TIBERIUS MAY WIN SOON

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27385, 10 May 1950, Page 5

TIBERIUS MAY WIN SOON

SPORTING

Selected As Favourite In Plunket Stakes RACE FOR THREE-YEAR-OLDS By the Sporting Editor A particularly satisfactory feature of the Oamaru Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday is the response made by owners in way of acceptances for the Plunket Stakes, a race confined to three-year-olds, with horses who have not won a race starting from scratch, winners of one race from 12 yards, winners of two races from 24, and winners of three or more races from 36. Fifteen horses are due to go to the post, and seven of them were not started last Saturday. Attachment did not give any line on her form last Saturday as she failed to leave the post. She has had three unplaced starts this season, and Galladora, who is a filly by Gallant Knight from Doris Nelson, has been started five times without reaching a place. Yankiwi, J. B. Pringle’s candidate, was fourth in the Canterbury Three-Year-Old Stakes, but has not reached a place in two subsequent starts. He is by Josedale Grattan from Free Again, a Jack Potts mare from Free Advice. Of those on the front mark, nothing appeals more than Tiberius, who paced a fine race to finish second to Te Maru, and the manner in which he stuck to his task in the run home stamped him as a three-year-old of class. Basing his chances on last Saturday’s form, Imperial Lord will have to considerable improvement to finish in front of Tiberius and Te Maru. Those on 12 yards are Clifton Star, Lisnaskea, Monty Jason, Te Maru, and Petro Star, and of these Te Maru is outstanding. His performance last Saturday was brilliant, and if the effort required to make up the ground he, lost through breaking has not affected him he should be one of the hardest to beat.

The U. Scott filly, Petro Star, registered her best performance this season when she won the New Zealand Oaks from Roschana and Lady Joss at the New Brighton meeting in December. She is trained by B. Price.

The backmarkers, on 24 yards, are Morano, Preston. Sydney Victor, and Van Dieman and none of them, except perhaps is likely to be showing long odds.

Morano won the Metropolitan Challenge Stakes at Addington in November, when he beat Burns Night and Vedette, but since then he has frequently handicapped himself by failing to begin correctly. Preston won at Forbury Park in most impressive style and he was unlucky at Oamaru last Saturday, breaking when he appeared to have the race in safe keeping. The Gamble colt is capable of putting in a sustained finishing run.

Much of the interest in the race will be centred in the running of Sydney Victor, the only candidate from southern stables. The Indianapolis gelding has won his last two races, and prior to that he had collected a third placing. He was successful in the Wyndham Juvenile Stakes by no less than eight lengths from Heather Dillon and Financial, and his other win was in the Mercantile Handicap, of one mile and five furlongs at the same meeting. The U. Scott colt Van Dieman has won two of his nine races this season and been placed in three of the others. His first win was in the Charles Cross Stakes at the Canterbury Park meeting, when he beat Burns Night, Te Maru, and Flight Commander, and .he was also successful in the New Zealand Pacing Stakes, being followed home by Preston, Morano, and Te Maru.

Those selected to be prominent at the finish are Tiberius, Te Maru, and Van Dieman.