RACING NELSON FIRST LEG TO PERSUASIVE

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29800, 17 April 1962, Page 4

RACING NELSON FIRST LEG TO PERSUASIVE

Orari Mare Appreciates Heavy Going (From Our Own Reporter) NELSON, April 16. Persuasive improved on a sound record for her owner, Mr J. M. F. Miliken, of Winchester, when she outstayed seven rivals in the Redwood Memorial Handicap, the main race and first leg of the double on the second day of the Nelson Jockey Club’s annual meeting at Richmond Park today. Persuasive was well beaten in the Nelson Cup on Satur* day, but her chance of victory today improved considerably when the track became heavy after continuous rain from Saturday evening until late yesterday afternoon.

Persuasive had previously sbowfl ability to handle winter tracks this season, at the O-ago Hunt meeting early last month. There she had g a loped through slushy gr-ur.d to gam a runaway win against the open milers In two of her four races meantune Persuasive performed solidly for minor plac.ngs over middle disUnces at Oamaru and Ashburton.

Persuasive, a five-year-old mare trained at Orari by P H. C. Stock, was patiently ridden by the Riccarton horseman, G. W. Mein. He kept her within challenging distance throughout, waited for a last run at the leaders and she responded determinedly tn win going away. Persuasive was the 4/4 favourite for a win-and-place and also fourth choice on the double. In a total pool of £29.584 she carried 78894 10s tickets. The popular fancy was Jullorh, with 16.095 tickets, and next in favour was El Ganado . which carried 12340. Gsy Sailor caused a major upset in the Stoke Handicap when he fought on best to beat Tocsin and Gabelle tn the tightest of finishes. Gay Sailor, a gelded son of Able Seaman and Baby Gay, trained by bis Totara Flat owner. W. Dudley, was last of five in the corresponding race on Saturday. Today he was the 8/8 favourite of eight and paid £l7 l(te 6d and £3 15s tor a win-and-place. In the double with Persuasive he paid £96 3s for £l. There were 1017 5s tickets on the combination. The trainer's prize for the meeting went to T. R. Howe, from Awapuni. R. W. Taylor, who is also quartered at Awapuni, was the most successful jockey. The prize for apprentices was won by the Riecarton apprentice, M. J. Skelton. The meeting was held in fine but overcast weather and the attendance was small. On-course investments amounted to £18,908. including £1963 10s on the double, compared with £28,036 10s on the second day last year. The total for the meeting was £44.922, compared with £59.786 10s. Vi on Going Away Persuasive rounded off a solid gallop from fourth at the furlong to win the Redwood Memorial Handicap, going away by a length from the Nelson Cup winner, Valaris.

Volterra worked in>to a clear lead early and was followed closely as they left the straight the first time by Julloch. El Ganador ran on the tinner of Valaris in a small gap behind Julloch. Then came Persuasive and Silver Wood together, ahead of Teneriffe and Night Sock. Volterra continued to gallop freely in the lead past the half-mile but Valaris w-en,t forward quickly on the outer and was within three-quarters of a length of the pacemaker a furlong later. Julloch, down in the soft going on the inside, was making hard work of it then and Teneriffe and Night Sock had improved to make it a line of three with him. El Ganador, on the inner, had dropped out to last and Silver Wood was just ahead of him. It was a race of changing fortunes in the last furlong Valaris was the first to master the pacemaker and then moved in towards the fence to Julloch's line. A little closer to home it looked as if it might be Teneriffe’s race, but Persuasive, a little wide out, had the strongest finish of all and was going away in the stickyground at the end.

Valaris lasted for second by a short head from Teneriffe and Silver Wood came

home well for fourth a length back. She outfinished El Ganador by half a length. Then came Julloch, Volterra and Night Sock.

Second Leg Gay Sailor, which finished at the rear in the open sprint on the first day, won by the narrowest of margins in the Stoke Handicap, the corresponding event and second leg of the double.

In a battling finish Gay Sailor beat Tocsin by a nose and Gabelle was half a , head back third. Gay Sailor ran in the trailing position behind Tocsin to the straight and Gabelle ran near the tail of the field just ahead of Fair Polly. A furlong from the end it was a battle for the lead between Gay Sailor, Tocsin, Gabelle, which had come through fast on the inner, and Tarlon. For a stride or two it seemed that Tocsin might win her second race at the meeting, but Gay Sailor responded best to a hard ride from R. W Taylor and just lasted to win.

Gabelle was right up, a length and a quarter ahead of Tarlon. Stetson, another likely prospect outside the furlong, was a weakening sixth ahead of Imperial Storm. Supreme Effort and Fair Polly.