RACING Stablemates Succeed In Double At Wingatui

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30147, 3 June 1963, Page 4

RACING Stablemates Succeed In Double At Wingatui

. “The Press" Special Service DUNEDIN, June 2. The stablemates, Desert Chief, in the Birthday Handicap, and Magic Casement, in the’Winter Handicap, formed the winning double at Wingatui on Saturday, when the Dunedin Jockey Club opened its winter meeting. The combination paid £BB 4s 6d for £l.

Both horses are trained on the course by D. G. O’Neill and they were ridden by R. N. Marsh, who earlier in the day had taken a heavy toss off Grand Monarch in the Tahuna Hack Steeples and was lucky to escape injury.

Desert Chief, after having a good run throughout, sprinted away from Irrepressible to win the Birthday Handicap untested in the good time of 2min 32 2-ssec for a mile and a half. It was only 2-ssec slower than the race record time established by Western Front in 1950.

Western Front • was raced by the late Mr G. J. Barton. Desert Chief, which races in the estate of Mr Barton, is one of the team to be offered by auction next Saturday. Magic Casement, which was a close second at her previous start, scored her first success in open company when she easily accounted for the sprinters in the Winter Handicap. In a total double pool of £34,271 15s, including £4739 10s on-course, the KurnaiIrrepressible bracket was a hot favourite with 23,304 j

(including 20.944} off-course> 10s tickets. Desert Chief carried 10,619 and 1284 5s tickets were reinvested on Magic Casement. The second leg favourite was Palisade with 7441 tickets. Soon Took Lead Believe Me took the lead in the Birthday Handicap and running to the mile was clear of Melotone Desert Chief and Irrepressible were next ahead of Central Flight Kumai and Captain Morgan, and Sudd el Nil and Rhythm Rein ran in pairs ahead of Master Conclusion. There was little change to the half-mile but shortly after Kumai began his run and racing to the turn there was little between Desert Chief, Irrepressible. Valaris and Kumai (outside), with Central Flight next on the fence. , Desert Chief worked clear from the furlong and drew out to beat Irrepressible by two lengths. There was threeparts of a length to Central Flight. Sudd el Nil came from well back for fourth, but he

was five lengths away. There was half a head then to the weakening Kumai, with Rhythm Rein, Valaris and Windvale Dad almost in line clear of Melotone, Captain Morgan, Master Conclusion and Believe Me. Palisade Drifts After a good start in the Winter Handicap Palisade and King’s Lace drifted to the rear Bold Venture soon took over the running from Brandy Gold, then came The Wanderer, Tutton. Magic Casement, Gold View and the improving Palisade. There was little change in the order running to the halfmile.

Bold Venture was clear of Brandy Gold into the straight and was still in front at the furlong, but he had little to spare from The Wanderer which ran to the front soon after. Magic Casement mounted a powerful finish to win going away by two lengths and Palisade finished on to cut The Wanderer out of sec. ond place by half a head. There was a length to Bold Venture and a neck to Tuttoh, which w-as never far from the pace. There were three lengths then to Gold View, which failed to run on. She was followed by Brandy G<old, Elrick, Blue Haven and King’s Lace.