Spotlight on juveniles at Awapuni

Press, 28 March 1981, Page 24

Spotlight on juveniles at Awapuni

Special correspondent Wellington The speed of Scotch Reel, as opposed to the staying potential of Bound To Hon- i our will be just one of the ' features to look for in this i afternoon’s Manawatu Sires •

Produce Stakes at Awapuni. At $40,000, the Sires Produce is the country’s richest race for juveniles and if this year’s contest does not have a La Mer. Summer Haze or Teddy Doon, winners in recent years, it should still provide a fine contest.

Scotcn Reel comes to Awapuni as one of five runners which have won three races, the others being Bisette, Amrica, Gold Raider and The Boxer. He won twice at Wairoa before scoring easily in the Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie. Then, on a wet track, he ran second, beaten six lengths, by Tudor Sky in the La Mer Stakes at Taranaki. His draw is No. 7 but the two main drawbacks are the distance and the state of the track. His speed could carry him a long way and he has the top rider Bruce Compton, to help him along. Bound To Honour rates a strong chance after her fine Wakefield Stakes success. She ran to the end of 1400 m so strongly that even with an extra 3.5 kg it should not make that much difference. Her other win came in the Goodwood Stakes. Wide draw and all, The Boxer makes considerable appeal. He won at the Feilding meeting, then picked up a couple of wins at Hastings before a short break. Then followed a handy fourth at Napier Park and an even better third in the Wakefield Stakes, a run that surely suggested improvement for this afternoon’s contest. The topweight, Bisette, has won three, two at Trentham and one at Rotorua. He failed in the Wakefield Stakes but looks a much stronger prospect today, specially on a track that will have more give in it.