Trial Run will be attraction at Oamaru

Press, 15 June 1978, Page 18

Trial Run will be attraction at Oamaru

By

J. J. BOYLE

Trial Run made one of his rare jumping mistakes in a race in the Shaw Memorial Steeplechase, for which he was win favourite, at Oamaru in August. That mistake probably cost him victory. In the meantime he has won three races over country, one of them the historic Riverton Great Western, and he will come in for wide attention when he reappears at Oamaru on Saturday.

Trial Run impressed many northerners with his dashing jumping in the Waikato Steeplechase in May. He contested that race on an interrupted preparation, covered more ground than most of his rivals, but it was late in the race before he tired up front and faded to

finish sixth. A Test Case gelding which was fast enough to run the speedster, Panagor, to a neck over 1200 m early last season, Trial Run should have footing to capitalise on his turn of foot at Oamaru, and at 4000 m, 800 short of the Waikato Steeplechase distance, he should not find top weight of 64kg too burdensome. The famous Hazlett colours might have a successful airing before Trial Run goes on trial on Saturday.

Grey Boy, a three-year-old Lomond gelding in the Hillis stable, and like Trial Run the product of a Kurdistan mare, has strong credentials for the Kakanui Handicap 1. He was a close second over 1400 m at Wingatui on June 3 when having his i third start for the season

and might find more improvement than most perhaps all opposing him this time. The races in which Grey Boy and Trial Run are engaged are two legs of the Oamaru course treble. The first leg of that treble is the Pukeuri Hurdles, in which a capacity field seems certain. Riccarton is no great shakes as a training centre for jumpers, but form runners for that centre in the Oamaru race will be Game Warrior, Candidate, Nubilus, and Equates. Game Warrior and Candidate chased Allez Rouge home in the corresponding race at Oamaru last month and, without the Washdyke jumper in opposition this time, they might well quinelia the race.