CAIRNBRAE COMPLETES DOUBLE FOR MEETING

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29224, 7 June 1960, Page 4

CAIRNBRAE COMPLETES DOUBLE FOR MEETING

Cairnbrae, which had been successful in a division of the maiden event on Saturday, completed a double for the meeting when he beat 22 other three-year-olds impressively in the Queen's Birthday Stakes, one of the feature events at Ashburton yesterday. D. J. Townley kept Cairnbrae within challenging distance of the leaders throughout. He was third on the inner when they reached the straight, working into the lead inside the last furlong and without having to be driven out beat Holy Smoke by a neck.

Holy Smoke was in the middle of the field early but had worked forward into a challenging position at the straight entrance. He outfinished the favourite, Arania. and beat her by half a length. Arania was away smartly from the back mark of 36 yards and shared the third line until the straight. She was close behind Cairnbrae as they started the last furlong but tired of the chase close to home. She beat Peebles, which showed up three wide in the trail on the home turn, by two lengths and Cardigan Bay, which shared the same line all the way, was a length back fifth. There was a length and a half then to El Adem, which had his chance, and half a length to Commonwealth, the pacemaker to the straight. Lucky Tyrax led in the others.

He had raced in the middle of the field all the way but could not quicken in the straight. The second favourite. Massacre, broke badly at the start and was not prominent after. He was tenth to finish. At Good Odds Arizona Gal, the runner-yp in the corresponding event on Saturday, was at exceptionally good odds for a form runner when she won the Longbeach Handicap. The Springston-trained three-year-old was patiently handled by her owner, D. H. C. Le Comte, who had her about five places from the lead on the inner until the straight. She followed Cappy Rowan, White Emperor, Attract, Andromeda, Courtesan, and Sure Josephine into the last furlong and kept up a determined run to win going away by three parts of a length from Andromeda. Attract was third a head away. Both she and Andromeda had been within challenging distance of the pacemaker. Cappy Rowan, throughout, but Avon Lad, which was fourth a length behind Attract, came from far back in the field for his placing. Courtesan was a battling fifth half a length back, then came the weakening Cappy Rowan and White Emperor. The favourite, Sure Josephine, was eighth. Concerto, Demoro, Leslie Grattan and Huntingdon all made rnistakes at the start and Maintain Melody and Warwick Peter during the race.