RACING Motueka Has Narrow Win Over Smuggles

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28269, 6 May 1957, Page 4

RACING Motueka Has Narrow Win Over Smuggles

Inches separated the first seven horses in the finish of the Ashburton County Handicap, won by Motueka, on the first day of the Ashburton club’s autumn meeting on Saturday. It was a magnificent and a memorable finish, and if the race had been run over and over again, there could have been a different result each time.

Motueka had been forced towards the middle of the track when Rise and Shine stumbled near the home turn, and he held a slight lead going to the furlong, where the winner could have been any one of six horses. Motueka, the favourite and top weight, just lasted by a nose from Smuggles, which finished brilliantly from the tail of the field.

The race would have been' Smuggles's in another stride. There were neck margins then to Nasib and Merrimayes, and noses to Desert Cloud, Leprechaun, and Desperado. Motueka’s victory was as wellearned as it was hard-earned. He was the logical form horse after two thirds at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s autumn meeting. This was- his /bird win in 27 starts this season. That he has retained his zest for racing in such an extensive programme is testimony of his hardiness, and the skill of his Riccarton trainer, J. S. Shaw. In doubles betting, Motueka carried £6995 of a total of £21,786 15s. Massive, winner of the second leg, the Rakaia Hack Handicap, was the second favourite in doubles betting, although favourite for win-and-place. Holders of 4660 5s tickets on the Motueka—Massive combination received £l5 9s for £l. Clean Sweep

The Invercargill owner-trainer, Mr W. E. Hazlett, made a clean sweep in the jumping races on the programme. Tut Tut, the youngest horse in the field, was much too good for the others in the Alford Steeplechase, the first steeples of the year in Canterbury. The four-year-old Defaulter gelding was a firm favourite, and he had the measure of the others a long way from home in one of the best steeplechases seen on the course for many years. Tisred clearly outstayed the others in the Longbeach Hurdles, for which he was third favourite. This five-year-old Pink Coat gelding mastered Milling Bay in the straight and won by a length, a margin that flattered the run-ner-up. Bobbie Burns, the third horse to represent the Hazlett stable at the meeting, was runner-up to Massive in the second leg of the double. Racing opened in threatening weather on a fast track. Light rain set in later, and the track became greasy in places. Early morning rsin in Christchurch affected Ife? attendance, which was moderate. The oncourse totalisator turnover was £22,664 10s, including £2767. 10s ©n the double, compared with £31,607 10s last year. Little To Spare Moteuka could not match several of the others for early speed in the Ashburton County Handicap, but a sharp run from the half mile carried him to a slight lead outside the furlong. He had the courage to hold on for the narrowest of wins from the light-weight Smuggles, which ran the last furlong brilliantly after tailing the field until close to home. Nasib was slowest away, and The Bruiser and Landon gave ground slightly. When the rush for positions was over, Rise and Shine and Adversary were on terms in the lead, and Merrimayes Leprechaun, Dart Away, Desert Cloud, and Landon were close at hand. Motueka had eight horses ahead of him at the half mile, where Nasib was alongside him, and Smuggles was a* the tail of the field with Curtain Raiser. Rise and Shine stumbled and was down on her knees near the home turn, but recovered quickly and held a slight lead from Adversary and Leprechaun on the home turn. Some of the others, including Motueka, were taken wider on the track when Rise and Shine slipped. Motueka ran past Rise and Shine into a short lead outside the furlong, where Leprechaun, Adversary, Nasib, Desert Cloud (rails), and Merrimayes were right in the picture, and Smuggles was moving through a gap. Smuggles ran the last 100 yards faster than any of the others, but just failed to reach Motueka. Nasib, which made his run on the outside, was a very good third, just beating Merrimayes. Desert Cloud, Leprechaun, and Desperado. Next were Dart Away, Curtain Raiser, Adversary, The Bruiser, Landon, and Rise and Shine. Not Tested Tut Tut pulled hard at the tail of the field for the first mile or so in the Alford Steeplechase, but steadily worked forward and reached the lead with a good leap at the second last fence. He had too much speed for the others and won unchallenged by four leisurely lengths. Prosecutor ran to the front going to the first fence and led into the last round from Composition and Border Reiver, Grey Valley, Show Place, Tut Tut and Escalado. Six lengths covered the field then. Tut Tut, galloping keenly joined Border Reiver and Composition close behind Prosecutor going to the six furlongs, and put in a big leap to get to the lead at the second to last fence. Tut Tut was clear of Prosecutor, Show Place, Border Reiver, and Composition on the home turn, and a safe jump at the last fence made victory certain for the Invercargill jumper. Border Reiver lost his rider at the last fence, leaving Composition, Grey Valley, and Show Place in the battle for the minor pladngs. They finished in that order at length intervals. Escalado was fifth, three lengths back, finishing better than Prosecutor, which tired in the straight Second Leg The favourite Mass ve followed winning Wave and Sweet ChrisJj 21 ® < lnt £ t he Haight in the JJakaja Hack Handicap, reached the lead going to the furlong. n -_ by three-quarters of a Jt ngth from Bobbie Bums. The strongly-finishing Look-

