SOUTH ISLAND VICTORY?

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32553, 12 March 1971, Page 1 (Supplement)

SOUTH ISLAND VICTORY?

By

J.J. Boyle

Ribaldo has fine chance

A year ago Every Post did the South Island and G. D. Lee’s Riccarton stable proud by winning the feature handicap race at long odds at the Royal meeting at Trentham.

On being presented with a stop-watch Lee raised a laugh from the Royal visitor by ( remarking that he did not have any horses at home fast enough to time. But he Will be back at Trentham 'tomorrow with promising material in Ribaldo for a bid to improve a splendid record in important North Island middle-distance handicap races, Ribaldo is rightfully regarded as one of the best light-weight prospects in the

President’s Handicap after a big run in the mile Thompson Handicap last Saturday. Mr C. L. Austin’s four-year-old started from the inside stall in the Thompson Handicap, but “hung fire” when the field was sent away and was last in a gap of the best part of 10 lengths after 100 yards. Yet he found the speed to join the pack and it was a subject for favourable comment that he managed to beat one horse after such a hard chase.

More ground On breeding as well as potential Ribaldp seems likely to develop his top form over a bit of ground, and if his big run last week, coming as it did so early on his present campaign, did not make inroads into his store of vitality he should give the best of the northerners plenty to do. With Tom ray and Dark Knowledge in the field Rotorua Gold Cup form will be regarded as something of special value. Dark Knowledge was first and Tomray a close third over 10 furlongs and 80 yards at Rotorua. In the meantime Tomray has recorded a third in the Thompson Handicap. Dark Knowledge did not race on the first day of the meeting and comes into this field with 7st 111 b, a stone below Tomray. Aristoc has been a doughty battler at Trentham. but his record is notable mainly for placed runs. One of them was a third behind Every Post last year. More to the point, he also has recent form to assure him of solid backing. Good form

Two starts back Aristoc ran Monastic close in the Wanganui Cup. A fortnight later Aristoc was third to Noir Filou and Silver Knight in the Rangitikei Cup. Last week Noir Filou and Monastic showed the value of form from those races by filling the first two places in the Chalmers Handicap at Trentham. The Rangitikei Cup was Silver Knight's lead-up race for tomorrow's New Zealand St Leger, in which the Wellington ■ owned Awapuni-

trained Alcimedes colt holds a high place of regard. Silver Knight found success elusive in the staying classics earlier in the season but he did not miss by much in Fairview Lad’s New Zealand Derby, was fourth in the Great Northern Derby and third in the Wellington Derby. Kirrama, winner of the Auckland and Wellington classics, is missing from the St Leger field, and Silver Knight might . be the strongest at the end of 1} miles if stamina is allowed to have any bearing on the matter. That is the big question mark over the whole race—whether the speedster Panzer Chief will be allowed to give expression to his talents as a sprinter-miler. None of the others are likely to live with the Te Arbha speedster if they settle for a hack canter in the first six furlongs.