RACING Rethea Picked For Steeples At Ellerslie

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31083, 11 June 1966, Page 6

RACING Rethea Picked For Steeples At Ellerslie

"The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. Rethea, an 85-guinea buy as a yearling, has a great chance to carry off one of the biggest jumping races in the Dominion, the £3500 McGregor Grant Steeplechase, three miles at Ellerslie today.

Rethea, now an eight-year-old, has yet to win a race of any description. His excellent second to Confer in the Great Northern Steeplechase last Monday suggests that this is his big opportunity. Victory for Rethea in the big event would be a just reward for the patience his owner and trainer, W. Sanders, of Te Awamutu, has shown throughout the gelding's career.

Sanders bought Rethea mainly for a jumper, but his plans on two occasions were nearly ended when the gelding suffered leg injuries. At the end of his four-year-old career Rethea injured a hind leg so badly that his racing days looked to be over. But Sanders persevered with him and he got him back into racing shape again.

At six years Rethea looked likely to develop into a topclass ’chaser. That season he finished third in the Great Northern Steeplechase to Johnny Dee and Braemar. However, during the running he injured a knee. That looked certain to be the finish. However, an operation was performed on the joint. He was brought back into work and meanwhile has suffered no effects from the operation. With the ground having been thoroughly soaked by recent rain the winner of the McGregor Grant Steeplechase will have to show a great deal of stamina. Rethea might not be able to muster a lot of early pace, but he is a solid stayer, as tough as can be imagined. His main rivals today may be Prettypeen, Confer, and Ringlock. Not since Knight’s Star, in 1959, has the Great Northern winner gone on to take the McGregor Grant. With only 101 b above the minimum Confer is still well enough placed in the weights to complete the double.

The McGregor Grant Steeplechase is the first leg of the T.A.B. double. Queen’s Poet, which has already won twice at the meeting. Forebrace, Sunset Fair and Corbassiere are bound to run prominently in the second leg, the £l5OO York Handicap, a mile. Queen’s Poet has shown previously that once she reaches top form she continues to thrive. She won most impressively on the first two days, so must be very hard to beat in the attempt at the hat-trick.

Forebrace, a good winter galloper from Cambridge, finished fourth in the King George Handicap last Monday and the time before won well over six furlongs at Rotorua. The mile will be to his advantage as he is inclined to get behind early. The false rail will be in use from the five furlongs to the home turn today. Nevertheless, the going is still certain to be heavy. Selections: — 11 a.m.—Orakei Hurdles: Howe Fair, Miss Raye, Mo-I-Rana. 11.40 a.m.—Hunt Cup: King's Credit, Wheroma, Sununi. 12.25 p.m. McGregor Grant Steeplechase: Rethea. Prettypeen, Confer. 1.10 p.m. Campbell Hurdles: Treble, Kohringa, Jumping Joe. 1.55 p.m.—York Handicap: Forebrace, Queen’s Poet, Sunset Fair. 2.50 p.m.—Visitors’ Handicap: Royal Fair, \»onderbar, Blue Baron. 3.30 p.m.—Parnell Handicap: Gray Knight, Sharab, Brother Bart 4.10 p.m.—Fitzroy Handicap: Treasure Castle, Stirling Castle, Disinee. Fields:— 11 a.m.— ORAKEI HURDLES, £1000; Um. ■nd 60yds.—Howe Fair (7) 10-5:

Riglaw <6) 10-2; Miss Raye (11) 9- Mo-i-rana (12) 9-9; Blue Bay (5) 9-5; Ngairo (9) 9-4; Magog (3) 9-2: Black Emperor (1), Blue Step (2), Count Serene (4), Kindu fl 3) 9-0. Scratched: Super John (8), Banny Molloy (10). 11.40 a.m.— HUNT CUP, £1000; 2im.—King’s Credit (11) 11-0; Wheroma (3) 10- Tikipunga (8) 10-8; Bold Smuggler (10), Convarto (7), Coral View (2), Plate Glass (12), Surami (5), Tomwatha (4). Wee Ted (1) 10-7. Brackets: King’s Credit and Surami. Scratched: Sailor’s Farewell (9), Owais Billy Boy (6).

