ROYAL ZORRA FOR FIRST LEG

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28259, 23 April 1957, Page 4

ROYAL ZORRA FOR FIRST LEG

Second Day Prospects For Riccarton

Royal Zorra may make a successful switch from sprinting to middle distance racing in the Dominion Handicap, the first leg of the double at Riccarton today, when the Canterbury Jockey Club will hold the second day of its autumn meeting. Royal Zorra was fourth under 9-7 in the Great Easter Handicap yesterday. Today she has 9-1 over a mile and a quarter. The last time she was tested over this distance was in the weight-for-age Awapuni Gold Cup on March 30, when she finished second behind Berne.

She has rarely raced badly and her class must be respected.

Other form horses in the top part of the handicap are Tess, Copenhagen, and Watch and Wait. Tess and Copenhagen were first and third in the Great Easter Handicap yesterday. Tess has placed form over this distance—she was runner-up to Shoal in the Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton in February—and in her present form she could complete a good double for the meeting. Copenhagen has done most of his racing up to a mile, but has mastered that distance with ease. He may now find a mile and a quarter even more to his liking than seven furlongs, and must always be reckoned with while he has track conditions to suit him. Watch and Wait will be having her first start for the meeting. She won three races, one at a mile and a quarter, at the'Nelson meeting earlier in the month. Watch and Wait is in a stronger field today, but if she does not pull hard, as she has done in several of her races, she will take beating. Shoal, another newcomer, has been a winner up to 11 furlongs this season, and was placed in heavy ground at the Grand National meeting. Demand has a good record in high-weights, but has been only an average performer in open handicaps. Better light-weights may be Jungle and Scuppered, which were third and fifth, close up, in the Great Autumn Handicap yesterday. The Second Leg Watch and Wait, Hot Drop, and Fulgent dropped out of the Templeton Handicap, the second leg of the double, last evening, leaving 17, with Wee Durham the top weight with 8-5. The field lacks an outstanding form runner, and Fuel, the run-ner-up to Juventas in the Warstep Stakes yesterday, and Motueka, a fast-finishing sixth in the Great Easter Handicap, may play big roles in the finish. Palace dropped out of the Great Easter Handicap because of the soft state of the track, and conditions should be little more to hi* liking today. A soft track may be also against Cornflake, but it will suit the lightweight. Nasib, which will be making a fresh start after shaping well in training. Flying Doctor, an easy winner

against the hurdlers at Waimate last month, will probably be favourite for the Kildare Hurdles. One of his strongest opponents will probably be the Orari-trained Native King, winner of the Allanton Hurdles at Wingatui on February 23, when Flying Doctor was third. Riccarton’s strongest representatives will probably be the stablemates, Escalado and Jolly Miller, which will be bracketed with Trustworthy. Holman, a stablemate of Juventas and Mindanao, both winners for Mr J. G. Alexander yesterday, may improve the record of North Island horses by winning the Tasman Handicap. Holman has made a big impression in winning his last two races. If he handles the conditions well he may shade Aquarius and the consistent Tripped for ability. Chance For Uproar Top weight of 9-0 may not stop Uproar, a stablemate of Tripped, from winning the Christchurch Handicap. Golden Demonic and Porcelain Prince are expected to be the best of the others. Imitation will be at cramped odds for the Autumn Nursery Handicap on the strength of his third in the Champagne Stakes and splid form earlier. The former North Island horse, Serang, may record his first win for his St. Andrews owner, Mr T. J. Lister, in the Wigram Handicap today. Serang should have benefited from his race yesterday, when he finished third to Neptune’s Pride and Steadfast in the Opawa High-weight. Iroquoi, which is racing solidly for minor placings, and Lord Fane, which was third in the Papanui Handicap yesterday, are racing well enough to fill two of the placings. Maracaibo and Sim House are expected to dominate betting on the Shirley Handicap. Sun House won the Autumn Plate under 7-11 yesterday and has 8-11 under a scale 41b • higher today. Maracaibo appeared to be short of a race, but finished fifth in the Autumn Plate after pacemaking, and the expected improvement would place victory within reach of this half brother to Dalray. Selections are:— Kildare Hurdles: Flying Doctor. Escalado-Jolly Miller-Trustworthy bracket. Native King. Tasman Handicap: Holman, Aquarius, Tripped. Christchurch Handicap: Uproar. Golden Demonic, Porcelain Priqce. Dominion Handicap: Royal Zorra, Tess, Copenhagen. Autumn Nursery Handicap: Imitation, Search Warrant, All Fair. Wigram Handicap: Serang, Iroquoi, Lord Fane. Templeton Handicap: Fuel. Motueka, Nasib. Shirley Handicap: Maracaibo, Sun House, Masai.