Walsh mount might test Stakes fancies

Press, 5 April 1982, Page 26

Walsh mount might test Stakes fancies

By

J. J. BOYLE

The North Island jockey, David Walsh, will have good opportunities to improve a rewarding week-end’s work at Rangiora today.

He rode three winners at Waipukurau on Saturday and he has a promising line-up of mounts for today’s North Canterbury autumn meeting. Walsh’s hopeful for the Inglewood Stakes, today's most valuable race and first leg of the T.A.B. treble, is the Wingatui-owned and trained Double Leigh. She is trained by her part-owner, Mr Joe Brown, and showed high promise at the Inglewood Stakes distance (1600 m in winning the Wellington Racing Club’s Britannia Handicap at Trentham on March 10. Walsh rode Double Leigh that day. but not in her two starts since, one of which produced a second at Awapuni. From results of earlier races in the Broadlands Wrightson series for three-year-old fillies, Sea Princess and The Wink seem likely to

dispute favouritism for today’s race, the second to last event of the series. But when The Wink finished first and Sea Princess third in the Otago Mannequin Stakes (1600 m on February 27, Double Leigh showed enough to capture lots of attention for their next meeting. Double Leigh was fourth less than half a length from Sea Princess in the Wingatui race, and that after having given ground at the start. Sea Princess leads the series with 25 points, a lead regained from The Wink after a successful appeal. The Wink has 18 points. Points to be earned from today’s race are seven for first, three for second, and one for third. Sea Princess, a free-going Beaufort Sea filly, has one of the inside barrier positions to

allow her to capitalise on her early speed from the tricky 1600 m start today. But she will probably have competition up front, and The Wink and Double Speed might be both capable of capitalising on the situation if the race takes on such a pattern. David Walsh will ride John Peel and Spy Force in today’s T.A.B. double races, and has engagements for Double Lode, Super Spy, Loriarna, and Lucky Dai in minor races. Spy Force is one of two last-start winners in the Kaiapoi Handicap, and topweight of 57.5 kg might not keep him out of the money, even if the 1200 m is short of his best distance. John Peel has been away from racing since New Year and might find a more seasoned Just A Rebel a stumbling block in the Rangiora Handicap, first leg of the T.A.B. double.