RACING SHAHWAN WINS HAZLETT GOLD CUP IMPRESSIVELY

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28161, 27 December 1956, Page 4

RACING SHAHWAN WINS HAZLETT GOLD CUP IMPRESSIVELY

(From Our Own Reporter)

DUNEDIN, December 26. Shahwan preserved his unbeaten record at Wingatui by easily winning the James Hazlett Gold Cup today for his Teviotdale owner, Mr H. D. Greenwood. Shahwan’s previous wins on the course were the Dunedin Guineas in September, and the Champagne Stakes a year ago. The runner-up to Shahwan was his half-sister Ma Heine, but she did not trouble the Riccarton-trained Pherozshah colt. Excellency, the dam of Shahwan and Ma Heine won this race for Mr W. T. Oliver in 1947 and 1948. Shahwan is trained at Riccarton by K. J. Thomson, who prepared Desperado to win the race for Mr Greenwood four years ago. The brilliant Defaulter also won the race for Mr Greenwood. Flair equalled the track record of 2min 17sec for one mile and three furlongs when he narrowlywon the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap, the first leg of the double. In a spectacular finish Flair just lasted to beat the Riccarton pair Writer and Bon Soir. Spring Night was a close fourth. Saturday’s Dunedin Cup proved of value as a guide. Flair and Writer were third and fourth respectively in the Cup. Flair, which did his early racing in the North Island is having a good campaign for his Invercargill owner Mr A. Eunson. He also won the Southland Centennial Handicap on his home track last month. Skylight's Decisive Win Skylight, another Invercargilltrained galloper, decisively won the Flying Handicap, second leg of the double. Mr W. E. Hazlett’s four-year-old Callander gelding dashed clear on the home turn and was not put to the test to beat the Riccarton-trained Princess Neptune by a length. Holders of 969 10s tickets on the Flair-Skylight double combination received £25 Ils for £l. The on-course totalisator turnover for the day was £52,792 10s. The total for the meeting was £99,323 an increase of £2860 10s on last year. Shahwan, second last in a field of seven on the home turn, won the James Hazlett Gold Cup with a powerful run that carried him past Pilot Light near the furlong. He was unchallenged after, and won by two lengths from his half-sister Ma Reine, which caught Pilot Light in the last few strides. Shahwan was given time to get balanced and at the end of a furlong he was last, seven lengths from the pacemaking Pilot Light, which had Silver King and Silence close at hand. S hah wan passed Royal Warrant going to the half-mile where Pilot Light was shading Silence and Suphero for the lead, but Shahwan stormed past him nearing the furlong and it was all ©ver.

Ma Reine ran the last furlong very strongly to get up for second. She could not get within challenging distance of her halfbrother, but there was merit in her effort because she lost her position on the home turn. Pilot Light was two lengths clear of Royal Warrant, fourth. Next in order were Suphero, Silence, and Silver King. Narrow Win for Flair Flair, Writer, Bon Soir, and Spring Night staged a first-class finish to the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap, the first leg of the double. The camera placed them in that order separated by a nose, a long neck and a head. Flair inched his way past Spring Night into the lead inside the furlong. Writer tried gamely to peg him back. He appeared to reduce the Invercargill horses margin by a fraction, and ran the last few yards of the race a shade more strongly, but was beaten by the narrowest of margins. Spring Night ran into the lead early, and set a strong pace past the mile by a length and a half from Cashmere. Canon, Exodus and Writer were next, ahead of Lucky Bill, Flair, Relinquish, Landon, Horatius, Bon Soir, and Overboard. Horatius and Flair moved forward a few places inside the next two furlongs, and Flair was a clear second behind Spring Night at the half-mile where Writer, several places back, was being eased away from the rails to dodge trouble from tiring horses. The Dunedin Cup winner, Relinquish, worked forward on the outer to follow Spring Night and Flair round the home turn. Writer found an opening closer to the inside and gave chase after Spring Night and Flair going to the furlong. Bon Soir put in a late appearance wider out to put fresh interest into a great finish. It was Flair’s day, but thefe was little in it. Canon was fifth a length and i half from Spring Night. Landon was half a length back sixth, then there was a gap to Exodus, Horatius, Relinquish. Overboard, Lucky Bill, and Cashmere. The Second Leg Skylight dashed clear from a trailing position on the home turn in the Flying Handicap, second leg of the double, and the only one of his opponents to make any progress near the end was the Ric-carton-trained Princess Neptune Princess Neptime sustained a solid run but Skylight was not really troubled.

