Onassis sound prospect

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33035, 30 September 1972, Page 8

Onassis sound prospect

One of the minor features of the racing at Methven last Saturday was the winning run by Onassis in the Avonmore Handicap. If Mr and Mrs R. Young’s Bachelor Hanover gelding has held his form he should win again in the Durbar Handicap at Ashburton today. Onassis will be going for his fourth successive victory in the first leg of the Ashburton Trotting Club’s second on-course concession double. Onassis completed his four-year-old racing last season with victories at Ashburton and Rangiora and he was fresh from a winter spell when he beat his 2:18 class

rivals hands down at Methven. No-one will be surprised if Hardcraft, one of Canterbury’s top two-year-olds last season, turns out to be Onassis’s strongest rival. R. H. Negus’ Good Chase colt has not raced since failing in the Sapling Stakes at Ashburton in June but his record leading up to that defeat was first class. His six previous starts had yielded four wins, the last three of those in succession. Methven form points to solid efforts from Hobart Lord and Johnny Kirk but there will be strong backing, too, for Hi Foyle, a failure after a slow start last Saturday but a dual winner and a minor place-getter in his other two starts at the recent Wellington spring meeting.

The best of the others are likely to be Russley John, a last-start winner at Hutt Park, and Bush Mills, which began his five-year-old season with a victory at Addington Raceway last Saturday week. Irton Prince and Levana, two of the principals in the finish of the sprint at Methven last week, are expected to be heavily involved again in the finish of the Seafield Handicap, second leg of the second on-course double. The first concession double for course patrons only will be run on the Hinds Handicap and Elgin Handicap. The two most popular fancies in the first leg are likely to be Radiant Royal and Fab. The second-leg favourite will almost certainly be Curragh’s Dream.

The main attraction will be the Ashburton Flying Stakes. Included in the field are several top New Zealand Cup prospects. It is a race in which patrons are likely to have a wide range of fancies but if Royal Ascot, Arapaho and Vanadium come up with peak runs they might fight out the finish.

The Flying Stakes will be the first leg of the T.A.B. concession double. The second leg of this double will be the President’s Handicap, for which Armbro Rebel will be a dominating favourite. This Armbro Del gelding has been an impressive winner in each of his three races this season.