RACING NERULA CHEERED AT TRENTHAM

Press, Volume C, Issue 29567, 17 July 1961, Page 4

RACING NERULA CHEERED AT TRENTHAM

Brilliant Winter Oats Win Nerula received a welcome he richly deserved when he won the Winter Oats brilliantly at Trentham on Saturday. Applause and cheers greeted him when he streaked away in the straight to record a notable first—wins in the Whyte, Parliamentary and Winter Oats Handicaps at one meeting.

Nerula gave away weight •11 round, up to 261 b of it, on a sticky, testing track But his performance matched his looks for he looked the pick of the field, better if anything for his two earlier races at the meeting. Where he had won he Whyte Handicap by two lengths and the Parliamentary Handicap by a nose, he won this time by five lengths, leaving a weary procession down the track behind him. L. N. McCutcheon rode Nerula for the first time on Saturday. He managed to get the top-weight away from the inside before he ran into any of the backwash that, with the attendant trouble, almost cost him Parliamentary Handicap honours McCutcheon sent Nerula ("He's the best horse I have ever ridden ”> after the leading bunch after passing the half-mile, and the big brown had the best of his rivals beaten by the time they straightened up. The Woodville pair Port Wine and Beau Kura battled it out for the minor places. Fourth was the best last year's winner Action Packed could manage. He followed Nerula around the field, but came to the end of his run going to the furlong. Nerula carried £16,713 of a doubles pool of £137,711 10s. and wy fourth in favour after Action Packed <£24.728), Climbing and Melody Man The second-day form book was tom to pieces when Firenze' won the Onslow Handicap from the modc.-ately-fancied Equal Terms and the outsider Switzerland. Firenze was fourteenth on the second day but fourth in the sprint on the first day. This time he was the 9/10 favourite and paid £2O 13s 6d for a win. A stablemate of Action Packed, the Takaninl-trained Firenze is a Targui—Shirlette gelding owned by Mrs R. R. Knox Holders of 2224 5s tickets on the Nerula-Firenze com-

bination received £294 14s for £l. Fairassan was first choice, carrying 11,063 tickets. TTie racing was held in fine weather. The attendance was 10,500, compared with 12,600 Last year, and betting figures also dropped. The on-course totaiisator turnover for the day was £164384 10b, compered with £171,710, a decrease of £7325 10s. The total for the meeting was £460.978 10s, which was £14359 below last year's figure. Challenge Nerula was second last with Action Packed after a furlong in the Winter Oats, but worked away from the inside going down the back, brilliantly looped the field and ran right away from the others in the straight. Believe Me set a casual pace leaving the straight and the field was closely bunched. Climbing, Don’t Know, Irrepressible, Elrey, and Happy Luca were in the back closest to the pacemaker. Port Wine moved from towards the middle of the field to follow Believe Me into the last half-mile. By then Nerula was making a big run and Action Packed was going with him wider out. Foglia d’Oro displaced the tiring Believe Me in the lead on the home turn, but did not have it for long. By then Nerula was in a contending position and it was only a second before he was clear. He put three lengths on the best of the others at the furlong and widened that to five lengths at the end. Port Wine did well for his second, for S. B. Robertson finished the race without the use of his irons and with a broken saddle. Beau Kura, well back early but handy from the half mile, was a length back third but three lengths ahead of the tiring Action Packed. Action Packed came to the end of his run outside the furlong. Climbing, the win favourite.

was a length back fifth. He had his chance. Irrepressible was the South Island’s best, finishing close up sixth ahead of the weakening Foglia d’Oro. Golden Cabana, the runnerup in the Parliamentary Handicap, was eighth and was followed in by Melody Man, Donna Bella, Happy Luca, Believe Me, Ravelston, Red Haze, Elrey, Nine Days and Don’t Know. Second Leg Firenze sustained a resolute run from the home turn to win the Onslow Handicap, the second leg of the double. He gave Equal Terms a fairly good start into the last furlong but beat the Hawera horse by three-quarters of a length. The winner and runner-up were two of the slowest beginners and fastest over the first bit were Royal Fountain. Yorker, Toureg and Tamil. Inside the first two furlongs Phoenician sped cleqr and led into the last halfmile by three lengths from Rosina Ann. Search Warrant ran up to Rosina Ann there but did not stay long, dropping back beaten before the three furlongs. Phoenician came to the end of his run on the home turn, where Erldon, Shangri-La and Equal Terms passed him. Fairassan was not far behind but could not quicken. None was going better than Equal Terms a furlong and a half out, but he could not respond effectively when Firenze drew up to him. Firenze, hard ridden, had shifted, ground, but when straightened ran the race out gamely and won going away. Equal Terms finished a length and a half clear of the little-fancied Switzerland, which shaded Toureg. Otara was fifth clear of Shangri-La, which was checked in the straight when Firenze was challenging. Princess Donna was next, followed by Royal Fountain, Rosina Ann, Fairassan, Erldon, Tamil, Approval, Gold Splice, Phoenician, Yorker and Switzerland.