Manawatu Horses Win Riccarton Double

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29893, 6 August 1962, Page 4

Manawatu Horses Win Riccarton Double

Top Rank and Far Step opened their four-year-old careers brilliantly with wins in the major flat races at Riccarton on Saturday. Top Rank produced a run matching his commanding physique to win the £l5OO Winter Cup and Far Step soundly beat the sprinters in the Paparua Handicap. These horses from Manawatu stables were the winning combination on the double and returned £45 2s for £l.

Far Step, a half-brother by Llanstephan to the brilliant Cadiz, carried £11,288 10s of a pool of £107,454 15s, and there were 7873 5s tickets redeemed on Top Rank. Far Step is owned by Mr and Mrs G. I. Lambert and trained at Awapuni by T. R. Howe. The Paparua Handicap was Far Step’s first race since last January, but some brilliant training gallops had kept him much under discussion.

Top Rank, an impressive trialist with Far Step and Toureg at Riccarton last Thursday, is prepared at Woodville by F. R. Gough. He was ridden by the Riccarton jockey, A. J. Stokes, who had not had a win in the Winter Cup before. Top Rank showed sharp early speed to lead for a moment early in the race. Then he dropped into a trailing position behind Fairassan and stayed down on the inside until early in the run home.

Cleared Pocket Stokes had to bring Top Rank wider to clear a pocket created when Gold View dashed ahead on his right. But there was no doubting what would win at the half furlong. Top Rank was then passing Gold View and quickly drawing away to establish his winning margin of a length. Gold View only just managed to last it out for second The Riccarton-trained Coral Chief ran him to a nose and was going so fast at the end that he must have tested the winner with a better run earlier in ’he race. D. N. Hadfield had trouble working Coral Chief into the clear from a position towards the middle of the field. With better luck he could win the Islington Handicap on the final day of the meeting. Omaha ran another of her very sound races for fourth half a length behind Coral Chief. She was tn a small gap ahead of Toureg. which only just beat

Fairassan, Melodic and th* long shot. Navarone. Astra was just behind this line of horses, but was tiring after following Gold View into the final furlong. Shangri-La, another weakening runner, was tenth three places ahead of the favourite, Wind vale Lad. W D. Skelton said Windvale Lad was never going well enough to make a run up to the front bunch. "1 don’t think the ground was heavy enough for him—besides he was a bit above himself and was in a lather at the start.” Skelton said. Soon Clear Far Step spurted to the front Inside the first two furlongs in the Paparua Handicap, and resisted a Challenge from Supreme Effort close to home. The Awapuni chestnut widened his lead to a length and a half in the last few strides. John Jameson finished faster

than anything else in the race for third three-quarters of a length behind Supreme Effort. Pine Ridge led for a time early, and was then settled in a trailing position when Far Step dashed up on his right going to the five furlongs. Imperial Storm ran up fast to contend for the lead, but Far Step was holding him comfortably on the home turn. There Pine Ridge, Gay Duchess, Abou Ben Adhem, and Supreme Effort were in the second line, and Gay Fox and Erldon were making runs wider out. Gay Fox came to the end of his run outside the furlong, and Erldom felt the strain soon after.

Supreme Effort followed Far Step into the last furlong, but the Awapuni sprinter held, him safely. John Jameson, fourth from last at the half mile, finished fast to beat Pine Ridge by a head for third. Erldon was half a length back fifth. Safe Harbour was sixth and the tiring Gay Fox seventh.