My Friend, Brooke and Red Tinge led over the first furlong. Skylight was alongside My Friend, in a trailing position behind Kasr El Nil and Brooke at the half-mile, but dashed past them into the lead on the home turn. Princess Neptune was four places back there, but improved going to the furlong. She reduced Skylight’s lead with every stride, but she could not close the gap. The little-fancied Fulgent was a length and a quarter back third. He was just ahead of Princess Neptune on the home turn and held third position from the furlong. King’s Lace made slight improvement from a handy position on the inner for fourth, a length and a quarter back. Irish Wings, a fast finisher on the inner, was a close fifth, and Sawdust 11, one of the slowest away, was a handy sixth, clear of Rathkeale. Results:— OWHIRO HIGH-WEIGHT HANDICAP, Of £350. One mile 4- 3—SUPER BID «8> by Super . ~ B ><h-Bidi 9-1 G. W. Wright 1 5. s—Master David (7) car. 9-2 9-0 a‘. Cowan 3 X 1 Bng O Cally; 9, 9 Vocalize;

11, 11 The Sponsor: 1,2 Rex Robe: 7, 7 Cocos: 8, 6 Bonniboy: 10, 10 King Gus; 3, 4 Santee also started. Length and a half: three-quarters of a length. Brig O’Cally was fourth. Time, Imin 40sec. Dividends.—Win: £8 9s 6d. Places: £1 18s 6d, £3 3s, £4 7s 6d. NOVICE HANDICAP, Of £250. Seven furlongs. 8. B—HEARTH RUG (15) by Super—Hearth car 8-8 J. D. Pankhurst 1 15. 14—King Cassock (18) car. 8-2’i .. .. E. G. Low 2 7. B—Super Lin (6) car. 8-5 G. W. Wright 3 1, 1 Eden's Pride; 9, 7 Gallant Peter; 4. 3 Bright Bridge; 14, 20 Lingaro; 11, 10 Pot Luck; 19, 18 Sea Wings; 21. 21 Coster Boy; 23, 23 Central King; 3. 2 Ettrick John; 20, 19 Full Circle: 22, 22 Frances Bum; 12, 11 Great Sensation; 10, 11 Highlea; 13, 12 King’s Music; 17. 17 Massenet; 16, 15 Master Ascot; 18, 16 Roi d’Amour; 5. 5 Sydtrev; 5, 5 Superiority: 6, 6 Uproar; 6, 6 Zenock also started. Two lengths and a half; half a length. Master Ascot was fourth. Time: Imin 27sec. Dividends.—Win: £2l 9s. Places: £6 10s, £lO 9s, £6 10s. DUNEDIN JOCKEY CLUB HANDICAP, Of £lOOO. One mile and three furlongs. 1. I—FLAIR (5) by Instinct— Proclaim 8-2 .. W. D. Skelton 1 2. 2—Writer (2) by Gold Nib— Sanskrit 8-9 .. G. W. Mein 2 7. B—Bon Soir (10) by Royal Arch—Kinlass 7-0 R. J. Mackie 3 5, 5 Horatius; 6, 6 Overboard; 4, 4 Canon; 3, 3 Relinquish; 8, 7 Landon; 9, 10 Spring Night; 10, 11 Cashmere; 12, 12 Exodus; 11, 9 Lucky Bill also started. Nose; long neck. Spring Night was fourth. Time: 2min 17sec (equals track record). Dividends.—Win: £3 Ils 6d. Places: £1 10s, £1 15s, £6. HOPEFUL HANDICAP, Of £350. Two-year-olds. Five furlongs. 3. 3—BLACK STAR (6) by Gabador—Gay Star 7-8 A. J. Stokes 1 2. 2—Sura pt (1) by Resurgent— Lady Rapt 8-8 J. D. Pankhurst 2 4. 4—Keep Clear (8) by Perilous—Lady Rizzio 7-7 B. W. McDonald 3 1, 1 The Mint; 8. 8 Barana; 5, 5 Ace High; 6, 6 Brazier; 7, 9 Sea Buoy; 9, 7 Mo also started. Three lengths and a half; two lengths and a half. The Mint was fourth. Time, Imin Isec. Dividends.—Win: £4 17s. Places: £1 16s 6d, £1 10s, £2 2s. ABBOTSFORD HANDICAP, Of £350. Seven furlongs.