Length; five lengths. Sir Edwin was fourth. Time, Imin 41sec. Winner trained by owner. Riccarton. Dividends.—Win: £3 17s. Places: £1 7s, £1 10s, £1 13s 6d. ALFORD HACK AND HUNTERS’ STEEPLECHASE, Of £330; about two miles and a half.—l, 1 W. E. Hazlett’s TUT TUT (2) ch g 4yrs by Defaulter—French Girl 10-10 W. J. Hillis 1; 3. 3 T. Coltman and E. R. Curtis’s Composition (3) 10-1 J. W. McDonald 2; 4, 4 J. A. Mover’s Grey Valley (5) 9-9 H. J. Ford 3. , 2,2 Border Reiver (lost rider); 5, 5 Prosecutor; 6, 6 Escalado; 7, 7 Show Place also started. Four lengths; length. Show Place was fourth. Time. 4min 56sec. Winner trained by owner. Invercargill. Dividends.—Win: £2 9s 6d. Places: £1 0s 6d, £1 2s 6d, £2 4s 6d. RAKAIA HACK HANDICAP, of £250; six furlongs.—l, 1 R. C. Idiens’s MASSIVE (2) b g syrs by Massowa —Diva 8-1 B. S. Finlayson 1; 5, 7 W. E. Hazlett’s Bobbie Burns (3) 7-13 J. M. Cappie 2; 7, 6 Mrs T. Skinner’s Looking Forward (12) car. 7-8 W. Perrie 3. 3, 4 Winning Wave; 9, 9 Helm; 2.2 Winning Treasure; 10. 11 Haughty Chief; 4, 3 Sweet Christine; 8, 8 Almay; 11, 10 Brown Treasure; 6, 5 Rome also started. Three-quarters of a length; two lengths. Sweet Christine was fourth. Time, Imin 14 2-ssec. Winner trained by P. H. C. Stock, Orari. Dividends.—Win: £4 8s 6d.: Places: £l, 17s 6d, £3 9s 6d, £3 7s 6d. EIFFELTON HACK HANDICAP, of £250; seven furlongs.—4, 5 F. D. L Young’s BROOKFIELDS LAD (3) br g 3yrs by Defaulter—Foxweed car. 7-10 B. S. Finlayson 1; 6, 6 E. G. Taylor’s King’s Gold (6) car. 7-0 R. McDonald 2; 1, 1 A. M. Smillie’s Lucky Dewar (1) car. 7-11 H. T. Anderton 3. 7, 7 Consistent: 5, 3 De Rose; 2, -2 Kotiti; 3, 4 Lucky Time; 8, 8 Tour de Force also started. Three-quarters of a length; two lengths. Lucky Time was fourth. Time, Imin 27 3-ssec. Winner trained by P. H. C. Stock, Orari. Dividends.—Win: £5 Us 6d. Places: £1 16s, £3 12s 6d, £1 10s. CHATMOS HACK HANDICAP, of £260; one mile and three furlongs. —l, 1 O. F. Watson’s SUN HOUSE (1) b m 4yrs by Sun King—Lighthouse 9-0 B. W. McDonald 1; 3. 3 C. I. Hobson’s Solstice (7) 7-12 J. M. Cappie 2; 10, 10 P. H. C. Stock’s Silver Shower (9) car. 7-1 B. E. Kennedy 3. 4, 4 Fleur; 8, 7 Royal Pal; 2,2 Tamarisk; 7. 6 Iroquoi; 5. 5 Neptune’s Pride; 6, 8 Arctic Sun; 9, 9 Yue Chee also started. Two lengths; two and a half lengths. Arctic Sun was fourth Time, 2min 22 4-ssec. Winner trained by G. H. Murfitt, Jun., Riccarton. Dividends.—Win: £2 17s. Places: £1 Ils 6d, £2 Is 6d, £ll 3s.

