Harris mounts could make big impact today

Press, 3 November 1984, Page 31

Harris mounts could make big impact today

By

J. J. BOYLE

Avana and Kingdom Bay, probably the strongest North Island hopes for this year’s Guineas Double at Riccarton, were flown into Christchurch on separate flights from the North Island yesterday. Weight of North Island betting might make Avana favourite for the $lOO,OOO Wrightson One Thousand Guineas today. She has done everything

to the satisfaction of her Cambridge trainer, Ray Cleaver, since she won the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham on October 20. Kingdom Bay, winner of the Wellington Guineas a week earlier, will have a lead-up race for next Wednesday’s Two Thousand Guineas in today’s Ekiward Lumley Handicap. The Taranaki-owned and trained Otehi Bay colt will be at cramped odds for the 1000 m dash.

Both Avana and Kingdom Bay will be ridden by Noel Harris, who at this time last year was in Melbourne as partner for Fountaincourt Harris might have no reason to regret staying closer to home this spring. Harris will ride Manchu, top weight in today’s T.A.B. trifecta event and first leg of the T.A.B. double, the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup, and few of the form students would offer long odds about his chance of

leaving his stamp on today’s T.A.B. treble. The Edward Lumley Handicap, Kingdom Bay’s assignment, is the first leg of today’s T.A.B. treble. Other legs are the Hagley Handicap and the Lion Brown “1600.” Silver Elm, a stablemate of Manchu, will be Harris’s hopeful for the Lion Brown “1600,” and the talented northerner will ride the Ric-carton-trained Marche Noir in the Hagley Handicap.