularly well and might be harder to beat on Saturday. Allakasam won the Hannon Memorial Handicap at Oamaru in October and she raced most unluckily at the cup meeting last month. She looked well vzhen paraded at the Methven trials and paced a splendid race. She will not be set an impossible task from 12 yards, and could be one of the better prospects. The Belfast trainer, C. S. Donald, will parade a strong bracket in Chief Command and Indecision Indecision won this race 12 months ago at the start of what proved to be a most profitable period of racing. He has not raced since he finished third to Stylos over 13 furlongs on November 12. If he has had sufficient work to bring him close to his best, he should be difficult to beat. Chief Command, a younger brother to Indecision, has had a chance to freshen up since he raced at the cup meeting. He had some fine efforts to bis credit in the spring and could easily be one of those to take a prominent part in the finish. Finished Fourth

Jacobite finished fourth in the Ollivier Handicap on November 23 at his latest start. That was by far his best run since an enforced lay-off and it could be the fore-runner of an early win. Lordship has done nothing in his three starts this season, but luck was not with him. He has not raced since

October 28, but looked well forward when worked fast at Addington early in the month. If he has trained on satisfactorily, he should be capable of a bold showing from his rather light handicap of 24 yards. A win for any of the others would be a major upset, but the pick of them could be Spry and Co-Pilot. His Nibs, Trampus and Vandal form a likely trio in the second leg, the two-mile President’s Handicap. His Nibs, which has always been unsound, was very sore after he won at Addington Raceway on December 7. He was allowed to miss the Waimate meeting last week, which could give him a chance to recover. His Nibs is a smart young pacer well capable of another winning run. Trampus paced the 13 furlongs from a flying start at Waimate in the very fast

time of 3min 27 3-ssec. The extra three furlongs in this race should not trouble him. Vandal’s failure in the Waimate Cup can be overlooked as he was pushed about a lot in the middle stages and it was not surprising that he had nothing left when asked for an effort in the run home. If he receives a better run on Saturday, he could make a bold bid to redeem himself. Sam Again finished boldly for third at Waimate and another forward showing is probable from him. while Seafield Countess will be In demand once more in spite of her handicap of 36 yards. She finished at a great rate for second behind Restabell in the Waimate Cup. Wipe Out and Alandria have paced fine races lately and they appeal most of the remainder.