Idaho’s Gift best prospect at Otaki

Press, 27 April 1983, Page 39

Idaho’s Gift best prospect at Otaki

- Special correspondent Wellington In an even line-up, the New Plymouth five-year-old Idaho’s Gift looks as good a chance as any in the Caltex Dealers’ Handicap, the first leg of the Otaki Maori Racing Club’s double today. Considering the number of meetings in the area, the Otaki club has been fortunate to gather together a good field. Idaho’s Gift has drawn out at No. 16, at a start that is not the best, but to offset that he has been racing in the best company in the north. He failed to flatter in the Easter Handicap when he finished well back, but went a fine race at Tauranga on Saturday to beat all but Pride of Rosewood in the Japan-New Zealand International. With 53.5 kg, Idaho’s Gift has just Ikg more than

Rebel Royale, an impressive winner of his last three races. Rebel Royale’s most recent wins have been at Hawera and Hastings and he looks an up-and-comer. His draw at No. 9 is not bad.

Volare is one of the class runners in the field. His two races this term have brought a fourth in the North Island Challenge Stakes and a win at Hastings last Saturday over four opponents. At this stage Volare looks ready for a strong effort. Diplomante is a good class mare which did not enjoy the rain-troubled tracks at Blenheim. Given a decent surface at Otaki, she could run much better. Stratford form could be the best guide to the second leg of the double, the Al Fab Metal Industries Handicap. A class 2 race over

2000 m, it features a number of runners which raced at Stratford in a similar event last Friday. In that, Baycrest was a distant second, behind the winner, Tessa Dream, and with Jim Cassidy up he could improve on that placing. Baycrest has always been a useful customer. After a brace of fifths, the last one at Stratford, Mechanical could improve enough to rate a threat. He has a good draw and little weight to worry about. The form runner is Saddlelight, which failed by a nose to beat Unique Wonder in a C2 race at Waverley last time. Sandy Girl looks the best of the others and Double U Dee could show some improvement as well in a field that could hardly be described as strong.