EASY WIN BY CADIZ

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28999, 14 September 1959, Page 4

EASY WIN BY CADIZ

John Grigg Stakes

Cadiz brilliantly started his three-year-old racing by winning the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton on Saturday. Cadiz made one act of the race by galloping strongly and easily in the lead from the start.

He won unruffled by two lengths, a margin he could have widened easily. The Cadiz record for Dunedin owner, Mr A. N. Smith, is now four wins and a second from five starts. And it will be one of the major surprises of the spring racing if he fails to improve that record on September 26, when he will run in the Dunedin Guineas. The Dunedin Guineas will be Cadiz's only race at the Dunedin meeting, and his next race after that will be the Wellington Guineas.

The John Grigg Stakes-Dunedin Guineas double was easy for Cadiz’s stablemate Braganza a year ago. Braganza is also owned by Mr Smith. These two fast sprinters are trained at Riccarton by J. C. Tomkinson, who selected them as yearlings. Cadiz is a chestnut gelding by Targui from the Airway mare Infinity. In each of his victories —his first was at Wingatui in the autumn —he has been ridden by A. J. Stokes. He was ranked as New Zealand's third best two-year-old in Mr W. P. Russell's Free Handicap last season. As a sprinter, at least, his three-year-old record should be very good. Cadiz paid £1 7s 6d for a win and £ 1 4s for a place on Saturday. For a win he carried £3856 10s, and all but £554 of that was invested off the course.

Screen Play, the second choice, carried only £667 for a win. Screen Play led a hopeless chase after Cadiz all the way to the furlong, but lost second to Surrend in the last few strides. Running Cadiz was in front almost from the start. Last Link was second for a moment early, but Screen Play supplanted him in second place and Amazing was third after a furlong two lengths ahead of Quite Able. Last Link went back about two or three places about half way through the race and was second last for a furlong or so.

Cadiz came to the straight with a widening lead. A. J. Stokes had a quick glance over his shoulder, saw nothing to concern him, but tapped the chestnut on the shoulder just inside the furlong Just to avoid risk of any slackening. Screen Play lost ground to Surrend in, the last few strides. Surrend was fourth on the turn and ran the last furlong determinedly. Last Link made ground for fourth two engths behind Screen Play. Then there was a gap of three lengths to John Jameson. The others. Quite Able, Anaconda, and Amazing, finished almost in line line after another gap.