West Coast form makes Robanna favourite

Press, 11 December 1976, Page 20

West Coast form makes Robanna favourite

Next to the T.A.B. double events the race which will probably attract most attention at Riccarton today is the Mona ale Plate.

This 1600 m event at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Christmas meeting has attracted a representative field of fillies and mares — most with strong form credentials. Five of the 15 acceptors are last-start winners and the majority of the remainder have either winning or sound place form close up on their records. Robanna. the probable favourite and one of four runners Jim Lalor will saddle, is one of those in the latter group. This Mellay mare failed to win on her recent campaign on the West Coast but she raised

b hopes of a victory close at s hand with minor placings at • Hokitika and Omoto. j Robanna, with 56.5 kg., t will concede weight to all! . but Totara Maureen, one of & the "stars” among the! j! lesser-lights on the West; - Coast circuit. She improved: r|a very good record with al 3 second and a first on her home track at Hokitika then e carried on on her winning r way at Omoto as well. 1 BEAUMONT WINNERS v Southern Light, fromi r Wingatui, and the Ashbur-i e;ton-trained Melling are sure] d to be on the short list of

fancies. The former could not have been more impressive in beating the class-' three sprinters at the Beaumont meeting last Saturday and Melling was equally impressive w’hen winning a class-three 1400 m event at her last start on the final day of the New Zealand Cup meeting. Trayoss and Robannas stablemates. Gayley, Lateryl and Bellatello, must all rate place chances, at least, on their West Coast form but one likely to have stronger backing of those “down in the weights” is Minella. This will be Wingatui-

trained mare’s first race since she trounced a pretty [useful field of high-weigh-iters on New Zealand Cup day.

I The Mona Vale plate will! be the first leg of the second treble for course patirons only. The second and [third leg of this treble will !be the Peninsula and Leesjton Handicaps. The first oncourse treble will be run on the Oxford Highweight, the Middle Park Plate and the Kaituna Handicap. Royal Dell dropped out of! the Christmas Handicap ' yesterday but the question! of favouritism for the first! [leg of the T.A.B. double is: I still unlikely to be settled until a final decision is made this morning regarding plans for Thomas Mellay.

As well as being the second leg of the second oncourse treble the Peninsula Handicap will also be. the second leg of the T.A.B. double. There will also be a oncourse double on the divisions of the Malvern Maiden and Amuri Handicaps.