TROTTING Vantage Fancied In Gold Cup At Nelson

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31082, 10 June 1966, Page 4

TROTTING Vantage Fancied In Gold Cup At Nelson

Vantage will probably be a firm favourite for the Caltex Gold Cup at Nelson tomorrow. On recent form Mr A. W. Hopkin’s Van Dieman gelding is certainly entitled to be the popular fancy for the first leg of the Nelson Trotting Club’s TA.B. double.

Vantage will try for his third win from his last four starts. He was successful over a mile and a half at Ashburton last Saturday. A fortnight earlier he managed 14 furlongs with the greatest of ease at Washdyke. His winning margin on that occasion was seven lengths.

Tomorrow Vantage will go two miles, and from the point of view of stamina he should manage the distance as well, if not better, than the majority of his rivals. If Queen’s Birthday form proves a reliable guide, Eyreton and Cindy, two members of D. J. Townley’s team, should be among the major contenders.

Proven Two-miler

Eyreton will attempt to win his second successive twomile race. At Ashburton last Monday he cleared away from 17 rivals to win the Acton Handicap by five lengths. Cindy has no two-mile form on her recent record, but she was running on third at the end of a mile and a half in the Winter Handicap at Ashburton last Monday, and had been the runner-up to Seafield Prince over a sprint distance at Washdyke two starts beforehand.

Ulight raised hopes of a return to her best farm with a solid late run for second to Soldier Gal over a mile and a half at Ashburton last Monday. Ulight has won three races up to a mile and five furlongs this season, and her latest effort left the impression that she might not be out of it over the longer disances as well.

If Chaman produced one. of his best runs he could improve the good record at Nelson of horses trained by C. S. Donald. Chaman has won three races this season, and his most recent victory was in the twomile Raceway Handicap at For bury Park last month.

North Islanders will be hoping for a False Spring victory. This Foxton-trained mare is entitled to solid backing for she has sound form credentials. She has two recent middle distance wins and a second on her record. Stable Double

If Chaman earns first-leg honours there will be a strong prospect of a stable double. Student is almost certain to be the popular choice for the second leg, the Stoke Handicap. Student was the best of Eyreton’s rivals in the Acton Handicap at Ashburton last Monday, and that was his third minor placing since he won as a sprinter at Hutt Park in April. C. S. Donald's consistent Smokey Hanover entire will be reverting to sprinting again tomorrow. The majority of Student’s rivals have an alternative engagement in the Tahuna Handicap earlier in the day so the outcome of that event could provide some valuable form pointers. Torpi, third behind Eyreton and Student at Ashburton last Monday, will be one of the stronger fancies if she starts and runs well in the former event

Spry, a minor place-getter on the first day at Ashburton, will also come into favour if he shapes well earlier in the day. But the chances are that Showpiece, which, like Student, is engaged only in the Stoke Handicap, will have stronger backing. This Masterpiece filly, a member of D. G. Jones and J. Grant's team, was the runner-up to Dryden Smoke over two miles at Addington last Saturday week, but her two wins at Westport in February were both gained over the shorter distances.

Nocatchem, which is first on the list of reserves, will be high on the list of fancied runners if she gets a start The last time this Nelsontrained filly raced she was the runner-up to Lustre Scott in the Presidetit’s Handicap at the Royal meeting at Addington in April.

2 p.m.— CALTEX COLD CUP, £550; 2:17 class; 2m. 5505 Blue Pin (2) It. 0000 Boblita (14) It. 2140 Chaman (7) It. 0203 Cindy (1) It. 5097 Doctor Jim (5) ». It. 0201 Eyreton (6) It. 0012 False Spring (1) It. 5304 Hal Special (16) It. 0400 Richard Hanover (9) It. 9838 Snow Chief (12) It. 4416 Tahu (8) It. 8800 Trudy Helen (3) It. 7852 Ullght (11) it. 2080 Vaggi (14) It. 0171 Vantage (15) It. 8900 Thunderboy (1) 36 0920 Gold Boots (1) 60 Brackets: Cindy and Eyreton; Thunderboy and Gold Boots. Scratched: Queensway. 3.30 p.m.— STOKE HANDICAP, £375; 2:18 class; lira. 9589 Angel Lass '5) It. 6660 Cantablle (1'4) It. 0000 Fallax (6) It. 6530 Golden G’.rry (17) .. It. 8)378 John (9) It. 9007 Major Stream (1) It. 8008 Real Song (12) It. 3020 Showpiece (7) It. 0030 Spry (2) It 0220 Stormy Scott (11) ... It. 1342 Student (3) It. 6053 Torpi (16) It. 9700 Unreal (8) ». It. 1150 Vandlor (15) It. 0000 White Smoke (4) It. 0600 Winfield Chief (14) .. It. Balloted out with right of reentry:— 6004 Van Roth (18) It. Brackets: Cantablle and Student; , Real Song and Unreal; Nocatchem and White Smoke. Scratched: Nocatchem.