Waikato chance for Curved Air

Press, 7 February 1986, Page 23

Waikato chance for Curved Air

Special correspondent Auckland

Curved Air and Final Advance would be prime candidates for any prize going for consistency and one or the other could secure a due reward at the Waikato Racing Club’s meeting at Te Rapa tomorrow.

Both horses are in the first leg of the double, the 2000 m Highview Stud Handicap with excellent winning credentials. Curved Air, last time, was runner-up in the Evening Post Wellington Cup, right on top of a second on the first day of the big Trentham meeting, the previous Saturday. Without winning she has been in the money eight times out of 10 starts this season; she must surely win soon.

The only time Curved Air finished unplaced in her last seven attempts was in the DB Auckland Cup, the race in which Final Advance, with his third placing, brought himself much attention as one of the up-and-coming stayers. It was the worst luck

for his connections that Final Advance, through being balloted out, did not get a start in the Wellington Cup.

Final Advance had better form than some which ran in Trentham’s big race. He is a four-year-old with scope to develop further and take a really big distance prize. It would be right against the form if Curved Air and Final Advance were not the first two. The best of the others could be Danos, a seven-year-old gelding from Wanganui. Digby, another promising to win again at any time, will have the opportunity to collect a much better than ordinary intermediate stake in the second leg of the T.A.B. double, the Thoroughbred Management Plate.

He has several in-form opponents though, notably Empire Rose, Lord Jekyll, Whata Beauty and Defend.

If Carlos Lopez, an attractive highweight winner at Te Aroha on Thursday, is allowed to line up again the race will become the more open.

He is beginning to shape like a very useful middledistance runner.

What Beauty, Digby and Defend finished first, second and fourth respectively when they met in a middle-distance race at Foxton on January 29, the most recent race for all three. There was not much between Whata Beauty, a five-year-old mare, and Digby, a gelding of the same age, with Defend a couple of lengths away.

Digby, from Foxton, and Whata Beauty, which comes from Woodville, have both been consistent. Digby made a good impression when brought north for the DB Auckland Cup meeting, beating all except Trocane in an intermediate 2200 m event.

Empire Rose distinguished herself by giving Royal Heights such a good race for the New Zealand Oaks when she last raced. A longer distance than this 2100 m might suit her rather more but she has to be accorded very considerable respect.