Tiva could extend south’s run of Canterbury successes

Press, 23 June 1978, Page 1 (Supplement)

Tiva could extend south’s run of Canterbury successes

Southland gallopers have had winning ways with them in feature flat races on Canterbury courses in the last few weeks.

Charlson and Fleetwood Mac won two of the feature flat events for Southland stables on the Canterbury circuit in May, And now it seems, Tiva will improve the southerners’ good record by capturing the first leg of the Ashburton T.A.B. double tomorrow.

A five-year-old Bellborough gelding from the Skerrett stable at Invercargill, Tiva won over 1400 m on his home course two starts back. Last time out he beat all but Riccarton’S Gotta Go over 1600 m at Wingatui after being left the pacemaking on a testing course. With the flying Hi Roona in this field, Kevin Morton should have no worries about being left in front on Tiva tomorrow. Third at Trentliain Tiva was placed on the Canterbury circuit at about this time last year before going on to Trentham, where he ran third in the Parliamentary in the hands of David Peake. Now, as a five-year-old, he could come up better than ever. Tiva is one kilo below the top-weight Watelse, and is at level weights with Capital, a Riccarton-trained laststart winner.

Capital won with ease over 1400 m on a heavy track at the Hororata meeting at Riccarton in May, and if he comes up with a run of that quality tomorrow ne could improve the Thistoll stable’s good record at Ashburton.

Other interesting runners for Riccarton will be the three-year-old. Dolmar. the accomplished mudlark, Rockford, and the recent graduate, Jolt.

Dolmar is not likely to find 1600 m in this company easy against race-hardened rivals, but he looked a cut above the average in his first season, and is one of the more interesting of the younger brigade in South Island stables. Rockford, like Dolmar, has raced only once since a spell, but should not be far short of his best for this one, and will come in for great attention if the footing gets deep. Holiest type Arapeta, from the Waimate stable of Dick Langford, has laboured diligently through recent starts, only to find victory elusive. After a strongly-finishing third at Oamaru, Arapeta will be high on the list of fancies here. There certainly would be no more popular winner. With Double Vision in the field, the Moreton Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double, hardly allows for the exercise of a second thought about the likely outcome. Double Vision is going for her fifth successive win. Her weight of 56.5 kg is not all that daunting in a compressed handicap, and she Will get some relief as the mount of the Riccarton apprentice, Tornmj Cowan. Competition for other places or, if bad luck in running plagues Double Vision, for the first prize, should come from Riley, Slick Chick, Melling, and Big Joy. Melling will be reappearing on her home course, where she has won twice. She distinguished herself in stronger company when third in the Geraldine Racing Club’s South Island Thoroughbred Stakes last spring.