5. 4—SALONICA (18) by Cassock —Our Girl car 7-5 M. D. Alexander 1 8. 10—Field Dress (21 A) car. 7-0 J .. G. E. Lowry 2 18. 16—Peril (17) car. 8-0 A. Maddicks 3 6, 8 Pennant; 10, 7 Wayren; 7, 6 Bob wood; 9, 9 Dart Away; 1, 1 Devilry; 13, 13 Ditched: 2, 3 Mitre Peak; 15. 15 Count Aven; 3,2 Winning Wave; 16, 17 Now Listen: 20, 20 Royal Way; 11, 11 St. Ninian; 14, 14 Royal Vision; 4, 5 Aquarius; ' 19, 18 Fiery. Creek; 19, 18 Prince Ermine; 17, 19 Silver Spring; 12, 12 Super Slipper; 12, 12 Tarbillon also started. Half a length: three and a half lengths. Count Aven was fourth. Time, Imin 26 l-ssec. Dividends.—Win: £l2 14s. Places: £3 9s 6d, £5 19s, £l4 16s. FLYING HANDICAP, Of £6OO. Seven furlongs. 1. 2—SKYLIGHT (8) 8-0 by Callander—Soft Light 8-0 J. M. Cappie 1 4. 4—Princess Neptune (16) 7-4 by Neptune—Te Marua 7-4 ✓ B. W. McDonald 2 9. 9—Fulgent (13) by Red Mars —Shining Ring car. 7-3 N. L. Hoy 3 3, 5 Kasr el Nil; 10, 10 Brooke; 6, 6 Red Tinge; 12, 12 The Hob; 5, 3 Sawdust II; 5, 3 Lochie; 8. 8 Copperfield; 18, 15 Irish Wings: 11, 11 My Friend; 2, 1 Naim Bridge; 13, 13 Rathkeale; 20, 19 Armando; 21, 21 Red Boa: 14. 17 Cornflake; 19, 20 Canasta; 7, 7 King’s Lace; 17, 16 Perfect Peach; 15, 14 Palace; 16, 18 Royal Display also started. Length; length and a quarter. King’s Lace was fourth. Time, Imin 25 l-ssec. Dividends.—Win: £4 Ils 6d. Places: £2 7s 6d, £3 14s 6d, £6 3s. JAMES HAZLETT GOLD CUP, Of £lOOO. One mile. 1. I—SHAHWAN (10), by Pherozshah —Excellency 8-9 C. McDonald 1 2. 2—Ma Reine (9) 9-4 by Faux Tirage—Excellency J. Didham 2 4. 3—Pilot Light (7A) by Kurdistan—Amber Light J. M. Cappie 3

6, 7 Suohero; 5, 5 Royal Warrant; 3. 4 Silver King; 7, 6 Silence also started. , „ Two lengths: long neck. Royal Warrant was fourth. Time, Imin 39 l-ssec. Dividends.—Win: £2 ss. Places: £1 14s, £2 Is 6d. WAIHOLA HANDICAP, Of £350. One mile and three furlongs. 3. 3—KING ROBIN (2) 8-11 by Sun King—Robinfaye C. McDonald 1 4. s—Pitlochry (4A) 7-8 J. M. Cappie 2 7. 7—Meridian (16) car. 7-0 H. T. Anderton 3 1 1 Plunder: 8, 8 Meadow Gold; 2,2 Strada; 5. 4 By Jove; 10, 10 Ceme; 6. 6 Trca.iejre Pond; 9, 9 Super Star; 13, 13 Irish Chief; 11. 12 Cass; 12, 11 Flying Doctor also Three-quarters of a length; head. Meadow Gold was fourth. Time, 2l Divictends.—Win: £8 13s 6d. Places: £2 10s, £2 18s 6d, £3 19s. T.A.B. BETTING £382,657 HANDLED YESTERDAY (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Dec. 26. The Totalisator Agency Board handled £382,657 in off-course bets for the seven racing and trotting meetings held today. Of this, £185.243 was in’ win and place bets and £197,414 on doubles. Off-course betting totals, with off-course substitutes, were:— Ashburton: £24,042 5s (Dinnie Daley-Kyle Nurse brackets). Auckland: £241,812 10s (Royal Crescent). Dunedin: £23,722 5s (Nairn Bridge). Gore: £7584 (Swiss Admiral. Sandy’s Gift, Heather Walla, Quick Silver bracket). Manawatu: £43,810 (Gilt). Taranaki: £34,723 (Fair Miss). Westport: £6963 (Dominion Monarch). CANTERBURY PARK TROTTING CLUB, INC. Withdrawals for all events on the first day of the above Club’s New Year Meeting to be held on December 31 must be received by 12 noon today. D. C. Parker, Secretary. —Advt.