■ ing Forward got up for third, but was two lengths back. Sweet Christine and Winning Wave raced together in the lead to the half mile, where Bobbie Burns was trailing three lengths clear of Massive, Winning Treasure, and Looking Forward. Massive was taken forward closer to the leaders running to the home turn, where Bobbie Burns drifted towards the middle of the track. Massive mastered Winning Wave and Sweet . Christine outside the furlong, and was not put to the test after, though Bobbie Burns ran the last furlong doggedly. Looking Forward beat Sweet Christine by a length for third. Then there was a neck to Haughty Chief, which was running on from well back.' Winning Wave faded to sixth, finishing in line with Helm and Brown Treasure. The second favourite, Winning Treasure, was next, clear of Almay, and Rome, whose rider lost an iron. Almay was the slowest beginner, and Brown Treasure dwelt slightly. Results:— LONGBEACH HACK HURDLES, of £250; one mile and three-quarters. —3, 3 W. E. Hazlett’s TISRED (2) b g syrs by Pink Coat—Traviata 9-9 W. J. Hillis 1; 7, 8 J. M. Samson’s Milling Bay (6) 9-5 J. W. McDonald 2; 2,2 I. W. Simmonds’s Lo Night (1) 10-7 B. Gordon 3. I, 1 Walkova; 5, 4 Hunt the Slipper; 4, 5 Argive; 9, 9 Trustworthy (fell); 8, 7 De Bracey (fell); 6, 6 Santee (ran off) also started. Length; six lengths. Walkova was fourth. Time, 3min 13sec. Winner trained by owner, Invercargill. Dividends.—Win: £5 6s 6d. Places: £1 17s, £5 15s. £1 Bs. LAGMHOR STAKES NO. 1, of f £200; one mile.—2, 1 C. J. Ferrier’s , ASUNDER (l)bg 4yrs by Sun King , —Colorado Beauty 8-4 J. W. Me- ’ Donald 1; 6, 6 A. E. Parker and A. ’ Reid’s Mercenary Beau (6) 8-0 E. G. Low 2; 4, 4 J. W. Cox and E. H. Young’s Gay Romeo (2) 8-4 C. T. 1 Wilson 3. 1 7. 8 Gold Flame; 8, 7 Red Cirque; 3. 3 Golden Demonic; 1,2 Porcelain Prince; 5, 5 Scarlet Pimpernel also ( started. . Long head: half a head. Gold ( Flame was fourth. Time, Imin 40 ] 4-ssec. Winner trained by J. L ( Barr, Riccarton. Dividends.—Win: £4 3s. Places: < £1 6s 6d. £3, £1 19s 6d. ASHBURTON COUNTY HANDI- ( CAP, of £450; one mile.—l, 1 J. ] MacG. Inglis’s MOTUEKA (1) br g 4yrs by Faux Tirage—Gold Flight i 8-6 R. W. Gould 1; 4. 5 Mrs G. H. 1 Murfit Junr.’s Smuggles (13) br m syrs by Treasure Hunt—Tan Lady i 7-7 B. W. McDonald 2; 3, 3 C. G. c Mountney’s Nasib (11) b c 3yrs by f Red Mars—Gay Lace 7-7 A. H. East- i wood 3. a 11, 6 Desperado; 12, 12 Landon; 2,2 I Rise and Shine: 9, 10 Adversary; 6, 8 Curtain Raiser; 8. 11 Desert v Cloud; 7, 7 Leprechaun; 5, 4 Dart I Away; 10, 9 Merrimayes; 13, 13 The a Bruiser also started. j Nose; neck. Merrimayes was t fourth. Time, Imin 39Sec. Winner t trained by J. S. Shaw, Riccarton. [ Dividends. —-Win: £2 17s. Places: f £1 7s, £3 Ils, £3 2s. LAGMHOR STAKES NO. 2, of * £200; one mile.—2. 1 R. H. Burns's 1 GLEN CARRON (2) br g 4yrs by x Cimbrone—Desert Light 8-4 E. G. * Low 1; 4,2 W. R. Cruickshank’s a Skyrider (4) 8-4 B. Parsons 2; 3, 4 J D. G. and A. A. Taylor’s Port Lan- 1 yard (7) 8-0 B. R. Dixon 3. J 6. 6 Belletavia; 7, 7 May Whistle; 5, 5 King Lyn; 8, 8 Nugleam; 1, 3 Sir Edwin also started. q