RACING MELODIC'RETURNS TO BEST FORM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29555, 3 July 1961, Page 4

RACING MELODIC'RETURNS TO BEST FORM

First Leg Winner At Washdyke Melodic returned to middle-distance racing successfully after a short sprinting programme when he won the Donald Grant Memorial Handicap at Washdyke on Saturday, Melodic continued an unrelieved run of form upsets. He was the 6—7 favourite and paid £9 4s 6d for a win. This was his first win this season for Mr F. R. Allen, of Auckland, and Mr M. A. McKenzie, of Invercargill, for whom he is trained by J. Langford.

The successful Wingatui apprentice. R N. Marsh, kept Melodic forward of the middle of the field and in a good position to go out after the leaders starting the last half-mile. The top-weight. Desert Chief, did not go under without a game struggle, but dropped behind the Invercargill horse at the furlong and there were no more challenges Melodic won by two lengths and Omaha outlasted Desert Chief by half a length for second. Another top-weight, Cheyenne. tried gamely to win the second leg. the Seadown Handicap, under 9-11, but giving John Jameson 151 b on the day was a little more than he could manage. John Jameeon we* eighth favourite in this, his third open-class win for Messrs J. A C. Bain and J. Foley. He paid £l7 Is 6d for a win. Trained at Washdyke by E. J Ellis. John Jameson was ridden by D N. Hadfield. {

The favourite, McGregor, did not manage to reach a place, but an interrupted training programme because of snow at Wingatui earlier in the week did not brighten his chance The Melodic-John Jameson combination carried 469 5s tickets only 25 on the course, and returned £lB6 4s 6d for £l.

McGregor carried 1430 tickets.

Dismally cold, showery weather affected attendance and betting figures. The oncourse totalieator turnover was £21.648 10«. compared with £29,147 last year.

The off-course turnover ! dropped from £55,577 to I £52,231. The track was soft and cutting out. 7/ Good Win dttleve Me and Omaha ran! abreast in the lead for a •tart in the Donald Grant Memorial, and Compensate and Desert Chief paired off in the trailing positions just ahead of Melodic and Ravelston Believe Me ran clear by a length after leaving the straight. It wa» a solid pace and the trailing Omaha was then running three lengths clear of Compensate. Desert Chief was at Compensated girth and Ravelston and Melodic were leading the closest of the others by three lengths. Characteristically, the e«ehway favourite. Shoal, was one of the stragglers and had only Topa behind her Believe Me dropped back beaten before the three furlongs. There Desert Chief and Melodic were abreast in the lead, and Omaha and Comj>ensate were nearest at hand. Navarone was also making ground, and Fire Bar was being kept to the iniide in the hope of a run through Fire Bar got a run through, but by that time the race was as good as over Melodic passed Desert Chief going to the furlong, and drew out to es'ablish a comfortable winning margin of two lengths Omaha ran one of her game race* to take second from Desert Chief close to home. Fire Bar was an undistinguished fourth three lengths back, just beating I Navarone.

Compensate ran a solid race under 9-7 for sixth. He was followed in by Royal George, Offend, Believe Me, Kastanea. Tadpole. Ravelston, Shoal, and Tope. Determined Run John Jameson outfinished 'the top-weight, Cheyenne, to win the Seadown Handicap, second leg of the double, at good odds. John Jameson had six of his rivals ahead of him at the half-mile but reached a challenging position going to the furlong. He continued with a determined run and won soundly by a length. Cheyenne ran one of his best races for his second, which was also the place he filled in this race last year. He ran close to the lead but never managed to get a trail and pulled hard. -Rhythm Rein had to come tight from the back for third three-quarters of a length Behind Cheyenne. As usual he was slow to accelerate from the start. Blonde Sprite was close up fourth but had her chance after getting a trailing run Rayspar was close at hand fifth and came from the middle of the field for that position. The others were led home in a gap by Jesse Owens, which did not get a good run on the Inside and had only two behind him at the half-mile.

Promise was seventh, doing well for a jumper. He beat his stablemate, McGregor, which was the favourite. Persuasive was ninth and Hopeful tired to tenth after pacemaking