Spectacular Finish To Division Race

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28217, 4 March 1957, Page 4

Spectacular Finish To Division Race

Fortunes changed quickly very late in the first division of the Bradley Stakes at Motukarara on Saturday.

Shame ran wide when going strongly in the lead, and King Lyn moved through on the inner to establish a handy lead. Packwood gave chase going to the furlong, and Shame and Brookfields Lad joined in wider out. Brookfields Lad was the strongest finisher and got up to dead-heat with Shame in a photo-finish. Packwood was third half a length back, beating the weakening King Lyn by a length and a half. Shame was one of the best beginners, and Golden Ribbon, a slow beginner, went forward quickly to join her in the lead at the halfmile. King Lyn, .Joyita, and Winning Treasure raced in line behind the leaders coming to the home turn, and King Lyn had a clear run through when Shame ran wide, carrying some of the others with her. Packwood got a good run through to lodge his challenge, but Brookfields Lad and Shame came again wide out to stage a spectacular finish. Vertex was last away, and Golden Ribbon lost a little ground. Second Division Heath, a consistent campaigner for Mr and Mrs A. A. Macfarlane at holiday meetings, ran the last furlong of the second division too strongly for Sweet Christine, which went under by half a length. Sweet Christine’s stablemate, Darenal, was a length and a half back third, narrowly beating Tamarisk and Lucky Gay. Heath had six runners ahead of her after a furlong, but improved steadily from the turn, and reached second position going to the furlong, where Sweet Christine was clear. Heath was Sweet Christine’s only challenger, and had the upper hand about 100 yards from the post. Darenal, Tamarisk, and Lucky Gay, had their chances, racing close to the lead to the straight. After the first five there was a gap to Core, Lightning Boy, and Fickle Jade. Dower was last away, and Scurry also gave ground. Cheyenne’s Win The favourite, Cheyenne, carried the colours of his Christchurch owner, Mrs L. K. Page, to a decisive win in the Ahururi Hack Handicap. The three-year-old Cassock gelding was alongside Falstaff in the lead to the straight worked clear going to the furlong, and stalled off a determined challenge from Pennant. His rider, A. H. Eastwood, was sent out without a whip, but inside the last furlong he smacked the chestnut on the neck with his hand. It was virtually a two-horse finish. Ditched was a length and a half back, third, beating Lucky Time by a neck. Pennant looked as if he would win a furlong out, when he was at the height of a powerful run. He had six horses in front of him at the half mile, and. made his run in the middle of the track. Ditched was just in front of Pennant from the half mile to the home turn, and led the chase after Cheyenne when the latter reached the front. Lucky Time was one of the best beginners and was alongside Falstaff and Cheyenne in the lead for a time. She was just behind the leaders running to the home turn, and battled on for a creditable placing. Bagatelle put in a long run from well back for fifth, a length behind Lucky Time. The others, led home by Lo Night and Rio Maree, were beaten off. Aquarius Too Good Aquarius, an unlucky fifth at Wingatui at his previous start, and a winner at Riccarton before that, was much too good for the other hack milers in the Parkinson Hack Handicap. Mr K. G. McLaughlin’s Lucky Bag colt trailed Rome alongside Meteorologist till the home turn was near, then sped away to a good lead, and won unchallenged by three lengths. lone, a firm favourite, got closest to Aquarius. She put in a likely run going to the furlong, but could make

no further progress, and in the last few strides Iroquoi, third, was going faster. Iroquoi was just behind lone at the five furlongs, and kept up a solid run from the turn. So did Golden Demonic, which was only half a neck back, fourth. Golden Demonic was back with Iroquoi at the half mile, and his performance was that of an early winner for Messrs J. W. Cowman and K. A. Roper. The others, led home by Meteorologist, were beaten off, though Neptune’s Pride, a slow beginner, put in a good run from the tail of the field for sixth. Ngahuia was next in a gap, just beating Sun House.