SCOTCH WILLIAM MIGHT GET HIS REWARD TOMORROW

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33874, 20 June 1975, Page 1 (Supplement)

SCOTCH WILLIAM MIGHT GET HIS REWARD TOMORROW

Scotch William, the “next best tiling” in so many of iiis races, gets a chance to improve on a string of minor placings in the Maronan Handicap, first leg of the Ashburton County Racing Club’s T.A.B. double tomorrow.

The tough five-year-old grey from Washdyke has been runner-up in nine starts this season, and it will be something to wonder at if he goes through the winter racing without al least one victory. Nothing has been made easier for Scotch William tomorrow, but the outside barrier position in a capacity field will not be such a daunting challenge from the 1600 m at Ashburton as it would be on many other courses.

More obvious difficulties in his path are the combined talents of half a dozen or more highly-competent performers on winter tracks.

The top-weight, Elcano, is all consistency when he comes to a racing peak; also capable of handling himself better in the soft than most members of the tribe of Copenhagen 11. He is coming back to 1600 m after a middle-dis-tance programme, but he has had time enough to freshen, and will go into this race on hi§ home track assured of plenty of solid backing

Top rider Maclane will have the skilful, sympathetic assistance of the leading South Island jockey, Allie Robinson, in his attempt to improve on a last-start second in the Otago Racing Club's Birthday Handicap.

Maclane has the pace to run in or close to the lead, which should give him an advantage over the backrunners, which are almost certain to be forced to reach contending positions. Butch and Donnybrook Fair are other recent winners above Scotch William in the handicap. Donnybrook Fair will meet Scotch William I.skg worse than when he nosed out the Washdyke horse over the same distance at Wingatui.

Butch and Scotch William met at this distance at Washdyke on May 3. Butch won narrowly. Scotch William, with the luck of running againg him. and carrying 2kg more, finished an unlucky sixth. This time Butch will be conceding Scotch William 2.5 kg — a fair appraisal of their records considering Butch has won again, at Waimate, in the meantime.' To back Scotch William’s bid for a Washdyke victory, the South Canterbury centre will put at least two more hopefuls into the field. They are Eros, a minor place-get-ter in his last two races, and Good Nip, which brilliantly won a double in lower grades at the Otago winter meeting. Montana Giri and Cuvier; are former northerners in the field certain to widen the range of interest Useful form Montana Girl, formers trained at Stratford, made an immediate impression b> winning over 1600 m at Wingatui on Anzac Day Cuvier might have a slight advantage with more recent racing, and certainly shaped like an improver when sec ond to Annenrc in the (tarn aru Winter Cup. The Moreton Handnap. packed with form runners It

ners, in Charib, Te Pango Nui, and Alacer; also Gran Torino, which was within inches of victory at Oatnaru.

Gran Torino has not been worse than third in his complete racing programme, and was so much superior to all the others behind him when second to Windvalctte over 1600 m at Oamaru.

Windvalette will not oppose him this time In any

event it is doubtful if the Oamaru result would have been duplicated over 14l0ttt, the distance of tomorrow’s race.

By

J. J. Boyle