RACING KASTANEA WINS AT MOTUKARARA

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29763, 5 March 1962, Page 4

RACING KASTANEA WINS AT MOTUKARARA

Gay Defoe Loses Chance In Feature Race

Gay Defoe lost at least three lengths when checked before the home turn in the Peninsula Handicap at Motukarara on Saturday. The incident also cost him a chance to even his score with Kastanea on the course.

Kastanea won by half a length from Personify, and Last Link and Gay Defoe were almost in line in the next two places in the feature race at the Banks Peninsula Racing Club’s meeting.

Fifth favourite of nine, Kastanea paid £l2 16s for a win. This was his second win this season for Mr C. J. Ferrier. His first was in the Waikouaiti Cup, and in both wins he has been ridden by B. Collins, one of the apprentices of the trainer J. L. Barr. Kastanea was ridden back for a start, but was steadily brought to a contending position, and challenged for the lead on the home turn. It was late before he gained his slight advantage and he clung gamely to his lead. Gay Defoe, runner-up to Kastanea in this race last year, was beaten by a combination of weight (9-3), a high wind, and a check from a tiring rival before the home turn.

He had been responsible for most of the pace, but had to be eased on the inside when the tiring Picright changed his ground before the home turn. It was a serious setback for a horse under his weight, but he made a renewed bid for the lead in the straight, and nearly managed to regain it fairly close to home. When he faded again slightly in the last few strides Personify and Last Link nosed him out of second. Personify and Kastanea were fourth and fifth respectively in the Wingatui Handicap on the second day of the Dunedin autumn meeting a week earlier, and both showed their liking for a race a furlong shorter on Saturday. Personify, the 3/4 favourite, was in the third line at the half-mile and in the second line on the home turn where there was little separating Kastanea, Last Link and Picright. Personify ran the race right out and took second from Last Link in the last few strides. Ran Clear Last Link ran up to Gay Defoe in the lead early in the race. Six furlongs out Picright made a line of three with them, before he went clear going to the half-mile.

Then Last Link and Kastanea moved through to join Picright, which showed the strain near the three furlongs. Picright tired to fifth two lengths behind Gay Defoe; and Persuasive was a very ordinary sixth. Persuasive looked as if she would finish a bit closer when she made a run up to the second line on the home turn. But she could not quicken after being steered to the middle of the track for a run and was spent outside the furlong. Treasure Mine was seventh in a gap of two lengths behind Persuasive, so little could be said for her or the others in the race. The time of 2min 7 2-ssec for a mile and a quarter was not a bad gallop in the conditions. The horses found it hard slogging into the high wind from the half-mile to the home turn. They ran the first half-mile in 52 3-ssec, the last five furlongs in imin 2 l-ssec and the final half-mile in 50 4-ssec. Kastanea carried £1591 10s of a doubles pool of £17,346 10s Picright was a pronounced favourite with £5909 10s. Beaten Off Vitamise was something of a surprise win and doubles favourite for the second leg. the Kinloch Handicap. He has been consistent enough, but his wins have been very widely spaced and it was clear well out that the Kinloch Handicap was not going to be one of them. Though Vitamise was disappointing in his last race before the Thompson Handicap at Trentham, the race still offered some pointers for the Wellington autumn meeting. Payout won by a neck from Royal Leigh, which will oppose him again in the Railway Handicap at Trentham on Saturday. Flying Time, another neck back third, is in the £2750 Thompson Handicap on the first day of the Wellington meeting. The Riccarton apprentice, M. J. Skelton, was able to

ride Payout at 7-2 J, which represented an allowance of 4jlb. He also managed to cover a minimum of ground on the Treasure Hunt gelding, which is raced in partnership by Messrs G. H. Murfitt Jun. and R. A. White, was one of 13 runners and the only winner for the Murfitt stable at the meeting. Payout came to the front alongside the rails after a trailing run alongside Flying Time. Royal Leigh made a solid run at Payout close to the post, but was safely held. Not At Ease Flying Time felt the hard ground. Her rider, N. E. Eastwood, said she faltered twice early in the race and never hit out with full freedom. Safe Harbour tired to fourth. D. N. Hadfield allowed her to streak away to a lead of four lengths after a furlong and a half, but Payout and Flying Time whittled away that lead coming to the home turn. The others behind Safe Harbour were beaten off. Vitamise, the tail-ender at the half-mile, could make no substantial progress, but still finished far ahead of some of the others. Newmarket was sixth in a gap of three lengths. Gabelle was two and a half lengths back seventh, and then there was half a length to Gay Tommy. One of the surprises of betting on the Kinloch Handicap was Payout’s position as outsider but one. He carried 373 5s tickets, 21 less than Gay Tommy, a middle-distance performer and a veteran making a fresh start after a spell. Vitamise was the most popular fancy with 1649 5s tickets. Others, in order of favour, were Flying Time (1124 tickets). Royal Leigh (1107), Safe Harbour (887), Gabelle (514), Gay Tommy (394), Payout (373) and Newmarket (318) The Kastanea-Payout combination paid £153 14s 6d for £l.