Even Son appeals in Wanganui Cup

Press, 2 December 1978, Page 18

Even Son appeals in Wanganui Cup

Special correspondant i Wellington |1 The Rotorua Cup winner,! 1 r .ven Son, in spite of his op-weight of 56kg, may be)' he top chance in the;' 12,000 Wanganui Cup, first!' ?g of the T.A.B. double at ' Vanganui today. The cup has drawn an ven field. Apart from Even 1 >on, it includes good gal-: 1 apers like Trochee. Lone

i Hand and Optica and from Ithe North and, from Nelson,: Sean's Gif I. Even Son is a five-year | old Even Stevens stallion.: His form has been good. He; [won, for Bob Skelton, the Rotorua Cup, and before that had run second in the Wainui at Trentham and third in the Barry Challenge Cup at Hawera. Since Rotorua, his trainer, , Don Grubb, has given Even Son one race, a 1400 m sprint at Feilding and the , chestnut ran fifth. Even Son is preparing for the Avondale Cup in just; 1 under a fortnight’s time. Her looks, though, a cut above I average and he has the advantage of having won on the track before. Trochee also comes into ; the category of leading hopefuls. The Woodville gal- i loper had no luck at all in i two races at Riccarton. Last time out he was ninth after a dreadful passage in the : New Zealand Cup. Today Trochee returns to a course on which he gave one of his best performances two years ago to win the Wanganui;; Cup. He carried 54.5 kg that day. I he weight he will carry today. Optica, trained by Bert:; and Brent Hughes, comes to Wanganui after a track- , record win at Ellerslie last time. He was seventh in the . Waikato Cup the time before! and that followed a win over Punchinello at Franklin. That form makes him a leading chance. The most interesting vis-) iitor though is Sean’s Gift. He has had four races this) season. He began by winning [at Rangiora, and then, in, three starts at Riccarton. ran fifth in the Jockey Club Handicap, fourth in the Canterbury Gold Cup and finally, second to Grey Way in the Churchill Stakes. At best, he is a most useful performer, who is not out of his depth in this compan v. Lone Hand is running useful races He was fifth at I Woodville on Saturday. | iwhile Extra Deal has been a ;

busy and successful mare this season. She has won three times on the track. But would be an even better prospect if there was somei rain about. Garforth was a class 1 winner at Hawera last week. ■ Sir Desmond is running use-: ful races, and Andrew will be looking for a change of luck. He had precious little of that at Riccarton. Barry Stuart ran first and third at Feilding and will be a dangerous light-weight, as will Cubacade. He was sixth! in the Waikato Cup and then ran up to that form when second at Hawera behind Garforth. Imascamp has shown useful form, but this may be a little rich for him. Garfield and Toko River, which were disappointing at Woodville, could be the pick of the remainder. Purple Kiwi and Madame Mink might dispute the finish of the second leg the Kalgoorlie Handicap. Both I have been successful this' season. Purple Kiwi won fresh up at Waipukurau and after a miss at Awapuni. went on to win at Hawera just over a week ago. Trained on the track, he is also a course winner and though he has drawn the outside, he should come through the test without any great difficulty. Madame Mink was fourth last time in The Stewards at Riccarton. However, before that she had won at Hawera, Waverley and Marton in her; only other races this season. She has won on the course this time and though down to carry the top-weight of, 55kg, she could get some relief from that through an allowance. Buckshot from Hawera, and Vicki Jane, from Stratford, are the other form runners in the field. Buckshot was third behind Purple Kiw at Hawera, but won the time before at Stratford. He also won the Graduation Handicap at Trentham and his placing behind Purple Kiwi was his first outing in class I 1 com nan v.