Win for Nuriootpa would be popular

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 9

Win for Nuriootpa would be popular

.I I I i > By i

J. J. Boyle

Nuriootpa, a good second best i to Grey Way on the list of the South ? Island metric milers, is selected to win ; the Otago Racing Club’s White Robe ‘ Lodge Stakes tomorrow. <

There could be no more popular winner of the first leg of the Otago T.A.B. double. Nuriootpa ran Grey Way close in this race last year before going on to win the Thompson Handicap at Trentham. These days he remains the only bright hope of George Humphries’s Riccarton team, one weakened sadly these last few weeks through crippling accidents to Benita

i Star and Lady Lucifer. Nuriootpa is this season’s ; Churchill Stakes winner. i Since he brilliantly won that : in November, he has ! toiled with credit in topi

flight company on Auckland courses for a second in the Avondale club’s The Concorde, a third in the Founders’ Plate, also at Avondale, a third in the A.R.C. King’s Plate and a fifth in the Christmas Handicap, also at Ellerslie. The Founders’ Plate and King’s Plate are weight-for-age events at 1600 m. Scale weight for Nuriootpa in both events was 58kg. In tomorrow’s limited handicap Nuriootpa has 56kg. And there does not appear to be any gallopers of the quality of Battle Eve and March Legend in the line-up against him this time. San Ardo, one of the biggest horses racing out of a Southland stable these days, also has a record of some stature, and will be widely regarded as the biggest threat to Nuriootpa. San Ardo has been assembling a good record of wins over more ground than 1600 m, but the present star of Rex Cochrane’s stable should find enough sharp speed to be a formidable con-

tender tomorrow. Great Day’s win at Invercargill last week was an indirect compliment to the quality of the fare at the Wellington Cup meeting. Great Day had an unrewarding campaign at Trentham but won brilliantly in less-distinguished companyon his home track last week, and his chance tomorrow must be weighed on that victory. Otago’s best will probably be Bold Mellay, a Mellay gelding which does not win >out of turn, but one capable of lifting his form at times at or about 1600 m on his home track. The versatility of the Mellay tribe might be shown yet again in the Shorts Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double. This 1200 m race for class 2 and 3 sprinters looks wide open, and Prodigal and Najeeb, both Mellay’s, will be two of the stronger chances if they are at anything like their best, and able to capitalise on inside barrier positions.