RACING TRENTHAM FIRST LEG TO NERULA

Press, Volume C, Issue 29651, 23 October 1961, Page 4

RACING TRENTHAM FIRST LEG TO NERULA

Gauntlet Promoted To Complete Double

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON, October 22. The inquiry into interference by the Auckland jockey, G. F. Hughes, on Otematata in the Awatea Handicap, the second leg of the double at Trentham on Saturday, tied up a lot of money on the course. Otematata, a difficult horse to ride when under pressure, changed his ground when challenging in the straight. He beat the favourite, Gauntlet, by a long neck. Nerula, a dominating favourite, had won. the first leg, the Watkins Handicap. Doubles backers took out 57,649 5s tickets on Gauntlet and 26,859 on Otematata. The Nerula-Otematata double would have been worth £l6 Is 6d for £l. The Nerula-Gauntlet combination paid £7 9s 6d.

Gauntlet was the popular fancy after his close second to Cheyenne in the Wainui Handicap on the first day of the meeting. Otematata, a newcomer at the meeting, came in for solid support when scratchings allowed him to come in 11 barrier positions from 25 to 14. Nerula's win in the Watkins Handicap was very popular. The crowd recognised another outstanding run by this brilliant Rotorua player but many of the cheers were for his rider, L. K. Tinsley, who had then ridden 142 winners as an apprentice to equal the late T. Green’s record, established in 1928. As nearly everyone expected, Tinsley broke the record later in the afternoon when he got Tara’s Pride home first in the Karitane Handicap. After the race, Tinsley, a very mature unemotional 19-year-old, was presented with a silver cigarette box by the president of the club (Mr R. A. Whyte). Tinsley’s five-year term of apprenticeship to the Bulls trainer, W. A. McMillan, will finish next February. Mr Whyte said: “Tinsley has been a credit to the game and when he comes out of his tine next year he will continue to be a credit to racing as a jockey.” A crowd of 12,200 saw some good racing under ideal conditions. The weather was sunny and warm and the track provided very fast footing. On-course the totalisator

handled £ 144,944. including £21.028 10s on the double, compared with £183,001 10s last year. Watkins Handicap Nerula ran easily behind the middle erf the field for the first seven furlongs in the Watkins Handicap, moved to about the third line on the home turn and came to the front just inside the furlong. Then he won running away by a length from Anchor. Kinross cut the Riccarton veteran. Quick Time, out of third in the last few strides. Dashing Star, Anchor and Valaris were running almost in line in the lead after a furlong. Then Anchor went ahead and Quick Tune took up the rails trailing position alongside Dashing Star. Kinross. pulling hard, was tracking Quick Time on the inside and Valaris was alongside him. Nerula then had half a dozen behind him. The pace was fairly slack for a time going along the back, but Anchor was making a good gallop in front starting the last half-mile. Nerula was then in the middle of the field alongside Gay Tommy, but Tinsley took him forward a few places coming to the straight. There Anchor still led, and R. J. Skelton was angling Quick Time for a rails challenge. There was little between them at the furlong, but neither could foot it with Nerula, which came to the front quickly going to the half-furlong. Anchor showed dogged

qualities to last it out for second from Kinross. Quick Time was a good fourth. He was beautifully ridden but lacked a sharp finish. Gay Tommy, another long shot, was a good fifth. Windvale Lad was sixth, and it was a good run, for he could not get clear. Next were Goldish, Senor, Marquita. Dashing Star, Valaris, False Credit, Elry, Princess Donna, Kingdom. Sir Libra, Mireusonta and Yahom. Placings Reversed Gauntlet and Otematata battled it out for Awatea Handicap honours clear of the others. Otematata came strongly on the outside and beat Gauntlet by a long neck but the placings were reversed after an inquiry. Page Boy ran clear quickly and led into the last halfmile by two lengths from Roman Maid, Hot Punch and Advance General. Gauntlet was in the next line with Kilt and Otematata was close behind. Gold View, a slow beginner, was near the tail of the field. Page Boy held his lead into the straight, but did not put up much fight when challenged. Gauntlet came to the front, but Otematata chased him determinedly and gained a slight lead close to the post. Advance General beat the fast-finishing Gold View by half a length for third. Kilt was fifth, just beating Golden Fortune. Page Boy tired to ninth and Roman Maid to tenth.