Asia Minor Is Hutt Park Pick

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30958, 14 January 1966, Page 5

Asia Minor Is Hutt Park Pick

There seems little doubt that the Leeston stablemates, Asia Minor and When, will be firm favourites for the Ordeal Free-for-all at Hutt Park Racewav tomorrow evening.

On recent form Asia Minor is expected to be the stronger member of the bracket in the first leg of the Wellington Trotting Club's T.A.B. double.

Asia Minor’s last three starts have produced two wins and a third. He won the Winslow Handicap in style at Ashburton on December 27 and was an unlucky third in the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on New Year’s Day. He atoned for that defeat by winning narrowly, but well, in the Stewards’ Trotting Free-for-all on the second night of the Canterbury Park meeting.

When’s recent form has not been as solid. She won the Banks Penisula Trotting Handicap attractively in October at her first start after a successful campaign in the United States. Meantime she has started three times for one fourth. But her latest lapse might only be temporary, for she is a high-class trotter when at her peak. If Canterbury Park form proves the best guide, there may be an all-South Island finish. The others expected to participate in it are Queen’s Cord, Poupette and Harbour Light.

Queen’s Cord showed fine form when third to Asia Minor and Harbour Light in the Stewards’ Trotting Free-for-all the last time she raced. Beside, her second, Harbour Light was also successful at the meeting. On the first night she beat Poupette and Asia Minor in the Canterbury Park Trotting Cup. That race gave 1 Poupette the first of her two ] minor platings at the meetling. In the Stewards’ Trotting 1 Free-for-all she ran on well for fourth, once in the clear. Astralight, a last-start winner at Auckland, and Flying Maiden, which made ground for fifth in the Stewards’ Trotting Free-for-all last Monday week, will strengthen the prospect of a South Island victory. Last-start Winners Buchanan and Trysail could vie for favouritism in the Adios Handicap, second leg of the main double. Buchanan and TrysaM both will try to keep winning records intact. The latter beat Buchanan in the U. Scott Stakes at Addington Raceway last Saturday week. Buchanan atoned

for that defeat with a convincing win in the Recovery Stakes on the second night of the meeting. The hardest for the last-start winners to beat might be Southern Song, which ran Terrace Dale to a nose over two miles in the Light Brigade Handicap at Addington Raceway last Monday week. His record this season has been consistent.

The best of the others from the South Island could be Hurry On and Nigger Minstrel, but most opposition for the more fancied runners is likely to come from Tutankhamen. The Auckland-trained six-year-old rain good races at the Auckland Cup carnival and was narrowly beaten over two miles the last time he started. 8.30 p.m.— ORDEAL FREE-FOR-ALL, £1260; 2:13 class; trotters;

lira. 3987 Ali Bey (3) It. 0301 Astralight (11) It. 4260 Control (7) It. 7005 Flying Maiden (2) It. 6145 Little Smoke (8) It. 5034 Our Eileen (14) It. 8924 Poupette (12) It. 6473 Queen’s Cord (4) It. S002 Scotleigh (1) It. 0006 Uteena (6) .. It. 1400 When (9) It. 0799 White World (10) It. Scratched: Asia Minor, larbour Light. 10 p.m.— ADIOS HANDICAP, 1 £960: 2:14 class; lim. 8121 Buchanan (4) lt. ■ 9007 Central Range (3) .. It. I 07 Commonwealth (5) It. ■ 6003 Nigger Minstrel (6) .. It. 1 4685 Rapine (9) It. i 3956 Scotch Bomb (8) It. 0005 Solemn (7) . . It. 3242 Southern Song (1) It. 3021 Trysail (2) It. 0006 Bede (3) 12 1000 Hurrj r On (1) 12 7422 Tutankhamen (2) 12 Scratched: Bonnieburn.