Fast time likely with this sprint field

Press, 10 December 1976, Page 1 (Supplement)

Fast time likely with this sprint field

Sprinters are expected to provide quality fare in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Christmas Handicap at Riccarton tomorrow.

The combined talents of the likes of Kowhai Glen, Soldier Girl, Nuriootpa, and Salvaro should make the second leg Of the T.A.B, double the most attractive race on the programme.

Illis will be the starting point to Nuriootpa’s four-year-old programme and many will be divided in their

By

J. J. Boyle

opinions as to whether this speedster can win fresh up or whether he will have to bow out to the best of his race-hardened rivals.

George Humphries, Riccarton trainer of Nuriootpa would have preferred a 1200 m instead of a 1400 m race for Mr Don Cameron’s Taipan II gelding. “He might blow out over the final pinch," Humphries said yesterday of his stable hopeful, which gave Balrnerino one of the hardest of tests in the Avondale Guineas at about this time last year. Kowhai Glen, the Christmas Handicap top-weight, is something of a 1400 m special Ist, winning a double at that distance at Greymouth after a third in the Members’ . sbigßj Gtfl also goes into Ih'e'raftg.’as winner of her last fSThCes. Birth of them were Ri&artdn. the Jockey Club ndicap the second dav iif the New Zealand Cup ’meeting ahd the 1800 m high weiglrt on the final day. Soldier Girl b’eat the north ■ egiers Ngaminawai and Tonic Tithe into the minor places in the Jockey Club Handicap

with an outstanding gallop of 1:35.6 for the 1600 m. In that kind of form tomorrow she would be hard to keep out over 1400 m.

Salvaro was not at her sharpest edge of keenness for racing because of a seasonal condition when fourth in the feature race for three-year-old fillies at Invercargill on November 23. Besides she had the self-imposed handicap of a slow start.

Conbrio is another female of some talents in the field. She was a good second over this distance in the Members’ Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting, then won a feature race for mares and fillies at Hokitika.