Royal Mail could gain deserved win

Press, 11 June 1977, Page 18

Royal Mail could gain deserved win

■ Special correspondent Auckland Royal Mail, Monty, Raoul and Oh Brother are jumpers which will be chasing compensation at Ellerslie today for game but unsuccessful attempts on the first two days of the Great Northern meeting. All should go well but against fresh runners like Reprint and Little Rebel they will be hard pressed to win. Royal Mail, the runner-up behind Owhata Chief in the Great Northern Hurdles, was; allowed to miss the middle!

day and is being set thei (Campbell Hurdles today, a! (shorter race than the Great Northern by nearly 1000 m. Monty, which ran third in ! the Great Northern Steepleichase and Raoul, fourth in (Monday’s big race, are ini (the McGregor Grant Steeple-1 i chase this time as are Oh I (Brother, a minor place-getter I lin lesser company twice al- j | ready at the meeting, and (Little Rebel. I Royal Mail is a visitor ' 'from Woodville and most; (Ellerslie race-goers would be! ( inclined, sportingly, to re-I ceive his success well on ( that account. Judged by his! effort in the Northern’ and the best of his previous! form — he won the lastl Grand National Hurdles — he is entitled to be a favour- ■ ite. |

I The Northern was only. lerslie last week with an at-1 'Royal Mail’s second race'tractive, winning display | : (since last October— he was . He won the McGregor! I brought down in the other, a Grant last year after a great | ‘(steeples event at Masterton struggle with Ascona. ’l— so there is a chance he* Monty wears wonderfully' ! improved with the run. (well, he was always a likely .■ Reprint is not long back!place-getter in the Great to jumping after a spell but Northern, Raoul and Oh ’he had preliminary racing'Brother usually run on bra’■on the flat before coming vely. With some improveiback as a hurdler to win on'ment in the going, Arctic (the second day of the Wai- Heights is likely to show j'kato winter meeting. Since, form more like his best. He Te Rapa he has had one fur-1 failed in the Great Northern ’(ther start, over the steeple-'to raise anything like 'chase countrv at Paeroa on sufficient speed. '■'May 24, when he finished The fields for all three ‘(second. Jumping events — the ’1 Reprint has shown himself i Orakai Hurdles is the other ( well able to mix steeplechas-! — are right up to the best 'ling and hurdling with sue- standard and those in the 'cess He was third in the'T.A.B. double, the Cornwall (Great Northern Hurdles last! Handicap and the Visitors’ I vear, then fifth in the Camp- Handicap, as good as could I bell Hurdles, possibly jaded be gathered for this or just !a bit by the earlier, big,about any winter. e ff ort ! Two from E. S. Dromj Execute, for all his 69kg,lgool’s stable at Cambridge, (might be hard for Reprint 1 Cattle King and Royal Caand Royal Mail to beat and denza, are among the 'Otara Jack, a stablemate of (favourites for the Cornwall, (Reprint, is a light-weight a 2200 m event worth w'hich could go well. ($12,000, with Prepak, Bun-i varo and Court Prince also, WON TRIAL (certain to be well backed. ( : Little Rebel, now nine, j n tb e visitors’ Handicap, 1 (years old, returned to racing over 1400 m, Shifnal Chief is I 1 after a summer spell, with a| notable as tbe best winter! 2200 m race at Te Rapa onisprinter in New’ Zealand. It' May 14 and, naturally| j S noteworthy, too, that he enough, finished unplaced.' has been given ggkg. the: (His only start meanwhile( eqUivalent of lo .io by the! 'was when he finished fifth "'.imperial measure anil an| a steeplechase at Rotorua on;gxtraordinarilv big handicap' May 28 but he took the eye‘ for these days . I during iumpmg trials, at hl- if his apprentice rider, R.|

’ilerslie last week with an at-| : 5 tractive, winning display | >'. He won the McGregor! i Grant last year after a great j i struggle with Ascona. I jl Monty wears wonderfully 1 j well, he was always a likely place-getter in the Great . Northern, Raoul and Oh ;! Brother usually run on bravely. With some improveiment in the going, Arctic - Heights is likely to show rform more like his best. He ■I failed in the Great Northern ■ ito raise anything like i sufficient speed. i The fields for all three jumping events — the I Orakai Hurdles is the other •I — are right up to the best standard and those in the ■ iT.A.B. double, the Cornwall .I Handicap and the Visitors’ J Handicap, as good as could . be gathered for this or just ; about any winter. j Two from E. S. DromIgool’s stable at Cambridge, ’Cattle King and Royal Ca- ■ denza, are among the I favourites for the Cornwall, la 2200 m event worth I $12,000, with Prepak, Bun-; Ivaro and Court Prince also! ! certain to be well backed. | | In the Visitors’ Handicap, over 1400 m. Shifnal Chief is I 'notable as the best winter| isprinter in New' Zealand. It! lis noteworthy, too, that he; I has been given 68kg, the! lequivalent of 10.10 by the: i imperial measure and an! jextraordinarily big handicap! for these days. If his apprentice rider, R.l j. Mathers, claims as he is l ! entitled, to, Shifnal Chief I will have his handicap reduced to 65.5 kg and he I could well still be hard to i beat.