Racing and trotting Shivaree should prove worthy favourite

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 26

Racing and trotting Shivaree should prove worthy favourite

Special correspondent .mcKland Twice runner-up to Dulcify in Melbourne during the last month, Shivaree should prove a worthy favourite for the Alison Stakes at Ellerslie today. Shivaree tackled Dulcify at weight-for-age each time, in the W. S. Cox Plate at Moonee Valley then in the L. K. S. MacKinnon stakes at Flemington. It was easy for Dulcify at Moonee Valley but a different race altogether on the bigger reaches of Flemington when he was all out to beat the Matamata horse bv a neck. Clearly it was the unusual, light configuration of the Moonee Valley track more 'than anything which accounted for Shivaree being so well beaten the first time. | His high quality has never been in doubt and he has any number of good performances at Ellerslie to his credit. Last Autumn he finished second to La Mer in the Air New Zealand Stakes. He won the George Adams Handicap on the course last | January and came third in the 1978 Easter Handicap behind Silver Wraith and Orchidra. To win this one Shivaree needs only to be at his best t and it is most doubtful whether his trainer D. J. O’Sullivan would allow him to start if not comoletely isfied with his condition. Under the weight-for-age conditions of the Alison Stakes Shivaree will be meeting all his opponents much better than he would

in an ordinary handicap, most of them by quite considerable amounts. For the Auckland Cup, as an example, Shivaree is weighted aaif a Kilogram less than his handicap this time, Mr Ay Bee 3kg less and Prancer 4.5 kg less. For all that Prancer and Mr Ay Bee seem two of the only three horses likely to test Shivaree in this one. The other is March Legend which could well give the others a very good race. March Legend ruined his his chance against Tang, Silver Wraith and the others in the Great Britain-New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie last Saturday when so slow from the start. The race did him no harm. He is another which has already raced well at Ellerslie, on one occasion for third in La Mer’s Air New Zealand Stakes. Prancer has been outstanding in middle-distance handicaps. He won a brace at Hastings in late October and early November, his last two starts, and ran up a string of wins last summer. Weight-for-age is different but Prancer should again go well. So should Mr Ay Bee, a thoroughly capable former South Island gelding which ran with plenty of credit although only about mid-field at the finish of last Saturday’s weight-for-age 1600 m. This longer distance, by 400 m, could suit Mr Ay Bee — he finished second in the Brisbane Cup last winter. Except fpr Shivaree, March Legend, Prancer and Mr Ay Bee the field is fairly moderate. Meed has the speed to be prominent but he is not in the class of the other four. A former New South Wales sprinter. Pag-Asa is an attraction in the main sprint and second leg the Cheltenham Handicap and he could well give O’Sullivan the double. Pag-Asa is trained by O’Sullivan for a syndicate of owners who intend standing the horse at stud next year. He holds smart form in Sydney and, even in his first race after a spell, could win or go very close. The meeting of Summer Haze. Yir Tiz and Rayarak in the Welcome Stakes is 1 another big item. Summer Haze, from Stratford, and Yir Tiz. from Te Rapa have won their last five races, Summer Haze the latest one by six lengths, Yir Tiz by five lengths. Both fillies fared well enough in the draw for barrier positions and Rayarak. with No. 1, is very well 'placed indeed. The race gether, promises to be very fast and exciting. Selections: — 12.5 p.m.—Oevonport Melden: Tartan Annie, Magic Prince, Brookby Bill. 12.35 p.m.—Belmont Highweight: Oakdale, Pixie Can, Full Of Scotch. 1.10 p.m.—November Handicap: China, Spartacus, Tim* O'Day. 1 40 p.m.—Welcome Stakes: Summer Haze, Yir Tiz, Rayarak. 2.15 p.m.—Nikau Handicap:

Ruanuku, Assessed, Silver Tower. 2.55 p.m.—Alison Stake*: Shivaree, March Legend, Prancer. 3.30 p.m.—North End Handicap: Ballymiles, Adam, Muscai vado. 4.5 p.m.—Cheltenham Handicap: Pag/asa, Regal Edition, Keyhaven. 4.30 p.m.—Champion Handicap: Parky, Lightning, Wla Nui. 5.15 p.m.—Ponui Handicap: Caterman, Monody, Raywood Lass.

