RACING Fair Filou-Bunyarra Win Avondale Double

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28992, 5 September 1959, Page 6

RACING Fair Filou-Bunyarra Win Avondale Double

“The Press' Special Service AUCKLAND, September 4. A doubtful proposition earlier in the week because of a leg injury, Fair Filou recorded one of his best performances on the second day of the Avondale Jockey Club’s spring meeting ’today. It brought him a decisive victory in the first leg of the double, the £3OOO Avondale Cup.

Fair Filou was able to secure a close trailing position by the time the 18 runners had gone a furlong and a half. With two furlongs left to run his rider. A. G. Walsh, urged him up to the pacemaker Liban and had his mount going strongly at the finish tjireequarters of a length ahead of Melody Man with Delloch half a length back third. Fair Filou had won a sprint ob , his home course at Matamata at his previous attempt. Two starts earlier he had succeeded in the Cornwall Handicap, one mile and a quarter, at Ellerslie. In hack class he was also a consistent and very good performer. Altogether he -has started 16 times during the last 12 months or so for eight firsts, a second and a fourth. Fair Filou is a four-year-old bay gelding by Le Filou from Raining. He is trained by L. W. Ford for Mr L. D. Dell. The double, Fair Filou and Bunyarra. paid £177 18s 6d for £l. . Bunyarra’s success came in the s open sprint, the Shorts Handicap, -) which he won by a length from e Attila and Indian Mars. Bunyarra j had been racing consistently but . today was at good odds. He was y the tenth favourite each way and » returned a win dividend of £l9 ; i3s. e Attila was the popular fancy and Indian Mars was the next best s backed. Each ran well. When they P started the last furlong it seemed likely that they would dispute e the finish but Bunyarra gained a

clear run on the inside and he settled the issue in a few strides. Conditions were good. The weather was fine and sunny and the going good. The totalisator on-course , handled £107.561 10s, including : £17,119 5s on doubles, compared with £136.239 last year. The oncourse total for two days was £237,475 15s against £304.826 10s : last year. Avondale Cup Running There was a delay before the runners were under way in the Avondale Cup. When they eventually left Phoenician, Black Seaman, ’ Otara, Flying Satchel and Liban ’ were most prominent. Sarina lost ground and Aurora’s Pride drifted. i Liban made the pace after two furlongs and he kept clear by a couple of lengths passing the seven i furlongs. Phoenician and Peterford ran him closest three lengths ahead ot Daysun, Fair Filou. Flying Satchel, Otara, Melody Man and Sarina Liban kept at a solid gallop as they approached the straight. Phoenician and Peterford were next and starting to close the gap. Fair Filou also began to improve and so did Melody Man. Starting the last furlong Liban was being challenged strongly by Fair Filou. A little further out Melody Man was making a determined run. Liban began to shorten stride. Fair Filou looked hard pressed tor a stride or two, but when urged hard by his rider he drew out slightly to win by threequarters of a length. Melody Man was second by half a length from Delloch, which came home well. Phoenician ran fourth and Liban was fifth. Next came Peterford, Gold Kip. On Demand. Flying Satchel, Uppercut and Aurora's Pride. Shorts Handicap to Bunyarra Sunny Bay and Triple Chance began very quickly in the Shorts Handicap. ’The start was even and Attila. Peter Quex. Bunyarra and Rose Filou ran closely bunched near the first two. After a furlong and a half Sunny Bay led by a length and a half from Triple Chance, Attila. The Answer and Nimbula. There I was a length to Rose Filou. Greensleeves and Indian Mars. ' Attila challenged Sunny Bay soon after they straightened for the run home and Indian Mars and The Answer kept close. Nearing the last furlong it looked as though Attila would win, but , Bunyarra then came with a late run close to the inside and he scored decisively by a length. Attila ran second by a neck from Indian Mars. The Answer was fourth. He was followed by Rose Filou. Sunny Bay and Nimbula. There was a gap then to Bell Block,