Double chance for Roger Lang at Ellerslie today

Press, 25 February 1987, Page 41

Double chance for Roger Lang at Ellerslie today

Special correspondent Auckland With Top Plate and La Benatar engaged, the Cambridge trainer, Roger Lang, has a good chance of carrying off the T.A.B. double at Ellerslie today. Top Plate, after being sidelined for a time, is back in solid form. La Benatar has not raced for some time but her quality is well known and she showed her readiness with a recent impressive barrier trial. From his latest two attempts Top Plate has managed a win, and a second in highweights during the Wellington Cup meeting. He won over 2200 m and finished second over 2400 m. Each time he ran on strongly. His ability to run on strongly at the end of his races will stand to him again this time, over the 2200 m of the Neil Holdings Handicap. The fields for both legs of the T.A.B. double are small. In the second leg, the Timbercorp Handicap,three or four runners, beside La Benatar, have plenty of ability. Notable among those are Sir Gerald, Taiaha, Tristabelle and Shahzamani. La Benatar has not had a totalisator Jetbet: 7 Race 1 12.35 SEABROOK’S JUVENILE $5000; 880 m 1 492 Citilife 5 L. O’Sullivan 55.0 2 2443 Kanisimo 7 J. Collett 55.0 4 Burleigh Lad 6 C. Otto 55.0 5 7063 Dedringer 18 55.0 6 70 Open Book 10 R. Caddigan 55.0 7 60 Accountant 16 D. Morris 55.0 8 Jolly King 8 D. Hughes 55.0 9 Parting Thought 1 .... G. Stewart 55.0 10 Dark Omen 3 55.0 11 687 Ivory King 11 A. Tweedie 55.0 12 6 Ritzy Gold 9 55.0 13 9427 Miette 15 C. Costin 54.0 15 70 Star World 2 D. Johnson 54.0 16 9 Kylemore 17 S. Treweeks4.o 17 Sheer Class 12 R. Whitt 54.0 18 Morven Belle 4 J. Carter 54.0 Emergencies: Ivory King, Ritzy Gold. Scratched: Brother Santo, Toyland. Race 2 1-10 RVLOCK JUVENILE $5000; 880 m 1 2 Diplomatic Crest 9. . . . G. Stewart 55.0 2 6 Sir Valiant 8 55.0 3 Ballarat 1 D. Healey 55.0 4 Red Harbour 6 . . 55.0 5 Triplex 16 55.0 6 48 Captain Cutlass 15 55.0 7 Multi Grain 2 C. Treymane 55.0

race for over 12 months. She was unplaced in her last start, at Avondale towards the end of 1985. She had been unplaced in two Melbourne starts the previous spring but earlier often looked good. A five-year-old mare, she has time, yet, to gain good form and there was much promise in her barrier trial win over 1200 m at Pukekohe last week. Sir Gerald, the top weight with 57kg, has abundant speed which has made him seem, at times, on the way to noteworthy sprinting form. He will be resuming, also, after a let-up from racing, though one of only two months. Taiaha, a three-year-old filly, has had three wins in a row so another this time would be specially notable. She is speedy and game. Tristabelle is interesting as a beauti-fully-bred (Sir Tristram —Lady Belle) mare, yet to race in New Zealand. She is trained by the O’Sullivans at Matamata. From 11 starts in Australia, the latest at Flemington in November where she finished unplaced, she managed four wins and three minor placings so evidently has ability.

