King’s Lace Has Easy Win In Steeples At Waimate

Press, Volume C, Issue 29567, 17 July 1961, Page 5

King’s Lace Has Easy Win In Steeples At Waimate

The Riverton-trained ’chaser King’s Lace, a minor place-getter in two starts over country at the Southland meeting in May, regained winning form in the Te Waimate Steeplechase at Waimate on Saturday. This was the second win for King’s Lace in the principal event for jumpers at the Waimate Hunt Club’s annual meeting. He won the Te AX aimate Steeples for the first time in 1959.

King’s Lace, a nine-year-old Timanova-Gay Lace ge'dn>«. U raced by Mr M. J. Tait, of Riverton, and is trained there for him by H. * M. Shannon. He was the 7-6 favourite of nine and paid £l2 19s and £2 18s for a win-and-place. The Riccarton horseman, P. L. Fraser, had King's Lace in a trailing position behind Raglan for the first mile. He moved him through to the lead soon after reaching the starting point for the second time and sound fencing and superior pace on the flat kept him clear of the others for the rest of the race. Master Ascot ran the winner to a length and beat the favourite, Needles, for second by three. Master Ascot was in the first five throughout the race, jumped soundly all the way, but could not match King’s Lace for finishing pace. It was remarkable that Needles was a place-getter at all. She blundered at practically every fence and had to make ground about five times to reach a challenging position at different stages of the race. In the circumstances, she responded gamely to every call made upon her by A. Cowan. The second choice. Vaper, was a neck back, fourth. He had every chance, starting the last three furlongs a clear second, but could make little impression over the final stages. Sports Date led in the others in a long gap. He shaded Mighty Fella for fifth. Then came Pot Luck and the very tired Raglan. The only casualty was Sea Lord, which fell at the second last fence. Hunt Cup To Cascalho Cascalho led for the last round of the Waimate Hunt Cup Steeplechase and survived solid challenges from Sir Chat and Port Lanyard in the run home. Mr T. J. McCutcheon had the Wingatui 'chaser in a' handy trailing position for the first round and a half and he was left clear when the pacemaker, Salisbury, crashed at the second of the stand double. Sir Chat followed Cascalho into the last half-mile in a gap of three lengths. Then there were two to Port Lanyard and three to Paper Clip, whose jumping was ragged. The closest of the others, but in a gap, were Royal Response and Kaikuri. Cascalho recovered cleverly after slipping on landing over the last fence and his superior pace on the flat enabled him to last the distance out a length clear of Sir Chat, which beat Port Lanyard for second by a head. Three lengths back Paper Clip battled into fourth. There were four lengths then to Royal Response, a long gap to Taitumu and another to Kaikuri. Casualties were heavy. Almanac dropped his rider at the penultimate fence and Soulai's rider suffered a similar fate at the first of the stand double a round from home. The second of the double tripped Salisbury, which caused a stir when he regained his feet by jumping the inside running rail on to the course proper. London Tower fell at the first fence and The Gull ran off on the inside of the second. He was taken back to jump this fence again but did not complete the course. Successful Debut King Pickle made a successful debut as a hurdler in the Studholme Hack and Hunters' Hurdles for which he was the 2.2 favourite. A. Cowan had King Pickle in the third line a round from home where Savoury and Pacisana were 00-leeders and Brummel. Renway and Gothic ran together in the second line. Savoury clouted the stand hurdle hard and drifted back quickly. Pacisana led the field into the back and running to the fence by the five Brummel, King Pickle and Renway ran in line behind him. King Pickle out-jumped Pacisana into the lead at the next but running to the last he was just shading Brummel and Royal Gothic. The last furlong and a half developed into a two-sided battle between King Pickle and Brummel, but the former lasted the distance out a bit better to win by a head. Roval Gothic was three lengths back third, two lengths ahead of Pacisana. There was a long gap then to Renway, another to Lecord, and Peril was last Savoury fell heavily at the last flight. Another To Gore R J. Cochrane, of Gore, saddled his second winner for the day when Anouk out-ran his maiden rivals in the Novice Stakes. D. N. Hadfield had Anouk in the trailing position behind Lucky Streak to the straight. He challenged the Wingatui fiUy soon after straightening for the run home and drew out to win by two lengths. Royal Pic improved two places in the last furlong for second. He out-finished the tiring Lucky Streak by three lengths and Natlin was a length back fourth. The place favourite found the early pace hard to match but she had improved to the third line on the home turn. L W Hare was disappointed for a run on the inner about a furlong from the end and by the time he brought Natlin wider the race was almost over. Hiaway came fast from the

middle of the field for fifth half a length back. Chaud Froid .faded from third on the turn to sixth. Then came Avast and Bert. Mimette, Coral Maid, Mighty Force and Silver Magnet were the slowest beginners. Win For Morelia Morelia, which had won twice as a hurdler from her previous four starts, reverted to flat racing successfully in the Waihao Hack Handicap, in which she was fifth favourite. Morelia did not get a good run but her rivals found they could still not match her for speed. R. J. Skelton always had her within challenging distance of the pacemaker, Kent, but she was never closer to the running rail than four horse-widths.

At the straight entrance she was eo-leader on the outer in a line of four. Kent still ran in the rails position and Archway and Cirrus Song ran between him and Morelia. Morelia had the measure of her rivals outside the furlong and drew out to win by two lengths. Archway wilted slightly near the end under the top-weight of 9-13. and Kent, with a renewed bid, took second from him by half a length. Archway lasted for third by a head from Boawood, which followed the leaders into the straight, and English Prince made a few places near the end for fifth half a length back. There were three lengths to Tocsin, which was followed in by Cirrus Song and Vienna Woods.