RACING Likely team from N.I. for Riccarton

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34128, 14 April 1976, Page 8

RACING Likely team from N.I. for Riccarton

The Hawera-trained Manuka Street was one of few to gallop on the trial grass at Riccarton yesterday.

He could not be timed from the SOO metres because of ground fog, but he was going keenly in the hands of Graeme Vein ahead of Rockford at the end of the trial. Manuka Street was brought on to Riccarton after racing at the Nelson meeting, and has been in the care of George Humphries. lan Grant will ride Mr A. Newman’s three-year-old on t the opening day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s, autumn meeting. Byron Street, an Otakitrained hopeful for the C.J.C. Champagne Stakes,, sprinted on the course proper at Rangiora after the i last race at the North! Canterbury meeting on Monday. An attractive colt by Mellay from Lynlight belonging to the same family as the, Melbourne Cup winner Baghdad Note, Byron Street will! be one of two runners for. Ken Thomson's stable at' Riccarton next Monday. Thomson has Zetland in; the Great Easter Handicap. The biggest team from the; North Island for the C.J.C.; autumn carnival will come

from Garth Ivil’s Awapuni stable. Ivil has Steel Heart and Tic Toe in the Champagne Stakes, Ayub Khan and Credit Note in the George Adams Handicap. Unlucky In Love in the Great Easter, Massam in the First Courtenay Handicap. Surrey Park in the Second Courtenay Handicap, and Exotic in the Papanui Handicap. Smart youngster Steel Heart was a fairly expensive failure in a strong field in the Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes but won at his three previous races, one of them being the Plunket Nursery Handicap at Trentham on March 6. He also won at the Wairarapa New Year meeting before running a second at the Wellington Cup meeting, and is the only Champagne Stakes contender with a record of more than three wins. Unlucky In Love, the Ivil stable’s Great Easter runner, has not raced since she won the Members’ Handicap over the same distance at the New Zealand Cup meeting. She won that race from Brian Anderton’s Wingatui

stable, but has since changed ownership as well as trainers. At 10 years, Ayub Khan will be easily the veteran of the George Adams Handicap field, but this Pakistan II; gelding showed his durable qualities by winning against a field of sprinters at StratMay be rivals The Washdyke-trained Grey Way and Royal Dell returned from the North Is- ; land yesterday after campaigns at the Hawke’s Bay autumn meeting. They were not rivals at Hastings, where Grey Waywon the Hawke’s Bay Challenge Stakes last Saturday, but they might meet in the George Adams Handicap at Riccarton next Monday. Grey Way’s programme is being left open: he is also an acceptor for the Great Easter, a race he won a year | ago. Also uncertain yet is I whether the Auckland : jockey. Bob Skelton, will pass over rides at Ellerslie on Monday to continue his association with Grey Way. Doug Holden, a stable horseman, is on standby if Skelton does not come south. I