5.35: Silver Rhapsody, Silverello, Chief Commander. 8 Full Stride 11 55.0 9 Little Prospector 18 55.0 10 7527 Kara’s May 10 L. Ballantyne 54.0 12 96 Another Pike 7 54.0 13 Jeble Ali 3 54.0 14 Meryl 4 ■ . L. O’Sullivan 54.0 15 05 Indulge 5 R. McKay 54.0 16 Moot Miss 14 54.0 18 Heathfield 12 54.0 Emergencies: Full Stride, Heathfield. Scratched: Moonlighting, Show Parade. Race 3 1.45 NORTH CITY CORPORATION MAIDEN $5000; 1300m 1 Rabican 15 S. Treweek 55.0 2 022 Komak 11 L. O’Sullivan 55.0 3 440 Akbar 9 . M. Gopal 55.0 4 438 Rhode Island 7 L. Ballantyne 55.0

5 03 Tender Time 18 C. Treymane 55.0 6 0 All Imperial 19 S. Simon 55.0 7 008 Crystal Tide 1. ...... . C. Costin 55.0 8 4 Dandy Lad 17 55.0 9 Ivorine 6 G. Stewart 55.0 10 0365 Kwanda 10 J. Collett 55.0 11 0009 Pikorrie 12 D. Johnson 55.0 12 060 Sparkling Show 4 D. Healey 55.0 13 7 Summer Sikri 8 D. Hughes 55.0 14 9 Titleist 2 M. Griffin 55.0 15 5 Wai Vain 5. .’ C. Otto 55.0 16 00 Bernadette 13 55.0 17 Sir Nigil 14 M. Hawkins 55.0 18 4060 Classic Row 16 R. Whitt 55.0 19 4668 Beta 3 55.0 Emergencies: Bernadette, Sir Nigil, Classic Row, Beta. Race 4 2.15 STRATHMORE GROUP HANDICAP $6000; 1400 m 1 6213 Solstice 4 M. Rotherham 57.0 2 4102 That’s Jack 9 . S. Treweek 57.0 3 4126 Bite the Bullet 17 C. Otto 56.5 4 7471 Bold Talent 5 H. Wildey 56.5 5 1803 Ganesa 11 J. Carter 56.5 6 0750 Jimmy Te Cobai 12 . . H. McKinnon 56.5 7 1635 Play Music 7 G. Butler 56.5 10 8100 Butler Brown 16 R. Whitt 56.0 11 0510 Calico Doll 6 B. Sargent 56.0 12 6745 Crattmark 19 P. Fitzgerald 56.0 13 1207 Enlai’s Pet 10 M. Coleman 56.0 14 8019 Mr Wolf 14 56.0 15 5894 Nimon’s Rose 8 A. Craig 56.0 16 1007 The Thinker 2 C. Treymane 56.0 17 18 Showanna 18 D. Lang 56.0 18 8804 A Bit Tipsy 1 56.0 19 7500 Regal Amber 3 55.5 20 9767 Licall 13 55.5 Emergencies: Regal Amber, Licall. Scratched: Row of Mapperley, Star Thorpe. Race 5 T 2.45 MORE MAGAZINE HIGHWEIGHT $6000; 1600 m 1 0178 Te Akau Lad 6 B. McDonald 61.0 2 0400 Cardonagh 3 K. Treweek 60.5 3 4494 Iceland Prince 9 ..... T. Autridge 60.5 4 352 Aplari 13 P. Hillis 60.0 5 0510 Knight of Sin 1 T. Gillies 60.0 6 3105 Llannys 10 T. Wheeler 60.0 7 04 Cochise 5 T. Reddaways9.s 8 6873 King Of The Castle 14 59.5 9 0074 Victory Palm 8 . . . . .P. Fitzgerald 59.5 10 Azdestiny 12 R. Cassidy 59.0 11 979 Full of Surprise 2 J. Archer 59.0 12 8600 Karen Louise 11 R. Booth 59.0 13 Silence Is Golden 7 .... M. Faber 59.0 14 0103 Speedy Sue 4 . . F. Pratt 59.0 Race 6 T 3.20 THREESOME PARTNERSHIP MAIDEN $5000; 1600 m 1 5352 Stara Zagora 2 L. O’Sullivan 55.0 3 0303 Chatiilion 16 D. Johnson 55.0 4 0446 Ciara 22 . .E. Harrison 55.0 5 4 Count Tyronne 13 C. Costin 55.0 6 7020 La Mirage 15 M. Griffin 55.0 7 4903 Licorice Strap 8 W. Orbell 55.0 8 0508 Mary’s Kiss 14 55.0 9 5337 My Good Omen 21. . . .A. Tweedie 55.0 10 8303 Think Fast 4 B. Kellaway 55.0

