Armalight most favoured for Oaks at Addington

Press, 24 April 1980, Page 1 (Supplement)

Armalight most favoured for Oaks at Addington

BY G. K. YULE

Armalight, the star three-year-old of the current season, will be a dominating favourite in the $15,000 New Zealand Oaks at Addington Raceway tomorrow.

Starting racing in a lowlydivided race for maiden pacers at Westport on Boxing Day, Armalight has gone from strength to strength, with 10 starts resulting in seven wins and three second placings for some $36,000 in stakes. The Oaks looked like developing into a one-sided contest until racing at Addington on April 15. That evening Regal Cheval staged a comeback with a stylish

all-the-way win in 3min 25.5 s for 2600 m in a race fo- C 3 and C 4 pacers. Then, two races later, Chantilly Belle beat three-year-old fillies in style in 3min 24.9 s for the same distance.

Armalight won the Metropolitan Championship in 3min 23.15.

She beat Ryal Pont and Regal Guy on April 5, the fastest for the distance by a filly of her age. It is not suggested that either Regal Cheval or Chantilly Belle will beat Ar-

malight, but they could run her fairly close. Bob Negus, who drove Armalight in her earlier racing, will have Elfin, a talented daughter of Willie Win, to represent him. She went a splendid race on April 15 when having her first start for the season, but was all at sea at Methven last Saturday when most disappointing. A series of minor setbacks might have left her a little less seasoned than some of her rivals, but she is good

enough to take a prominent part in the finish.

Bonnie Lass, from Richmond, and Royal Decision, a stablemate of Regal Cheval, are expected to do best of the others.

Dainty Judy, so unlucky at Methven last Saturday, Steady Way and Bonnie’s Chance appeal most in the second leg, the Army Handicap.

Ascot Fair, Winning Lass, Chance Affair, and Fallimento should also be prominent.