South may have good day at Westport

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34119, 3 April 1976, Page 8

South may have good day at Westport

All things considered, horses from South Island stables came through the three-day Nelson meeting with a pretty good tally, \Vith northerners competing in diminished numbers, that trend should continue at Westport today.

Butch. from Ashburton, and William Brown, from Washdyke, will be a popular

combination for the T.A.B. double, to be run on the Morley and Albion Handicaps, while the Orari-trained Duke of York and the Nelson stablemates. Motere Gold and Battle Joy are expected to combine successfully in the treble for course patrons only. Duke of York’s position as favourite for the Roy Powell Handicap, first leg of the treble, was strengthened yesterday when Springs Eternal and Gotta Go dropped out of the field. Duke of York, a member of Lionel Pratt’s team, will, be trying to keep a winning record intact. He was sue-I cessful last time out over 1600 metres — the same dist-I ance as he will be going to-I dav — at Oamaru on March ] 22. Motere Gold reached a I dominating position in the!

. betting order for the second ■ leg. The War Admiral Han- . dicap, with the announce- > ment yesterday that three of i the" top fancies. Colada, I Spirited and Showstopper, I would not be starters. i A Motere Gold victory in ; the juvenile event would be popular and well-deserved > His two starts at the Nelson ■ meeting yielded a fourth and ’ia third. I For all his good form > i Battle Joy — he won last > I last Monday and was runnerup to Springs Eternal on • i Wednesday — will need I plenty of luck to carry his • backers through in a capacity field of class-five sprinti ers in the third leg. the H iJ. Greenwood Handicap. If luck of the running goes I against him the chances are i that victory will go to either William Leigh or Bright I Linda. .