11 20 Veronakelly 9 C. Treymane 55.0 12 0 Fantasy Flight 11 A. Craig 55.0 13 060 Ina Kari Boy 5 L. Ballantyne 55.0 14 5550 Paimy Rah Treat 20 ... G. Stewart 55.0 15 0 Red Checkers 18 B. Sargent 55.0 16 0 Stylish Lass 17 D. Healey 55.0 17 5064 Wolverlei 3 D. Ung 55.0 18 6538 Zagal 10 ... G. Butler 55.0 19 040 Acol 12 M. Coleman 55.0 20 0947 Special Offer 7 R. McKay 55.0 21 200 Gold Mint 1 H. Malcolm 55.0 22 6360 Ready Cash 6 66.0 Emergencies: Special Offer, Gold Mint, Ready Cash. Scratched: Bayfair. Race 7 T 3.55 IDEAL GARAGES HANDICAP $6000; 1300 m 1 3362 Mango 5 W. Tanfield 57.0 2 1923 Cumulus 4 H. Malcolm 55.5 3 11 Beach Tango 11 .. . .L. Ballantyne 54.5 4 5030 Flight To Glory 6 R. Whitt 54.5 5 6390 Gunfighter 10 A. Craig 54.5 6 8281 Sabre Roona 1 A. Tweedie 54.5 7 1100 Athensor 7 S. Treweek 54.0 8 63 Big Hump 8 D. Ung 54.0 10 4899 Rieker 12 L. O’Sullivan 54.0 11 1175 Frances Belle 14 D. Healey 53.5 12 7047 Just Sneeze 9 J. Collett 53.5 14 5000 Wahoo Sam 3 G. Grylls 51.0 Scratched: Raven Avon, Our Desire. . Race 8 D 4.30 NEIL HOLDINGS HANDICAP $7000; 2200 m 1 6312 Top Plate 2 G. Grylls 55.0 2 2560 Antisimo 7 D. Ung 54.5 3 6228 Mont Blanc 4 L. O’Sullivan 54.5 4 7381 Belle Romar 1 D. Johnson 54.0 5 8536 Broker’s Fancy 3 R. Whitt 54.0 61300 Neralee’s Star 6 E. Harrison 53.5 7 6825 The Waffler 8 R. McKay 53.5 8 5169 Suzanka 5 . .H. Malcolm 52.0 Race 9 D 5.05 TIMBERCORP HANDICAP $8000; 1300 m 1 2276 Sir Gerald 5 W. Robinson 57.0 2 U Benatar 2 D. Ung 56.5 3 0290 Country Lover 3 R. McKay 56.0 4 290 Tristabelle 4 L. O’Sullivan 55.0 5 1402 Shahzamanl 8 H. MacKinnon 54.0 6 7870 Arensky 9 G. Grylls 53.0 7 4479 Bold Danielle 6 53.0 8 3111 Taiaha 7 . D. Healey 53.0 9 1100 Toronaga 1 J. Collett 52.0 Race 10 TF 5.35 SUNLINE HOMES HANDICAP $8000; 1600 m 1 9014 Dreamawin 6 57.0 2 1602 Silver Rhapsody 8 . . . L. O’Sullivan 56.5 3 2199 Lord Reims 11 D. Johnson 55.0 4 1874 Silverello 10 W. Robinson 54.0 5 9638 Saci 9 E. Harrison 52.5 6 2247 Some Reason 12 ... . M. Coleman 52.5 7 4430 Bay Biscay 5 J. Collett 51.5 8 5311 Chief Commander 3. . . . G. Butler 51.5 9 0007 Free Zone 4 B. Sargeant 51.0 10 0780 Pentameter 13 C. Costin 51.0 11 2076 Halls Of Holly 7 S. Simon 50.5 12 708 One Pound Foolish 1 50.5 13 0000 Cup Tie 2 M. Griffin 50.0