TROTTING Zenith Selected To Win Forbury Park First Leg

Press, Volume C, Issue 29498, 27 April 1961, Page 4

TROTTING Zenith Selected To Win Forbury Park First Leg

Zenith, the winner of two races on the course in January, is selected to win again in the Winter Handicap, the main race and first leg of the double on the opening night of the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s winter meeting on Saturday. Zenith looks favourably placed on the front mark and she will only have to reproduce one of her better efforts to be the hardest to beat in a field which includes many out-of-form horses.

Zenith raced last at the Canterbury Park club’s meeting on April 1. She showed gameness in a tough finish with Samantha and was beaten by half a length.

She showed- that she had freshened up well since then with a useful run at the Addington trials last week. O. M. Quinlan has had a successful season and Zenith should extend his record at this meeting. The leading trainer for the season, C. S. Donald, will parade a strong bracket in Gildirect and Zany, both of which have shown sound form this season. Zany is selected to do best of the pair. She finished ninth in the New Brighton Cup on March 25 at her most recent start, making up ground over the last half-mile. She started from 36 yards and there was merit in her effort She usually begins smartly and from No. 3 on 12 yards she should obtain a good run all the way. Gildirect has been out of form in three starts since he gained a decisive win in the J. E. August Memorial Handicap at Hutt Park on March 6. In that race he beat Samantha and Aquaplane after taking 3m in 11 4-ssec for the 12 furlongs. He has been wayward at the barrier lately, but provided he does not lose too much ground.

he could prove to be too good for most in this field. Light Mood could be the pick of the other horses on the front. He was an unlucky seventh at Gore last Saturday, receiving a bad check when pacing easily in a handy position near the straight entrance. Until that stage he had looked a likely place-getter. Addington Placing Two starts ago Light Mood paced a great race for third to Samantha and Zenith in the President’s Handicap at Addington on April 1. He had little in his favour in the running and did well to return a dividend. Light Mood seems to be racing much more generously now than at any other stage of his career. One of his best efforts would be good enough

to give him a winning chance in this field. Queen Ngaio has not paced a bad race in recent months. She finished fifth in the race won by Samantha at Addington on April 1, an effort which entitles her to consideration. She was runner-up to Smokeaway in her heat of the free-for-all at last week’s trials. Gay Baron was a last-start winner over 10 furlongs at Addington on April 1. He has raced well at Forbury in the past and he could well be prominent all the way on Saturday. Kingsdown Patch has more ability than most in the race, but he has had no luck lately. A win for him would not be impossible, but he will have to improve on his recent efforts. Improvement Aquaplane has shown marked improvement this season under the guidance of

A. J. Bourne. He failed to begin cleanly in the sprint at Gore last Saturday and lost all chance. Aquaplane is a fit horse at present and he could easily make amends for last week’s failure. Robert Dillon will be in demand in spite of his handicap of 24 yards. He paced a fine race for second to Highland Heath at Gore. Robert Dijlon is not always reliable, but at times he has returned efforts far superior to those of most of the others in the race. He was an impressive heat winner over 13 furlongs at the Inter-Dominion Championship meeting in February at Addington. Frown, which is also on 24 yards, and Highland Heath, which will start from 36 yards look to be the pick of the others, but they will have to work hard to win from their handicaps in a big field.