Show Gate is Oamaru pick

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 38183, 24 March 1973, Page 8

Show Gate is Oamaru pick

Show Gate will return to Oamaru on Monday assured of a heavy backing in the Glenmorven Easter Trial on a course I where she made a winning race debut last August. Mr G. B. Thomson’s Gate (Keeper filly has a third, at; • Motukarara, and a win at ■ (Ashburton, to show for her I (two starts on her autumn j campaign. At Ashburton she won ( .stylishly over seven furlongs, (in Imin 24 l-ssec, and a perIformance of equal merit on! (Monday would place victory; i well within her reach. Default will return to one of his favourite courses with (promising credentials. He (won this race a year ago and I will go into this field with ■ two recent placings. One of !

them was a close second;: (Show Gate was an unlucky jthird) to Kowhai King at theji Banks Peninsula, the otherj; a third behind Show Gate at’: Ashburton. :( Strad, a stablemate of! Default, was another soundly beaten —he was sixth—by : Show Gate at Ashburton and at best he would hold only a place chance unless he found ! fairly substantial improve(ment. Smart Mellay, at best, ' stronger class than;, (anything else in this field, and!, (her second to Golden Sam( iover 7f at Cromwell two 'starts back might be a more;; reliable pointer than her ; failure at a middle distance , (on the first day of the i Oamaru meeting. ; At times Smart Mellay has tun a bit too keenly for her i own good in middle-distance i races, but she is smart up to -I a mile. ii On the other hand War-; light, in his Trentham per- I formances, showed that a <

'mile, at least in that class.i jwas well beyond him. But ini I his most recent race over 7f,i I at Wingatui last month, he made a field of open sprinters ilook like plodding hacks. Ribolita is one of only two | last-start winners in the field, (but she has been away from ! racing since November, her jlatest success being in a! ! high-weight at the New Zea-! Hand Cup meeting. The Glenmorven Easter! • Trial will be the second leg' I of the Oamaru club’s T.A.B. i double. • Some of the form runners!, ■ in the field for the first leg.! 'the. Teachers Handicap, are! I also engaged at Wyndham to-1 jday, so the situation will re!main somewhat clouded until ! after today’s racing. ■ As a last-start winner on !the course and one without: fan engagement at Wyndham/ 1 ■EI Shub will hold obvious;! ! appeal. Meneleus might be Canter-! 1 bury’s best if his run on Monday matches the one that 1 !

■gave him third behind Totara! ■Maid and General Boy at ! Ashburton. Fields, with form, for T.A.B. double.—

3.10 p.m.— TEACHERS* HANDICAP $1500; IJm. and 138yds. st. lb '5621. El Shub (10) . . . 8 8 4831 Mellay Vite (4) . 8 5 3703 Meneleus (3) .. . 8 5 7022 Attentive (11) . 8 3 3294 Jane Mellay (7) 8 3 3690 Blazing Peak (.2) . 8 1 1500 Glen Lyon (9) . 8 1 0889 Kriste (5) . 8 1 4131 Magic Touch (6> . 8 1 4090 Royal Mount fl) . 8 1 0647 Splashdown <8) . 8 1 5546 Valiant Lad (12) . 8 1 4.20 p.m.— GLENMORVEN EASTER TRIAL HANDICAP $1300; 7f. st. lb 2506 St rad (5) . 8 10 7220 Smart Mellay (16) . 8 6 1340 Redlo (4* . 8 5: 6823 Default (2) . 8 3 0071 Ribolita <81 . 8 11 0531 Show Gate fl3) . 8 1 8100 6570 Warlight (1) Phar Wyn 411) . 8 . 7 0 11 0385 Clarendon Princess (15> . 7 11 ! 1800 Dirleton (3) 7 11 9909 Eastern Ros(10) 7 111