RACE 5 T.A.B. TREBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA 2.15 p.m.— NIKAU HANDICAP

Scratched: Mvacidium (5), Cracker Prince (10). RACE 6 T.A.B. DOUBLE 2.55 p.m.— ALISON STAKES $10,500; weight-for-age; 2000 m. 1 0630 Better Be Good (12) 58.5

RACE 7 T.A.B. TREBLE |3.30 p.m.— NORTH END HANDICAP

RACE 8 T.A.B. DOUBLE , 4.5 p.m.— ' CHELTENHAM HANDICAP *4500; 1200 m. 1 2 Golden Rhapsody HRi wn

RACE 10 T.A.B. TREBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA 5.15 p.m — PONUI HANDICAP

1 2 0801 2313 $3800; 2200m. Silver Tower (17) Frippence (15) 55.5 55.0 3 6226 Gentle Sovereign (6) 54.0 4 3109 Royal Intrigue (9) 54.0 5 3211 Ruanuku 114) 54.0 6 0004 Bold Display (2) 53.5 7 0067 Cadet (19) 53.5 8 2201 Ina Ville (20) 53.0 9 5323 Assessed (1) 52.5 11 0618 Man Of Law (16) 52.5 13 1320 Rusty Ruler (3) 52.5 14 7040 Copsana <4) 52.0 15 5191 Neuchatel (13) 51.5 16 8319 Tereshkova (11) 51.5 17 8009 Bruton Road (7) 51.5 18 Shuffles (12) 51.5 19 00 Mvstlc Marc (18) 51.5 20 1170 Soldar <81 51.0 Emergencies: Mystic Sol da r. Marc,

2 0880 Caution (8) 58.5 3 0406 Fancy Edition (9> 58.5 5 6095 March Legend (14) 58.5 6 6233 Meed (101 58.5 7 607 Mr Ay Bee (13) 58.5 8 0031 Prancer (2) 58.5 58.5 9 3090 Shelter's Gold (6) 10 22 Shlvaree (5) 58.5 U 1113 Silver Wraith (3) 58.5 12 2000 Wanbin (11) 58.5 13 0 Wairere Girl (4) 56.0 14 ,0140 Star Dancer (7) 50.0 Scratched: Lucky Prince (1).

S3000; 1200m. 1 43 Adam (1) S5.0 2 8043 Greg mo re (20) 55.0 3 11 The Tracker (21) 55.0 4 1202 Ballymiles (3) 54.5 6 Eulogy Flight (17) 54.0 7 Antique (4) 53.5 8 12 Elizabeth (22) 53.5 9 74 Bo Jean (9) 53.0 10 Crimara (16) 53.0 11 13 Curstsey (19) 53.0 12 5773 Muscovado (8) 53 0 14 51 Moon Danee (14) 52.5 ;J5 929 Pacific Pride (10) 52.5 117 2 Por Favor (2) 52.5 118 l Starroona (6) 52 5 ,20 ni Howzat <1) 52.5 21 00 Irish Gift <7) 52.5 Scratched: Cedar Gold (5), Applause (12), Penvcae (15), Taiperiro (18), Hassand (13).

2 1 Regal Edition (12) 53.0 3 Pag Asa i7) 51.5 5 0170 Ulladulla ib) 50.5 6 8 Royal Ruler (4) 49.5 8 0000 Silver Image (2) 49.0 9 2466 Tiger Jones (6) 49.0 10 2030 Be A Devil (a) 48.5 11 3021 Giovanni (11) 48.5 12 0004 Barbara Jan (13) 48.0 13 Chariivari (9) 48.0 14 500 Highfield (3) 48.0 15 3029 Keyhaven (1) 48.0 16 82 Miss Whistle (14) 48.0 17 9400 Pennyshima (15) 48.0 18 9030 Tai Michelle (16) 48.0 Scratched: Minnawai (10), Con.due :tor (17).

$4500; 1600m. 1 7 Bra Heal (16) 53.0 2 5610 Phoenix Palm (21) 53.0 3 1413 Caterman (8) 52.5 4 875 Vizier (2) 52.5 5 21 Ray wood Lass 115) 51.5 6 0057 Morven Chief (14) 51.0 7 2323 Anderil (22) 50.0 8 5 Pagan's Boy (17) 50.0 9 6 Jackwill (7) 50.0 10 111 Monody (a) 50.0 11 0 Entre Deux Feux (13) 49.0 12 0 Eyes Right (11) 49.0 13 1478 Flaunt (3) 49.0 14 Introduction (10) 49.0 15 0698 Shlfllou (6) 49.0 16 0 Star Idyll (19) 49.0 17 6 Funny Fella (20) 48.5 18 4000 Mighty Wealthy (18) - 48.5 19 3157 Elmar, (1) W .48.5 20 400 Minnie (9) 48.5 21 40 Cullimore (4) 48.5 22 3541 Cha Jon (12) 48.5 Emergencies: Elmar, Minnie, Cullimore, Cha Jon.