RACING Stayers in Inter-Island event on trial today

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32524, 6 February 1971, Page 8

RACING Stayers in Inter-Island event on trial today

The fortunes of Bevlyn, at Matamata, Josie Glow and Sliderule, at Wanganui, and seven of the South Island’s top stayers in the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton will be of special interest today.

All are among the selected horses—including reserves for the 56250 Benson and Hedges Inter-Island Handicap on the second day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s summer meeting next Wednesday.

The South Island horses on trial for next Wednesday’s big race in the first leg of today’s T.A.B. concession double at Riccarton are Bellaware, Red Chips, Gay Gabador, Silver Fountain, and Euripydies. The field also includes Somelight and Quetta, the two South Island reserves. The Blenheim-trained Silver Fountain, an impressive fourth in the Summer Handicap at Trentham last Monday week, is likely to be favourite. But there will be strong backing too for Bellaware, Red Chips, Gay Gabador, and Euripydies, which have all made winning bids on the course and have winning form close up on their records. If all goes well in the running for Bevlyn today she should come into next Wednesday’s field with winning or at least placed-form on her record. An easing of the ground in the north has brought this former South Island mare into fairly strong favour for today’s Matamata Cup. Josie Glow and Sliderule

are two of the top fancies for the Earle Handicap, first leg of the Wanganui Jockey Club’s T.A.B. double. Win, lose or draw Josie Glow will be a definite starter in next Wednesday’s big race. A start for Sliderule in the event is still a bit doubtful. All will depend on how he shapes at Wanganui today. Although the Forbury Park programme is fairly ordinary all-round, this evening’s meeting will be the one to

which most trotting fans will be looking in the hopes of gaining some valuable clues about the Inter-Dominion Championships, which will open at Addington Raceway next Saturday night. From a championship point of view the only race which will attract much attention tonight is the President’s Handicap, which has a 2:13 class limit. The finish of this race, which is the first leg of the T.A.B. double, is likely to be

disputed by Rain Again, Pun and Bobby Blue. Outside of the President’s Handicap the tightest class on tonight’s programme will be a 2:16 class trot The second leg of the main double will be run on the Stan Easton Memorial, for 2:18 class pacers. Marlborough, which does not have metropolitan status, will go one class higher for the first leg of its T.A.B. double today. The Marlborough Cup, in which Local Luck, Boy Louw and Empire Royal look the best chances, has a 2:17 class limit.

The second leg of the Marlborough Trotting Club’s main double will be on a par with Forbury Park. The best of the 2:18 class pacers in the Masterton Handicap there are expected to be All Local, Garrison House and Scottish Count.