Royal Grit top Ellerslie hope

Press, 9 August 1985, Page 24

Royal Grit top Ellerslie hope

Special correspondent Auckland

If his form lately counted for anything, Royal Grit is an excellent prospect to win again tomorrow in the second leg of the T.A.B. double at the Auckland Racing club's meeting at Ellerslie.

From his last four starts Royal Grit ran up two wins, a third placing and a further win. That gives him recent form considerably better than is held by any of his opponents in the Papatoetoe Handicap. Without becoming a threat in one of the really big events Royal Grit has proved during the last two seasons, to be one of the best Waikato sprinters.

While showing a preference for soft or easy tracks he has won on top of the ground, and on left-handed and right-handed tracks. He is thoroughly consistent as well — his four starts this time in, since last May, have realised three firsts and a third placing. Over 1400 m last time, at Te Awamutu on July 20, Royal Grit won easily. He has a bigger weight tomorrow by 2kg, but it will be surprising if he does not run very well. Greatness and Dig In are two well-performed runners Royal Grit will have to contend with. But both might need more distance than tomorrow’s 1200 m. Greatness also lacks recent

racing but will be interesting. At best he is a very good galloper as he showed when second behind Atrapar in the Jarden Mile at Trentham last summer.

Two of the four-year-olds, Kaoru Heights and Herbie’s Dream appeal most in the first leg of the T.A.B. double, the 1600 m Downtown Handicap. With three wins and a couple of minor placings in just eight starts, Kaoru Heights shaped promisingly enough last season. Following a winter let-up he regained form straight away to finish third at Pukekohe on June 21 and he has since finished once unplaced then first in an intermediate 1400 m race at Ruakaka on July 19.