Battle Between Youth And Age Expected

Press, Issue 32333, 26 June 1970, Page 1 (Supplement)

Battle Between Youth And Age Expected

By

J. J. Boyle

Talented youth, as represented by Princess Mellay, and long-established class, which is reflected in the record of Glamis Lad, will be in opposition in the Donald Grant Memorial, the feature flat race and first leg of the T.A.B. double at Washdyke tomorrow.

Princess Mellay is this season’s New Zealand Oaks and Dunedin Guineas winner. She has also won an open handicap race at Wyndham, and the James Hazlett Gold Cup besides running an unlucky second in the Dunedin Cup.

And if there were any misgivings about placing much emphasis on this South Island form they were surely settled when Mrs H. A. Anderton’s daughter of Mellay ran Marnie close in the Wei lington Oaks in January. Princess Mellay missed some valuable autumn races because of a slight setback, and the big question mark hanging over her chances for tomorrow is whether one race as a sprinter since she resumed will have fitted her for a middle distance. With Bst 31b. Princess Mellay is half a stone below the top-weight, Sandbank. Others above her in the weights are Lady Glory and Glamis Lad, both with Bst 81b. and Watchman with Bst 51b. Sandbank commands attention at a mile and a quarter after a fast-finishing third in Time and Tide’s Waimate Cup two starts back.

Back In Form Lady Glory, which won a spectacular Stars Travel Gold Cup at Riccarton last December. recaptured winning form on her present campaign at Wingatui on May 30, following it with a fourth on the same course two days later. The renewal of the Glamis Lad-E. J. Didham combination might assure Mr K . McLaughlin’s Kurdistan gelding of favouritism.

Glamis Lad was switched from sprinting to a middle distance only last Saturday when he ran fifth over 11 furlongs at Ashburton. There was merit in this run. and it gave good reason for belief that the seven-year-old is on the way back to top form. Ashburton form is represented also by Red Carpet, Stephanair, and Atlantic Flight, the first three placegetters in that order over 11 furlongs at Ashburton last week Aconite's fourth at Ashburton was also a good run, an improvement on anything he had shown just beforehand.

Strong Challenge An absence from racing since April will make this a daunting task for Coralight, whose three wins against hacks on the MarlboroughNelson circuit showed she had a future as an open handicap stajer. Royal Mount and Watallan will spearhead a strong Otago challenge in the Doncaster

Handicap, second leg of the double. Royal Mount is seasoned and in form; he won over seven furlongs at Ashburton last Saturday. Watallan has raced once this year, and it produced a fourth over six furlongs at Wingatui on June 1. That was the race in which Royal Mount ran second to Riccarton’s Shipboard, finishing about a length ahead of Watallan.

It is reasonable to assume Watallan should be at least a length better after such a race and, everything else being equal, both Wingatui sprinters should force their way into the finish. Jay Ribbon and Kindle are two more talented gallopers

from Wingatui in the field. A bold run from Jay Ribbon seems likely now that he has already had two races this time up. Kindle has been away from racing since January, when she injured herself in a placed run in a field of hack sprinters at Trentham. Mr D. P. Wilson’s Bellborough mare was shaping as if she would be an acquisition to the open ranks until this setback, and she might quickly make up for time and opportunities lost on her present campaign. Of the. home brigade, Gay Doctor and Red Scarf look the best chances. Gay Doctor was a weakening fifth over seven furlongs at Ashburton, but might be a stronger claimant for the honours at six furlongs. Red Scarf’s latest run was useful—a third behind Shipboard and Royal Mount at Waimate.