TROTTING Robalan favoured to win at Hutt Park

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33433, 15 January 1974, Page 8

TROTTING Robalan favoured to win at Hutt Park

“The Press’’ Special Service

WELLINGTON.

Ten runners will go to the post for the $lO,OOO Wellington Trotting Cup at Hutt Park tonight and if any one of nine win, the result may well he termed a surprise.

The dominating fav-'i ourite is Robalan, which 1 on Saturday night ' trounced his rivals in the 2000 m Pacific Handicap. Robalan is attempting to win his second successive! Wellington Cup and although some top runners have won the Cup only Samantha, in 1962 and 1963. has won two! cups. There seems little more to' be said about Robalan’s Cup ! chances. He has won four < of his last five races, includ-p ing three flying miles. Tonight he will start from I

the back mark of 30, 15 metres from Young Quinn. And although the C. Huntet representative is better off, j he will have to be at his peak jto beat Robalan. Not that Young Quinn is! racing poorly. Far from it, I he won on the track in Sep-; tember, took a double at the Cup meeting and in his last five starts he has run five) seconds, meeting Arapaho j and Robalan at peak. i Of those on the front, Hi | Foyle looks the best chance. I There is little doubt about) )his ability. At five, he is one! 1 of the more promising pacers i about Neither Dwayne nor Ryal! helped themselves by break-)

ing during the running of the! Pacific Handicap. An early mistake did not help the chances of Rana either and she finished last. She is capable of much better. Bachelor Boy (fourth on Saturday) and Young Cardigan (fifth) also have to be | respected. The second leg will be run on the Roydon Stakes, for two-year-olds, and in this the Clevedon pacer, Hill High, to be driven by P. T. Wolfenden, looks the top chance. Del’s Dream, which will start from the back mark of 20, may be the hardest for Hill High to beat. The filly finished fourth on Saturday, and it was her first defeat following three successive wins.

The weather seems to have settled and the track is in perfect order. Selections:— 4.30 p.m.—Van Dieman HanI dicap: Mighty Atam, Noble Day. 7.0 p.m.—Marlene Handicap No. 1: Edward Eden, San Siro, Local Bon. 7.30 p.m.—Marlene Handi- . cap No. 2: Tacmae, Dawn Mate, ' Helbanken. 8.00 p.m.: Gold Bar Handicap: ’ Disciple, Hurricane Star, Con- ’ nie Francis. 8.35 p.m.: Wellington Cup: Robalan. Young Quinn, Hi Foyle. 9.5 p.m.—Thunder Handicap: Royal Charm, Gigi Lamour. 9.35 p.m.—Adorian Handicap: Hal Good, Nevele Rodney, Lady Martial. 10.5 p.m.—Roydon Stakes: Hill High, Del's Dream, Eau I I Sauvage. 10.35 p.m.—False Step Handicap: Even Step, Martialeena, i Charming. I Fields are:— 6.30 p.m.— VAN DIEMAN HANDICAP, • S 1300; Cl; trot; 2400m.—Flying Tartan (1), Larnach Castle (2).| [Christian Dior (3) It; Darky Forbes (1). Rodney Court (2),| May Spark (3), Mighty Atom (4); :20; Noble Day (1), Alvaro (2) 40. Brackets: Flying Tartan and: Alvaro; Christian Dior and ] Mighty Atom. 7.0 p.m.— MARLENE HANDICAP No. 1, 5950; CO; mobile; 2400m.—San | Siro (1), Sir Shamus (2). Aker i Gold (3). News Agent (4), Edward I Eden (5). Andy Hanover (6), Local Bon (7>, Dawn Tryax (8). Charmatic (9), Imprint (10), Aquadale (11), Loyal Return (12) lit.

7.30 p.m.— MARLENE HANDICAP No. 2, 5950; CO: mobile; 2400m.—Helbanken (1). Sally Black (2), Tacmae (3), Band Light (4), Tommy Dancer (5). Marcellus (6), Hurrania (7). Loyal Petite (8), Saint, Merrin (9). Star Dora (10), Dawn Mate (11), Halcyon (12) It. 8.0 p.m— GOLD BAR HANDICAP, $1300; Cl; mobile; 2000m.—Connie ! Francis (1), Hurricane Star (2), I Aliska (3), Vikki Cash (4), ForI ward Lee (5). Donegal (6). Lyri- ! cal Hal (7), Amiri (8). Disciple :<9). Stylish Lass (10), Barrier i Conquest (11), Garsong (12) It. Brackets: Forward Lee and i Stylish Lass; Lyrical Hal and Amiri. 8.35 p.m.— WELLINGTON CUP, $10,000; C 9; 2400 m. See special cups double panel. THUNDER HANDICAP, $2100; C 4 and C 5; mobile start; 2400 m—- . First (1), Gigi Lamour (2), Royal Charm (3), Scotty Direct (4). Delvin Scott (5) It. 9.35 p.m.— ADORIAN HANDICAP, $1700; ! C 3; trotters; 2400m.—Jack’s Evander (1), Texas Marshal (2), Alvaro (3), Nevele Rodney (4), Bob Crane (5). Noble Day (6), Lady Martial (7) It; Hal Good (1), Waipounamu (2) 20. 105 p.m.— ROYDON STAKES $2500; two-year-olds; 2000 m. 697 Truant Jan (1) Itj 22 Hill High (2) It I 455 Quite Regal (3) It! 90 In Command <4) Itj 06 Royal Cherie (5) It 243 Eau Savage (6) It 000 Hobb Nobb (7) It 3800 Marlboorugh Miss (8) It 3218 Chief Diplomat (I) 10 1 Selwyn Grattan (2) 10 1114 Del's Dream (1) 20 10.35 p.m— FALSE STEP HANDICAP, $1500; C2; 2000m.—Charming (1), Martialeena (2), Shortwaves (3), Harem Scarem (4), Shoshanna (5), Darky Forbes (6), Armbro Magic (7), Even Step (8) it; Parling (1), Local Beau (2) 20.