Grand Prix Wins At Short Odds

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30108, 17 April 1963, Page 4

Grand Prix Wins At Short Odds

Grand Prix survived a late challenge from Van Da Hum for a neck victory in the Kildare Hurdles at Riccarton yesterday. The Wingatui gelding was a short-priced favourite and paid £2 3s for a win.

He played a part in all the pace-making and apart from one unsure leap neair the seven furlongs, his jumping was sure and clean.

He appeared to have much in reserve when he came to the last hurdle with a clear lead, but could not provide much extra speed when Van Da Hum battled forward to his right close to home, and just lasted. The Frenchman was 10 lengths back third. He was close enough to the lead at the five furlongs to have a winning chance, but jumped badly there and again at the last flight. The others were hopelessly out of it at the end. Slatey was fourth in a gap of 15 lengths and two lengths clear of Supreme Effort. Hopeful fell at the six furlongs. First And Third The Riccarton trainer, G. H. Murfitt, saddled Big Boy to win and Shakes to finish third in the Tasman Handicap. The stablemates, which were both at good odds, were separated at the finish by the each-way favourite, Scuffle. Big Boy and Shakes ran together in the middle of the field for a start and Scuffle was back among the tarlenders. But Big Boy and Scuffle both went forward quickly on the home turn and they were up with Fieldmaster and Marlborough in front as they made the straight. Shakes had drifted back on the inner and bad only Moorooka and Yosemite behind him.

Marlborough and Fieldmaster were shortening stride outside the furlong and Big Boy and Scuffle ran into it

together with a short lead on Shakes and Town Talk. In a good finish, Big Boy did best to win by half a length. ' Scuffle beat Shakes for second by a similar margin and Town Talk battled on for fourth two lengths back. Marlborough was fifth in a slightly longer gap and Last Mate led in the others.

AIl-Tlie-Way Win Lido, a younger half-sister to the Great Autumn Handicap winner. McCool, gave her maiden rivals a galloping lesson in the Christchurch Handicap, for which she was the 3/3 favourite. Mr and Ms J. F. Tutton’s Isaac of York mare led from end to end and won at her leisure by two lengths. Golden Vanity, which led the chase after Lido all the way, was a comfortable second three and a half lengths ahead of Idol Prince. Idol Prince lasted by half a neck from the faster-finish-ing Red Skies, which cut Matador out of fourth in the last few strides. Half a head separated these two. Then there was a length to Royal Duke. The favourite, Hustbaway, was eighth. He was never reallly going well and had only two runners behind him at the half-mile. Sura Wins Again Sura won his second successive race in the hands of the stable apprentice, B. Isherwood, when he out-ran the hack milers in the Wigram Handicap. Isherwood had Sura in the middle of the field till the half-mile, but he brought him forward to a challenging position early in the run home and he reached the lead a furlong out. Glentarkin, one of the early tail-enders but alongside Sura half a mile out, ran the distance out soundly for second a length back. Woodcock, last away but ahead of the winner and run-ner-up half-way through the race, fought on for third half a neck back. Royal Pic, which always had the leaders in sight, battled on for fourth a length back. Golden Syrup, another slow beginner, which later covered a lot of extra ground, ran on solidly wide out for fifth two lengths back. Ham came from the middle of the field for a close sixth and Vienna Woods, the tail-ender five furlongs out, was half a length behind him. The win favourite, Sir Athol, wilted to twelfth after making the pace to the straight. Easy For Crackers Crackers gave W. D. Skelton his second successive winning ride and his hack staying rivals a sound beating in the Shirley Handicap,

for which he was fifth favourite of eight. Skelton had Crackers with the leaders all the way and he ran into the last half-mile sharing the lead with Silver King, Hullabaloo, Crackerjack and Keep. Hullabaloo dropped out quickly early in the run home but Crackers, Silver King, Crackerjack and Keep still ran as one two furlongs out and Alloa was tucked in behind them. Skelton kicked Crackers ahead coming to the last furlong and he pulled away to win by four lengths. Keep plugged on for second a length and a half ahead of Crackerjack and Alloa battled into fourth a length behind him. Silver King was a weakening fifth two lengths and a half back and Bar Kochba weakened from the trailing position to sixth in a similar gap. There was a fair gap then to Main Royal and Hullabaloo at the rear.