Highborn deserves respect at Otago

Press, 29 May 1981, Page 2 (Supplement)

Highborn deserves respect at Otago

By

J. J. BOYLE

Victories in highweights do not usually place much boom on horses going into handicap races of any stature. But Highborn rates respectful attention in the first leg of the Otago Racing Club’s T.A.B. double tomorrow.

1 ne Neison-owneu, v-vmuei-ky-trained Highborn goes into tomorrow’s 1600 m race as a last-start winner over that distance in the highweight at the Amberley meeting. He did not- beat a wonderful lot that day but he won in style under 63.5 in the very good time of Imin 38.15. With 12kg less tomorrow he could be a stumbling block for all the others. Mr Alex Newman’s six-year-old won only two races in a fairly busy season, but he also has some useful placed performances on his record, one of them a second behind Little Brown Jug at Riecarton last August.

Highborn is 5.5 kg below the top weight Mr Ay Bee. which would have found his 57kg easy two years ago, but now, in his eighth year, has to prove that his powers have not diminished to some degree.

His third against the sprinters at the Amberley meeting two starts back was a flash of his best form. His one start in the meantime produced a fifth over 2000 m

in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s May Handicap; Tony Predergast’s big chestnut might need the ground as good as he can get it to regain the winning list. But there could be no more popular winner if tomorrow’s race marked the breakthrough. Lady Creosote has the ability at 1600 m to race with credit for South Canterbury. She has had a light programme this season, with no more than three races this time up, the most recent of them producing a fourth over 1400 m at Riccarton last week. Early in the season she won in style over 1600 m at Oamaru, 'carrying 57 and running Imin 37s over a firm track. Earlier last year she won over 1600 m on an easy track and' ran fifth in the Winter Cup. She has 53kg tomorrow, and if she has made average improvement with her latest run she should go close. Fleetwood Mac has won at his last two starts, both at middle distances, but he, like the Riccarton pair, Firpo

and Ernest, mignt neeu a soft or heavy track to match the best of the others at 1600 m. Supremity and Taramoa are expected to be the best close to the minimum in a big field. The Henley Handicap second leg of the T.A.B. double, gives Williedce a chance for a repeat win in a race he captured convincingly a year ago. This Lomond gelding has not won in the meantime, but he is one of the obvious ftncies here after seconds at his last three starts, the most recent of them behind " fleetwood Mac at the Southland meeting on May 9. . Thatchous, a fast-finishing third, inches behind Williedte in that race, is also - engaged here, and Prince Yoko, Royal Meg, Flying Gang, Jon’boy Hunt, Tiger HiH, Bymai, and Myra May are others to contribute a confusing collection of worthwhile form. It might be more a case of good luck than sharp judgment to pinpoint the winner in one out of one of the most interesting fields on the card.