Milngavie Popular In Blenheim Win

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30051, 8 February 1963, Page 5

Milngavie Popular In Blenheim Win

(From Our Own Reporter)

BLENHEIM, February 7.

Milngavie gained a popular and well-earned victory at Blenheim today when he outran and outstayed Lightaway and 19 others in the Richmond Brook Handicap, principal race and first leg of the T.A.B. double on the first day of the Marlborough Trotting Club’s annual meeting.

Although he was at good odds Milngavie’s win was popular for two reasons. He is raced by Mr W. J. Murray, president of the Marlborough Trotting Club, and is trained at Blenheim by F. F. Scott. The Richmond Brook Handicap was Milngavie’s second win this season but his first as a two-miler. His other victory was as a sprinter at Westport in December.

Meantime he had finished second to Maudella in the Reefton Cup and was a close fifth in the Nelson Cup last Saturday.

Milngavie was the 4/3 favourite of 20 in the Richmond Brook Handicap. He paid £ll 12s and £3 10s for a win and place and carried 3808| 10s tickets in a double pool amounting to £23,667.

Messala rounded off a double worth £255 13s 6d for £1 when he outran his rivals in the Pelorus Handicap, for which he was the 5/6 favourite. The double dividend was shared by the holders of 306 5s tickets, of which 52 were held on the course.

The Pelorus Handicap was marred by a smash about five furlongs from home. Light Silk. Mystery Jim, Tharleane and Dainty Rola all lost their chances in the incident.

The meeting was held in warm, overcart weather. There was some drizzle earlier in the day. The track was firm to begin with but started to cut out slightly as the meeting progressed. There was a good attendance.

On-course investments were £19,513. including £3805 on doubles, compared with £25,432 on the first day last year, a Saturday. First Leg Once he cleared a pocket on the inner at the furlong Milngavie out-finished Lightaway and the favourite. Caledonian Lad, to win the Richmond Brook Handicap at good odds for his Blenheim owner, Mr W. J. Murray.

Milngavie ran on the inner about three places from the lead till the half-mile. He was forced back a place or two when the field crowded up on the home turn and still had eight horses ahead of him at the straight entrance.

While others were trying to make ground wider out, D. R. deal waited for the run along the fence. It came just inside the last furlong. Once he cleared the pocket, Milngavie quickly pegged Lightaway back and beat her by a length. Lightaway ran in the line ahead of Milngavie from the half-mile to the straight, took the lead away from Mecca Star early in the run home, but could not match Milngavie for finishing speed. Caledonian I-ad did well for his placing. He was near the rear in the early stages after a slow start but when his stablemate. Seafield Lady, faded from the pace about the half-mile he got a run through on the inner which carried him up to third equal on the home turn. He was two lengths behind Lightaway and just lasted for third by a nose from the faster-finishing Trusted.

Smokey Hall was a fair fifth. She had shared the same Line in the middle of the field with Trusted halfway through the race and they both improved together towards the leaders on the home tarn.

Radiant: Storm ran on from the middle of the field for sixth. He was followed in by Paul Bunyan, High Hopes, Mecca Star and Kilkivan.

Field Chief broke and checked Fallette at the start, and Kilkivan and Affiliate also gave ground. Messala’s Win Messala recorded one of his more reliable performances to win the Pelorus Handicap but his task was made quite a bit easier when four horses, including two of the strong fancies, were eliminated in a smash about five furlongs from home. Messala was fairly well back in the field running into the last seven furlongs but after the smash he was left up alongside Thrift in the third line. Once straightened for the run home he mastered Stormcara in a few powerful strides and went on t» win by a length from Borodin.

