Sole Command draws well in third heat

Press, 7 March 1978, Page 23

Sole Command draws well in third heat

From G. K. YULE in Melbourne Only Sole Command, among the New Zealand pacers, has drawn reasonably in the mile heats of the Inter-Dominion Championships series to be run tomorrow at Moonee Valley. Sole Command has drawn number four in the third of the sprint heats which looks by far the strongest of the night. His rivals include Pure Steel, Paleface Adios and Tan Heel, all of which are among, the more fancied candidates for the Grand Final on Saturday week. Both Regal Light and Captain Harcourt have drawn number six in their heats, a position described yesterday by the chairman of stewards, Mr Matt Kelly, as being almost “suicidal” as the mile starting point is right at the entrance to the back straight. Occasionally races have been won from this position, according f o Mr Kelly, but the odds are against success for horses drawing so wide out. Wee Win has drawn the ace position in the same heat as Regal Light. Wee Win has never been noted for his ability to match the speedsters out of the mobile barrier and he is sure to drift towards the rear, a fac-

■ tor which could tell against the first-night place-getter Apre Ski, which will start , from number one on the secI ond line. -I Regal Light’s chances of : overcoming his unfavour- • able draw are considered - reasonable. It is predicted that Don’t Retreat, a big disi appointment on Saturday, f and Abidair will dispute the s pace and with a little luck i Peter Jones could work j Regal Light across into a 5 handy position, no further i back than the third line. 1 However, it appeared on 1 Saturday that a great many Australian horses could mus- - ter more early speed out of i the mobile barrier than their i New Zealand rivals. f Even so it looks as though - Regal Light should score s sufficient points to boost his s chances of making the final. 5 For Wee Win the prose pects do not look so rosy. y - All three heats are expected 1 to be run in well under j 2min and he could find it a hard to finish very close up s should he, as seems likely, drop to the rear early. 2 However, his part-owner and s trainer, Max Thompson, is a confident the horse will be 1 better tomorrow. a Like all of the New Zeas'land horses, Wee Win is ap--71 predating the moderate tem--Iperatures in Melbourne.

t Captain Harcourt could beic ■ assisted in overcoming his t t bad draw by the fact that f - Transpec and Velvet Prince, t drawn close in, are not up r f to standard at present and -■they are unlikely to hold r j their positions early. Also, |t i at number five, is On Credit, |f - one of the fastest beginners;! , in Australia. i r s It looks quite possible that Is < Tommy Knowles will be|! k able to follow On Credit as < i he tears for the lead and he t r could be favourably placed t before the first bend. a; Royal Gaze, from number s / one, and Sporting Soon, I - from number four, are 1 f usually fast beginners but r they are unlikely to match < On Credit. < h j Pure Steel, not a noted I e fast beginner, has drawn ! s number three in his heat i and he needs a fairly high 1 ;- score tomorrow to maintain 1 '. his position as favourite for i d the Grand Final. r The action of the stewards t in returning him to the draw p for the second' round of ’, heats has drawn much com- >. ment. However, Mr Kelly J said yesterday that this acs tion would' be taken e throughout the carnival. A horse would only be put out i- of the draw for one meeting i- instead of three should he i- break in the running. | ' Even though Pure Steel is'

dominating discussions on; the series he might not bej favourite tomorrow. The dis- ' tinction could go to the “Te-| mora Terror,” Paleface; Adios, which put in a re-; markable run from last at; the straight entrance fori f6urth on Saturday. He has| brilliant speed out of the mobile barrier and this; should help him overcome' his wide draw. His trainerdriver, Colin Pike, expects! the chestnut to be improved! tomorrow. “That was his first race! since January 6 in Perth and : I think he needed that one,”! he said on Saturday. Tan Heel too will be al chance while Sole Command | could be hard pressed even! though he won so well on] Saturday. The distance is ex-1 pected to be too short for him but in the present form; he cannot be discarded eas-; iiySelections: — 9.55 p.m. (N.Z. time).— Trotters' Heat: Spartan Prince, Waipounamu, Silken. 10.30 p.m.—Fourth Pacers' Heat: Don't Retreat, Regal Light, Adidair. 11.5 p.m.—Fifth Pacers' Heat: Captain Harcourt, On Credit, Royal Gaze. 12.15 p.m.—Sixth Pacers' Heat: Paleface Adios, Pure i Steel, Tan Heel. 12.50 a.m.—Fourth Trotters' ■ ; Heat: Maori's Idol, Bold Apepa, i Derby Royal.