RACING No rider yet for Surge Again

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32860, 8 March 1972, Page 8

RACING No rider yet for Surge Again

Surge Again, whose record makes him one of the stronger chances in the Wakefield Challenge Stakes at Trentham on Saturday, was without a rider up to yesterday afternoon.

The Takanini jockey, D. A. Peake, who won on the Riccarton-trained Resurgent gelding at the Wellington Cup meeting, will remain in the north for the Paeroa meeting on Saturday.

Surge Again, a member of D. J. Thistoll’s team at Riccarton, will be taken north tonight. Yesterday, he' shaded his stablemates Regal Ration and Foreign Aid in a half-mile sprint on the plough, winning by half a length in 50 2-ssec. With A. H. Eastwood up, Surge Again had the best of it at the weights, but his approach to his task showed his fitness for the SIO,OOO feature race for two-year-olds at Trentham.

Last time out, Surge Again carried 8-10 gamely into second place behind Fairhead (7-6) in the Canterbury Challenge Stakes. He will carry 7-10 this time.

G. W. Mein, who will go to Trentham to ride Ribaldo in the Chalmers Handicap, is now on the short list of possible riders for Surge Again. Ribaldo, winner of the feature race at the Banks Peninsula meeting, has 7-5 in the Chalmers Handicap, and Mein hopes to ride him at about 7-10.

Ribaldo, with Mein up, ran seven furlongs on the plough yesterday with Master Leigh. They took Imin 22 3-ssec for the last six furlongs, and 40 l-ssec for the last three.

Red Boy, a stablemate of Ribaldo, showed he was making good progress in preparation for an autumn campaign when he beat Bellericho from the three furlongs by three-quarters of a length in 39 2-ssec.

Carafln was keen to quicken while running three furlongs in 38sec. She has also been away from racing during the summer and might develop good form from C. McDonald’s stable in the next few months.

Comanchero and Aqulatte reeled off three furlongs in 36 4-ssec, Vodka Lad following in 38 3-ssec. Domastic and Shieldo also recorded 36 4-ssec for their three furlongs.

After a fourth at the Banks Peninsula meeting, Shieldo looks one of the brighter chances in the Brydone Stakes at Oamaru.

Donnybrook Fair and Witchcraft were paired for five furlongs, run in Imin 5 l-ssec, the last three in 39 l-ssec.

Gracious Dream, Chilli Bean, and Merrily sprinted home from the six furlongs in Imin 19sec, the last three in 38sec.