TROTTING Royal Ascot Is Stakes Fancy

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32382, 22 August 1970, Page 8

TROTTING Royal Ascot Is Stakes Fancy

For all the success that C. J. McLaughlin and F. E. Newfield have had during the last few years neither has yet been represented successfully in a New Zealand Derby.

There are no guarantees that the partnership will come any closer to the honours this year but their hopes of a victory in the first of the season’s major classics will be a lot higher if Royal Ascot manages to give 13 of his 14 rivals 24 yards start and a beating in the second Canterbury Stakes at Addington Raceway tonight.

Royal Ascot is the glamour three-year-old of the moment His two starts this season have yielded two wins and his success in the First Canterbury Stakes last week stamped him as well above average.

Two furlongs out last week Royal Ascot’s position looked hopeless. But the “breaks” came at the right time and when the gaps appeared he sprinted the last furlong as if he had just joined in. .Royal Ascot’s task tonight will be no easier—he will again need the luck of the running to win—but whatever the outcome he is bound to be a firm favourite for the N.Z. Metropolitan Trotting Club’s $l5OO sprint The opposition was weak-

ened slightly yesterday by the scratching of Allenton, the third place-getter in the corresponding event on the first day. W. E. Lowe warned earlier in the week that Allenton was a doubtful starter. The colt suffered a slight attack of colic. The Lowe stable will still be represented in the race by the well-bred but unraced Pono.

First-day form points strongly to the prospects of Top Tune. He covered a fair bit of extra ground in the First Canterbury Stakes then went down only by inches to Royal Ascot Besides the very capable Violetta, which from the back

mark of 36 yards faces a very stiff task in her first race as a three-year-old, the best of the others might be Courtesy Tedlo, Eyredale and Royal Deeside, which finished in that order behind Allenton last week.

Barrhill and Briganelli—each second in the corresponding events on the first day—might combine successfully in the T.AB. concession double which will be run on the National Handicap and Winter Handicap. The on-course concession double will be run on the Wildwood Handicap and Hillmorton Handicap. False Square and Local Lie will be a popular combination.