CAMPBELL HURDLES, £1500; 2m.—Macdonald (8) 10-1; Khoringa (9) 10-0: Robert Earl (2) 9-13; Treble (4) 9-8; Jumping Joe (1), Repeal (10) 9-7: Emsie (6) 9-4; Coral Reef (3), Lee Anne (11), Monoceros (7) 9-0. Scratched: Howe Fair (5). 1.55 p.m.—

VISITORS* HANDICAP, 11250; Of —Rohe Potae (13) 9-0; Master Defence (6) 8-9; Mali Peter (4), Tuam (5) 8-8; Alkaid (17), Royal Fair (2) 8-7: Blue Baron (7), Bottle Top (18) 8-6: Wonderbar (11) 8-4: Foxskin (10) 8-3: Rossfield (9) 8-2; Astarito (12). Lamyn (3). Mac’s Pride (14), Merry Men (16), Te Pari Chat (8), Travel Alone (15) 8-0. Scratched: Prince Arragon (1). 3.30 p.m.— PARNELL HANDICAP, £1000; 6f—Synteena (13) 9-3; Balleta (19) Gray Knight (7) 9-1; Sharab (4) 8-9: Beau Coup (14), Gambado (8) 8-8; Carmenta (9). Count Mein (15), Peggy Filou (11, Springlo (2), Tolly (11), Triple Wood (6) 8-7: Court Rapid (20) 8-6; Brother Bart (5) 8-5; Donroy (16), Talaheena (17), Theatre Royal (22) 8-4; Phylene (21) 8-1; Apolima (3>, Sunfight (12) 8-0 Scratched: Claraboa (18), Angolicum (10). 4.10 p.m.— FITZROY HANDICAP, £1000; Im. —Stirling Castle (3) 9-13; Dlsinee (10), Invincible (4) 8-12; Sue Paul (9) 8-11; Nurmi (11) 8-10; Big Beau (21) 8-8; Fine Summer (18) 8-6; Draco (13) 8-5: Foxaro (1), Head Fancy (22) Treasure Castle (12) 8-4; Achates (5), Carolyn Rose (20), ■Tan Cobbler (28), Kopia (7). Misty Fox (14) 8-1; Great Companion (16), Jeenie Bee (29), Jillian (23), Main Defence (25), Sealyn (19), Riingi Kitea (6), October Lad (15), Foxrua (2) 8-0. Balloted out with right of reentry: Fleet Filou (17), Elucidate (27) 8-0. Brackets: Kopia and Misty Fox; Great Companion and Jeenie Bee; Jillian and Main Defence; Sealyn and Riingi Kitea: October Lad and Foxrua; Fleet Filou and Elucidate. Scratched: Venturer (26), Triple W'yn (24), Mighty Fair (3), Chatsworth Dee (8).

U ZS p.m.— McGregor grant steeple CHASE. £3500 ; 3m. st lb 1440 Prettypeen (1) 10 2 5714 Ringlock (2) 10 1 1140 Form Luca (8) 9 13 6271 Confer <4) 9 10 1100 Kingston (7) 9 4 3042 Rethea (12) 9 3 1040 Count Lin (11) 9 2 0511 Explicit (3) 9 1 0078 Johnny Dee <9) 9 1 970 Prince Sylvan (10) .. 9 1 0 Double Fling (5) 9 0 6031 PopoS (6) 9 0 1.10 i.m.—

YORK HANDICAP, £1500; Im. st lb 1100 Admiral Donnington (3) 8 8 3011 Queen’s Poet (20) .. 8 7 0000 Mantovani (19) 8 6 0150 Wiri (14) 8 3 7514 Forebrace (10) 8 2 7008 Old and Bold (17) .. 8 0 8004 Blue Heather (13) .. 7 12 5212 Anne Lane (11) 7 11 2663 Sunset Fair (7) 7 11 9292 Corbassiere (16) .. 7 9 0000 Captain Lancaster (5) 7 8 2235 Undercounter (2) .. 7 8 8454 Caramelle (15) 7 7

0007 Chui (18) 7 7 9006 Fiery Lad (1) 7 7 0076 High News (6) 7 7 Otara 18) 7 7 0004 The Prophet (12) .. 7 7 0560 Trueman (9) 7 7 0 Young Ray (4) 7 7 Scratched: Merrymen (22), Weatherly (21). 2.50 p.m.—