Another day for front runners at Riccarton?

Press, 17 April 1982, Page 17

Another day for front runners at Riccarton?

By

J. J. BOYLE

When front runners fade they fade fast. But there has been no stopping them in a big percentage of feature races on the first and second days of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Easter meeting, and it will be interesting to see if that trend is continued on the final day of the Riccarton carnival today.

Just a Rebel has won his last three races, each time at 2000 m. by matching pace with superior pace from the front end. Whether he has the sharpness to repeat the dose at 1600 m is one of the most interesting question marks hanging over the 120.000 George Adams Handicap, the first leg of today’s T.A.B. double. Just a Rebel is one of five four-year-olds in the field, and is handsomely capitalising on opportunities denied him through injury last season. He had the brilliance to win the Canterbury Jockey Club's Champagne Stakes and his only other two races at two. In his last three victories he had shown admirable qualities to fit him for middle-distances — readiness to relax in front, sharpness to accelerate, and, as he

proved in the 3ZB Easter Classic last Monday, an ability to adapt to pug’gy footing that tripped several others. Cedar Key has the sharp turn of foot to match Just a Rebel in the race for the early lead today, and if they cut at each other in front Dig In, The Dimple and possibly the Woodville-trained Commissionaire might best capitalise on the situation. The Dimple’s halLsister, The Twinkle, won this race a year ago under 56, beating King Kaka, which had won the Great Easter Handicap five days earlier. Darnley Flight, this year’s Great Easter winner, is in the line-up for today’s race and should represent Otago with credit. Noble Boa. a four-year-old trained in Otago but owned in Sydney, is the top fancy for the Great Autumn Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B.

double, but the field offers several with chances. One of the main points of

interest early in todays wellbalanced programme’ will be supplied by Princess Dan as she attempts to preserve an unbeaten record through three starts on the Canterbury circuit. The Feilding-owned and trained filly won in style at Rangiora and again in the Warstep Stakes last Monday/ If she wins the D B. Three-year-old Stakes over the 'Warstep Stakes distance of 2000 m Princess Dan will allow fresh stock to be taken of the class of the second-

season females. Today she will be pitted against’ Sporting Show, the promising son of Show Gate which is the season's Southland Guineas winner and

easily won the Cromwell Stakes (2000 m last month. Sporting Show made all the running for his win at Cromwell, and he might be seen in that role again today.