Up the Creek favoured for Waimate

Press, 16 July 1982, Page 10

Up the Creek favoured for Waimate

By

J. J. BOYLE

If Up the Creek’s finishing powers can be adapted to the demands of a turning course this five-year-old from Wingatui should improve an impressive record in the Dominion Breweries Handicap, first leg of the Waimate Hunt Club’s T.A.B. double tomorrow.

Up the Creek goes into the 1700 m race as winner of three of his last four starts. He could not have been more impressive in his most recent start, at Ashburton. But he needed most of Ashburton's long straight to place his stamp of class on that 1600 m race. Waimate makes different demands, but Up the Creek, a Noble Bijou gelding which will join the powerful Verner

stable at Takanini early next season, could find enough at the end of 1700 m to confirm his rating as one of the bright early prospects for the $26,000 International Harvester Winter Cup at Riccarton on August 7. Up the Creek should get toughest opposition from Southland's My Friend Blue, Myra May, and Royal Meg, and the Blenheim-trained Sovereign's Will. My Friend Blue ran Up

the Creek to a nose over 1600 m when they last met. at Oamaru on June 19, and will meet the Wingatui horse 2.5 kg better tomorrow. Myra May, Sovereign's Will, and Royal'Meg filled the minor berths behind Flying Ribot in the Donald Grant Handicap at Washdyke on July 3, and Royal Meg showed that was the form that mattered by winning in style on the second day

of the Timaru meeting. A good case can be made for River Raider as the likely winner of the Waihao Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double. He is a southern four-year-old with sharp early speed to capitalise on the No. 1 barrier. At his last start he led throughout 1200 m at Washdyke. The time before he was a’ creditable second best to the speedster Retep at Oamaru.