Borodin came from the Line behind Messala for his placing and outran the weakening pacemaker. Stormcara, for second by two lengths. Shepherd's Pride, which trailed Stormcara to the straight then broke threequarters of a furlong from the end. settled down again and finished fourth in a gap of five lengths. She just beat Thrift. Direct Terms was sixth in a small gap but well clear of Patriarch's Son at the head of the others. The accident occurred when Idleman broke in the trailing position and came back quickly on Light Silk, which fell Dainty Rola and Mystery Jim ran into the back of Light Silk and Tharleane collided with them all. Yale and Tahu, both at iouble figure odds, won the divisions of the Nelson Handicap. Yale improved from the third line to lead inside :he furlong in the first division and survived a .trong late bid from Light Polka by a nose. Light Polka ran in the line behind Yale to the straight and outfinished the pacemaker, Shanray. by a length

for second. Tryall. which received the run of the race, battled on for fourth ahead of Aero Scott, which was running on well clear of Evalina.

Tahu set the early pace in the second division but surrendered the lead after three furlongs. He was back in the middle of the field at the half-mile but was brought wide on the home turn and ran the distance out strongly to win by half a length from Adulate.

Adulate, which trailed the pacemaker, Highland Countess, to the straight, beat Dorothy Lee for second by five lengths. Suzie Wong weakened from the second line to fourth. She was followed" in by Highland Countess, which was clear of Kinsella and Robin’s Return. Results:—

FLYING SPORTSMEN HANDICAP, £200; 3:37 class; Um.— 1/1 PANCHO BOY (8) It J. Carmichael 1; 3/3 MIRIAM HALL (3A) It G. B. Noble 2; 3/3 BONNIE WIDOW’ (31 It J. Noble 3. Scratched: Lord Cecil, La Rossa. Nose; four lengths. Aero' Scott fourth. Times—--3:25 3-5 , 3:25 4-5. 328 3-5. Win: £3 7s 6d. Places: £1 8s 6d. £3 7s. Brackets: Pancho Boy and Rally, Miriam Haill and Bonny Widow.

HILLERSDEN HANDICAP, £250; 2:56 cass; LJm—First Division: 20/20 MAGIC SCOTT (14) It D. M. Alexander 1: 11/8 BORODIN (3) It R. J. Morris 2; 22/22 DAINTY ROLA It C. C. Keats 3. Scratched: Storm Cara, Disperse. One and a half length; two lengths. Singaway fourth. Times—2:4o 4-5, 2:41 1-5, 2:41 3-5. Win: £43 13s 6d. Places: £l5 18s 6d, £4 6s. Second Division: 1/1 DIRECT TERMS (6) It M. Holmes 1; 5/4 LORD PELSER (13) It J. L. Behrns 2; 8/10 SINGING LAD It W. H. Tunstall 3. All started. Length; same. Iniquitous fourth. Times—2:43 4-5. 2:44. 2:44 1-5. Win: £2 12s. Places: £1 4s. £2 13s 6d.

STARBOROUGH HANDICAP, £210; 3:37 class; Um.—2/1 ELPESTRE (3) It W. R. Butt 1; 10/11 ROYAL HARMONY (16) 84 D. deal 2; 6/7 HOW’S THAT (6) It P. Kennedy 3. AH started. Length; same. Stolen Moments fourth. Times—3:3o 4-5 3:24, 3:31 1-5. Win: £3 14s. Places: £1 8s 6d, £6 13s 6d, £5 0s 6d. RICHMOND BROOK HANDI£415; 4:45 class; 2m. 4/3 MILNGAVIE (11) It | D. R. Cleal 1 13/15 LIGHT WAY (9) It G. R. Watson 2 1/1 CALEDONIAN LAD <3> It .. R. D. Butt 3 5/4 Affiliate, 11/13 Bay Prince, 1/1 Seafield Lady. 19/18 Fallette, 2/5 Field Chief, 9/8 Glowater, 14/12 High Hopes. 18/17 Kilkivan, 8/12 Mecca Star, 15/ 16 Paul Bunyan, 16/14 Radiant Storm, 20/20 Ray Preston, 12/ 11 Safety Light, 10/9 Vivace, 17/19 Maud Noble 3/2 Smokey Haff. 6/6 Trusted, 7/7 Wonthaggl also started.

