RACING CREOLIAN MAY BEAT PALISADE

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31006, 11 March 1966, Page 4

RACING CREOLIAN MAY BEAT PALISADE

Rohe Portae Picked For The Trentham Second Leg

Creolian and Rohe Potae are selected to win the T.A.B. double for Waikato stables on the second day of the Wellington Racing Club’s autumn meeting tomorrow.

Creolian will get his chance to improve a solid record at Trentham in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap, one mile and a half.

His first meeting with Palisade this season, and a further meeting with three horses which ran him close at Trentham in January, will make for the most interesting race on the programme. Creolian won the Wellington Racing Club Handicap, also over a mile and a half, at Trentham in January, but only after a hard battle with Worthy Chat, Sail Away and Grand Filou in the most spectacular race of the meeting. There was only half a head between Creolian and Worthy Chat, and at the weights—an advantage of 71b—Worthy Chat could be expected to turn the tables this time. But Creolian, comparatively fresh after a less testing run •gainst the milers in the Thompson Handicap—he finished ninth—might do better than Worthy Chat, which was an undistinguished fourth in the H. R. Chalmers Handicap, two miles, last Saturday. Track conditions should have the final bearing on the result, but if conditions favour both horses Creolian and Palisade could dominate the finish. Weight Carrier Palisade has 9-12, and carried 61b less to a notable victory in the Chalmers Handicap. Although he has now won twice at two miles he is even better at a mile and a half, and 9-12 is not too formidable for a horse of his physique and class. Palisade is in the skilled hands of a trainer whose

Palisade is in the skilled hands of a trainer whose

horses invariably do well with racing. D. P. Wilson believes it is a better risk to have a horse one race short than to have it at a level of fitness where racing will not effect further improvement. Palisade, then, is almost certain to be in the right form to run another great race. The handy size of the field will suit him, as it will also suit Grand Filou, run- - ner-up in the Chalmers Han- . dicap. 1 Strong Finisher 1 Grand Filou is invariably ■. ridden back, and has been asked for big efforts at times 1 when fields have been large. f Unlike many of the Le i Filou’s, he shows a marked t preference for firm tracks, a but even in the most favourt able conditions it is doubtful i if he can beat Palisade at a i mile and a half when meete mg him only 31h better than i. last week. r Sail Away was left in front s on the home turn in the , Chalmers Handicap, and weakened slightly to third, but the iron horse from Woodj ville could win the race for a s second time if delayed for a j later challenge. , Bandon is not a two-miler, „ but his form at a mile and a “ half gives him a place chance at least, although only if the track is firm. Unlucky Fourth 5 Rohe Potae, an unlucky • fourth behind Captain’s Command. Home on the Range 3 and Misere last Saturday, 3 should be too strong for the ', others at the end of seven e furlongs in the Suburban Hane dicap. Rohe Potae mastered seven d furlongs in his second of two e victories at the Wellington

. Cup meeting, and has every • chance to improve his good i record on the course. Like Captain’s Command, ' Rohe Potae is a three-year-t old. He prefers easy and soft tracks, and his connexions t might be in luck again tot morrow. t Rohe Potae has drawn one > of the inside barrier post--1 tions. So has Misere, a weak- - ening but still a respectable - third last Saturday. In the event of soft footing or worse, Misere, too, could beat Home on the Range, which has drawn close to the f outside. i Captain’s Command has s done much of his racing on firm tracks, but the ground » was soft when he won at i the Otago Hunt meeting first ;, time out this season. Combination is a second 1 form runner for Wingatui, a but it is doubtful if Napier > Park form will have a u stronger bearing on the result than first-day Trentham t form. e Combination won the open 3 sprint on the first day of the Napier meeting. [I Grand Win did nothing of a any account on the first day a of the meeting. It was a performance so far removed from ■, her best that it might have a an inaccurate bearing on her e chance. e Boodle lost his chance in the Thompson Handicap ducking in under pressure. If there is a surprise from a light-weight this Le Filou y gelding might bring it off. His i- stablemate, Rohe Potae, beat e him only narrowly over seven ', furlongs at the Wellington e Cup meeting. n Slowness to accelerate i- might be Tumble’s greatest handicap. The Riccarton n sprinter came from the back o for a fair seventh in the Railn way Handicap last week.