RACING ASHBURTON MEETING TODAY

Press, Volume C, Issue 29514, 16 May 1961, Page 4

RACING ASHBURTON MEETING TODAY

Strong Wingatui Team Has Every Chance

Otago horses will be heavily outnumbered at Ashburton today, but it is doubtful if that will place them at any great disadvantage. Otago will have form runners in most races and with a bit of luck could win half the programme. Irrepressible will be one of the stronger fancies for the main race, the Ashburton County Handicap, Gay Mood will be outright favourite for the hurdles, and Relation might occupy the same position in the Apprentices’ Hack Handicap.

Irrepressible is second top weight with 8-11 in the Ashburton County Handicap, the first leg of the double. She is 3 lb below Shoal, which looks pretty certain, with average luck, to run into one of the places. Shoal won this race last year under 9-3. She gave 221 b to Quite Able and beat him by two lengths—a meritorious performance considering the form Quite Able has developed in the meantime. Irrepressible raced against the sprinters at this meeting a year ago and ran third to Matauwhi and Brown Watch. She has open-class winning form over 11 furlongs, the distance of today's race. Perhaps the best lightweight in the Ashburton County Handicap field will be Omaha, a winner against the hack sprinters at Ashburton this time last year. Navarone could be another strong light-weight contender. He was disappointing at his latest start, but shaped like an early winner with a fourth in the Sockburn Handicap, won by Juventas. at Riccarton at Easter. Gay Mood has not managed to win a race in nine starts this season, but has a good chance to adjust the record satisfactorily in the Winchmore Hurdles. Veteran In Form This Wingatui-owned and trained Ma<niototo gelding is now in his eleventh year, but Is wearing well and has one third and two fourths to show for his last three races. Two of those races were over hurdles at Riccarton at Easter. He had 10-10 when he ran third to Cashmere and Bailiff in the Kildare Hurdles at his first appearance at the meeting. Today he has 10-10 in a weaker field over the same distance. Aroair may give J. Didham of Wingatui a first winning experience as an owner in the Trial Stakes today. Aroair showed she is useful in heavy going at Riverton at •Easter when she ran Begorrah to a neck and finished well ahead of the others in the Novice Handicap. Next day Begorrah made that form look gnore than

useful by outclassing the hack stayers. Riverton Winner Didham also trains Relation, which will test Canterbury’s best in the Apprentices’ Hack Handicap. This Tunanova mare has taken some time—she is six —-to develop solid form. But she was impressive in winning over a mile by six lengths on the final day of the Riverton meeting. The Apprentices' Hack Handicap field is strong in form runners. Rondar, like Relation, is a last-start winner, and Safe Harbour, Gabbler, Pitch, Golden Aureole, and Gay Fox have wins close up on their records.

The programme might end, as it is expected to start, with a win for Wingatui. The three-year-old Mighty Smart, a member of A. N. DitSham’s team, mastered a mile and a quarter with ease in winning at the North Canterbury meeting at Riccarton. so it will be anything but -surprising if he makes the grade over another furlong today. Mighty Smart has 8-3, but will be giving weight to all but Slatey and Archway. Slatey is set one of the stiffest tests of his career with 9-6 in this field, but in his present form he should run well. Herbs, Paua, Night Sock, Strategy, and Corowa are fancied most of those below Mighty Smart in the weights.