RACING IN ELSON CUP TO VALARIS

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29799, 16 April 1962, Page 5

RACING IN ELSON CUP TO VALARIS

Stablemate, Tocsin, Wins Sprint (From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, April 15. The Oamaru trainer, J. C. Hobbs, saddled up Valaris and Tocsin to win the two major prizes on the first day of the Nelson Jockey Club’s annual meeting at Richmond Park on Saturday. Valaris outstayed a representative field of middle distance rivals in the £lOOO Nelson Cup, the principal event and first leg of the totalisator double.

Tocsin completed the double with an al!-the-way win against the open sprinters in the Newman Handicap The combination paid £23 5s 6d for £l. Both horses, which are raced by Dr. T. Jenkins, of Dunedin, were ridden by the successful Oamaru jockey, W. D Skelton.

Valaris, a seven-year-old gelded son of Beaumaris and Merry Vale, is the fourth Nelson Cup winner Hobbs has prepared in the last five years. Compensate, which won the four previous contests, represented the Hobbs stable successfully in the first three of them. ’ • . Skelton has been associated with each of the Hobbs-trained winners Although not one of the strongest form fancies in the field. Valaris had fairly solid backing. He was the 3/o favourite of 10 and paid £6 13s 6d and £2 6s for a win-and-place. He was fourth choice with double betters, carrying 3677 10s tickets in a total poo! of £17,605 ss. The popular faney was El Ganador from Awapuni. which finished third He carried 10 065 J tickets. 2658) more than the second choice and runnerup. Julloch. The Newman Handicap marked Tocsin's third successive sprint win from six starts in open company. The five-year-old War Game — Truin Bridge mare was the 2/2 favourite for a win-and-place but a strong first fancy for the double. She carried 2500 5s tickets compared with 1881 reinvested on the disappointing each-way favourite. Stetson, which beat only Gay Sailor home. The meeting was held in

overcast but warm weather and the track was tn excellent order. Small fields—there were five races on the programme on which only two dividends were paid—had an adverse affect on the volume of betting on the course The on-course turnover was £26.014, including £2782 10s on the double, compared with £31.750 on the first day last year. Saved Ground Valaris came to the front through a gap on the inner at the furlong in the Nelson Cup and ran the race out strongly to beat Julloch by a long neck. W. D. Skelton did not have to waste an inch of ground with Valaris from the start. He had him quickly across alongside the rails in third position at the end of the first furlong. Julloch was the first to break the line, but Candida pulled her way to the front after a furlong or so and Julloch was eased into a perfect trailing run Julloch closed the gap to Candida quickly as they ran to the straight. Valaris still held his position behind Julloch. Silver Wood was starting to drift back alongside Persuasive. El Ganador was coming into it then wider out. and Teneriffe was following him round the field. Skelton waited on Valaris until Julloch moved off the fence to challenge coming to

the furlong. He kicked Valaris through the gap quickly but had to ride vigorously to keep clear of Julloch. which was gradually gathering Valaris in again at the post. El Ganador ran the race out soundly for third a neck back but he did not look like doing better. There was three parts of a length then to Teneriffe. which beat Volterra by a little more than a length. Second Leg Tocsin led from start to finish to gain Newman Handicap honours by three-quarters of a length from Supreme Effort. Supreme Effort received the run of the race behind Tocsin to the straight but could net muster enough speed in the last furlong to peg the Oamaru mare back and only just lasted for second by a short neck from the faster-finishing Gabelle. Gabelle tailed off from the start of the race and was still in a gap of two lengths behind Gay Sailor running to the straight. P. J. Kempton brought Gabelle four wide through a gap between Stetson and Gay Sailor just outside the furlong and she ran the race out strongly. Stetson which had run alongside Supreme Effort in the second line to the straight, was a weakening fourth two lengths and a half away. He beat Gay Sailor, which had only Gabelle behind him until the last furlong, by a length and a half.