RACING Irrepressible for ASHBURTON

Press, Volume C, Issue 29511, 12 May 1961, Page 4

RACING Irrepressible for ASHBURTON

Fire Bar Scratched For First Leg

Fire Bar was scratched yesterday for the Ashburton County Handicap tomorrow, but Irrepressible will run in this race, which is the first leg of the double at the Ashburton club’s autumn meeting.

Plans for D. P. Wilson’s pair were completed after they galloped at Wingatui yesterday.

Irrepressible was a dual acceptor and was scratched yesterday for the Coldstream Handicap, which is the second leg of the double.

Irrepressible has done her latest racing as a sprinter and was runner-up in two short races at Riverton at Easter. But she has winning form over 11 furlongs, the distance of the Ashburton County Handicap. She completed a double for the Wilson stable in distance races at the two-day autumn meeting at Wingatui when she beat 11 others in the Wingatui Handicap on February 25. Irrepressible carried 8-5 in the Wingatui Handicap and won by a neck from the lightweight Solus. Her time of 2min 17sec equalled the Wingatui track record of 11 furlongs.

Irrepressible is second top weight in the Ashburton County Handicap. She is 31b below the Riecarton mare. Shoal, which will be heavily backed to run into one of the places.

Ashburton, with its long straight, will suit Shoal, whose last three races have produced two thirds and one fourth.

With Fire Bar out of the field, Kastanea, Omaha, and Navarone may be the pick of the light-weights.

Second Leg

Hopeful, winner of two of his last three races, will be a solid form runner for Riccarton in the second leg of the double, the Qoldstream Handicap. Hopeful won the Amberley Cup easily from Persuasive last Saturday, and that was generally surprising because the Orari mare had finished

a good way ahead of him at Riecarton a week earlier. If North Canterbury form at Riecarton is to be of the best value. Persuasive, Rhythm Rein, and John Jameson will be solid contenders.

Persuasive has had only two open-class races for two seconds.

And John Jameson's record since he left hacks is also solid. He started in open class with a win at Riverton. He was also fourth and sixth at Riverton, and fourth at the North Canterbury meeting.

The leading jockey, W. D. Skelton, will ride John Jameson.

Placed Form

Mmglow. from Mosgiel, and Blonde Sprite, from Riccarton, have fair form credentials in an even-look-ing field, and Blonde Sprite’s impressive final trial yesterday could make her one of the "most favoured division. They were second and fourth respectively behind Compensate in the mile Templeton Handicap at Riccarton at Easter. Blonde Sprite has since been placed at Blenheim.

The well-seasoned Arctic Sun is expected to master top weight of 10-10 in the Alford Steeplechase tomorrow.

Steeplechases at Ashburton were often comedies of errors a few years ago but have been pretty uneventful lately. There are safe jumpers in the Alford Steeples field, and there should be none safer than Arctic Sun. winner of the Otago Steeplechase last year.

This Orari - owned and trained Tormie gelding has been nominated for major jumping races at the Great Northern meeting at Ellerslie, and if he comes up to expectations tomorrow, he will probably make the trip.

The Riecarton jumper Reclaim is not a certain starter. Unsoundness has kept him away from racing for three years, and he was sore after schooling well at Riecarton recently.