CHALLEN’S 11th WIN

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29361, 14 November 1960, Page 4

CHALLEN’S 11th WIN

N.Z. Oaks

Challen confirmed her ranking as the best three-year-old filly by winning the New Zealand Oaks at Riccarton on Saturday.

Mr J. B. Mitchell’s RuthlessGolden Climax filly was a strong favourite and won in characteristic style—by not doing anything more than she had to when she was challenged by Happy Birthday in the last furlong. Challen won by half a length, one of her more handsome winning margins. This was her fifth win for the

season and the eleventh .ot her career, and she has now earned £7435 in stakes. <- Challen’s time of 2min 32 l-ssec for a mile and a half was the second fastest for the race, and one-fifth of a second slower than the record, established by Froth three years ago. Challen’s victory made for another successful Riccarton campaign for the veteran Takanini trainer, F. Smith, who brought Passive south to win the Derby Oaks double in 1958, and The Unicorn and Zenith to win the Derby and Oaks respectively in 1950.

“We have no special plans for Challen; we’ll take the races as they come along,” Smith said on Saturday. Challen’s main mission at the Auckland Cup meeting will be the Great Northern Oaks. Before her New Zealand Oaks victory this season, Challen had won the Admiralty Handicap at Ellerslie, the Gold Trail Stakes and Hawke’s Bay Guineas at Hastings, and the Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham. She was unplaced in the Avondale Guineas and the Jockey Club Handicap last Wednesday.

Running Red Signal led out of the straight and Challen followed close behind alongside Happy Birthday. Next in line were Quick, Gold View, and Moy.

Red Signal set a fairly solid pace to the mile where she led by a length and a half from Happy Birthday and Challen. Paua was then tailing the field In a gap of four lengths. There were few changes over the next three furlongs and Red Signal held her lead around to the straight. Wyatt took Challen forward on the outside of Red Signal when they straightened and the diminutive Happy Birthday squeezed through on the inside. Challen looked as if she would win by lengths going to the furlong, but at the end she was engaged in another close finish. Challen was not in real difficulties, but Wyatt had to wave the whip alongside her neck to keep her going strongly enough to cope with Happy Birthday’s challenge. Red Signal was two lengths and a half back third, but it was a creditable placing after pacemaking. Gold View was two lengths back fourth. She could not quite last it out. but was right in the race until two furlongs from home. Arthur’s Sister Improved slightly from the middle of the field for fifth just beating Portent, Moy, and Quick. But the others were beaten off. There was a gap of six lengths to Tremble, then two lengths to Paua.