Length; two lengths. Trusted fourth. Times—4:29. 4:29 2-5, 4:29 3-5.

Win: £ll 12s. Places: £3 10s, £ll 12s £1 Is.

NELSON HANDICAP, £200; 2:59 class; Um. — First Division: 12/15 YALE (8A) It D. G. Jones 1; 1/1 LIGHT POLKA (IB) It J. S. Hunter 2; 10/21 SHANRAY It T. K. Becker 3. Scratched: Lord Cecil. Pancho Boy. Scotty McCoy. Nose; a length. Tryall fourth. Times—2:47, 2:47 1-5, 2:47 2-5. Win: £l3 18s 6d. Places: £6 16s. £1 13s. Second Division: 15/16 TAHU (23A) It S. Guthrie 1; 10/12 ADULATE (2) It G. Holmes 2; 4/4 DOROTHY LEE (6) It K. D. Murray 3. Scratched: Freeland, Rannack Song, La Rossa. Half a length; five lengths. Suzy Wong fourth. Times—2:4B 3-5, 2:48 4-5, 2:49 4-5 Win: £l5 6s. Places: £6 17s, £5 4s. . PELORUS HANDICAP, £262 10s; 3:33 class; l‘, 2 m. 5/6 MESSALA (9) It M. C. McTigue 1 3/3 BORODIN (2) It R. G. Morris 2 1/2 STORMCARA (14) It K. D. Murray 3 15/15 Dainty Rola. 7/8 Dior, 8/7 Direct Terms, 9/9 Idleman, 4/4 Light Silk, 2/1 Mystery Jim, 12/11 Patriarch’s Son, 11/14 Radiant Meadow, 10/10 Shepherd's Pride, 13/13 Tharleane, 6/5 Thrift, 14/12 Vertigo. Length; two lengths. Shepherd’s Pride fourth. Times—--3:20, 3:21. 3:34 2-5. Win: £9 Is. Places: £4 4s 6d, £2 ss. £2 Is.

WAITOHI HANDICAP, £210; 4.53 class; 2m.—3/4 KERRY CORD (11) 36 J. H. Docherty 1; 7/8 POLYDORUS (8) It G. F. Middleton 2; 1/1 FROGMAN (15) 48 K. Purdon 3. Scratched; Benachie, Elpestre, Georgie Lee, Going Gay, Surf, Macnamara. Royal Harmony. Nose; half a neck. Smokey John fourth. Times—4:so, 4:47 2-5. 4:49 3-5. Win: £5 2s 6d. Places: £1 19s 6d, £3 17s 6d. £1 13s 6d.

BRAYLEY HANDICAP, £300: 2:54 class: Um.—l/2 NIGGER MINSTREL (12) It J. Daly 1; 10/7 SMOKEY HALL (17) 12 I. S. Sutherland 2; 3/1 GREAT MYSTERY (7) It J. Goodyer 3. Scratched; Dieman Lad, Disperse, Milngavie, Johnny Warrior. Lightaway. Length; two lengths and a half. Talent 1 fourth. Times—2:4s 2-5, 2:44 2-5, 2:46 3-5. Win: £5 13s 6d. Places: £2 2s £4 15s 6d. £1 17s.

Horse Out For Two Months

(N.Z. Press Association) BLENHEIM. Feb. 7. After an inquiry into the running of the Scarborough Handicap at Blenheim today the chief stipendiary steward, Mr L A. Butterfield, announced that Going Gay had been stood dowr until April 6 for bad racing manners. He stood on his mark when the field was sent away

P. G. O’Reilly, the trainer o’ Field Chief, was warned tha the barrier behaviour of this horse would have to improve otherwise action would be taken.

An objection to the fourth placing of Shepherd’s Pride in the Pelorus Handicap on the grounds that he caused interference to Thrift, which in turn interferred with Idleman. wa< dismissed, as was one against Frogman for galloping near the post at the finish of the Waitohi Handicap. Frogman was third, seven lengths ahead of Smokey John.