Alaska Beats Hack Stayers

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 4

Alaska Beats Hack Stayers

Alaska was backed as if unbeatable in the Hinemoa Hack Handicap at Trentham yesterday and he justified the confidence of his supporters with a long neck victory over the top-weight, Money.

Alaska, a four-year-old Tsaoko gelding trained for Mr E. N. Fitzgerald, of Gisborne, by M. B. Andrews at Awapuni was an odds-on favourite. He paid £1 15s and £1 6s for a win and a place and £77 10s for £1 with Aloft in the on-course double. Alaska ran with the tailendera for a start, but had , moved up three wide alongside Vinesae and Prince Murat in the third line five furlongs out. Money, which had made the pace ail the way. was still out by four lengths from Repair and Courageous. Alaska joined Repair and ' Courageous behind Money as they ran to the straight, and

he challenged Money for the lead outside the furlong. J. R. O’Neill knew then he had Money beaten although she fought back every inch of the way right till the line. Alaska won with O’Neill sitting still.

Shady, one of the tailenders on the home tuim, outfinished Repair for third by a head, but was half a length behind Money. Vinesse battled on for a fair fifth and she was clear of Prince Murat, with Lady York at the head of the others. Lady York drifted back to the rear on the home turn, made a short dab outside the furlong, but then dropped the bit Fair Vision Easily Fair Vision, a handsome Fair’s Fair colt trained by R. F. Cole at Matamata, gave his 23 rivals a start and a sound beating in the Spring Novice Handicap. Fair Vision, which had been eliminated from the Trial Stakes on Saturday, was lari when the field settled down.

But he made ground quickly between the five and the three and was wide out but not far from the front when the field straightened up. Fair Vision challenged Acapulco and Magic Mirror for the lead outside the furlong and pulled away to score by two lengths. Acapulco was second by more than two lengths and Gayrene came from the middle to cut Sir Guy out of third in the last stride or two. My Desire. Fair Citation and Fast Lad led in the others.

The favourite, Bravest, kept up till the turn, then faded and finished well down the track. Chef Makes Amends Chef, the runner-up to Smoke Ring on the first day of the meeting but a wellbeaten fifth in the hurdles on Saturday, gave R. F. Cole his second successive training success of the day when he outstayed Tilly Light and Harlech in the Rona Hurdles.

Harlech and Alarmist disputed the pace from the mile till the fence near the five furlongs, then Harlech went ahead. A bad jump at the fence by the three furlongs cost Harlech valuable ground and Chef moved through on the inner to join him as they ran to the straight. After the last flight it was Chef all the way and he won handily by three lengths and a half. Tilly Light, taking the shortest way home, came from the rear and out-finish-ed Harlech for second by half a head. Musketeer was fourth in a gap of four lengths and Alarmist was last, six lengths behind him. Cinnaman came down two fences from home. He was sharing the third line with Alarmist and Chef at the time.

Aloft At Long Odds The Trentham-trained Aloft paved the way for a substantial on-course double whep he won the Tararua Hack Handicap at long odds for his Welling'on owner. Mr D. F. Barrett Aloft, the tenth favourite of 13, paid £27 16s and £3 IBs fid for a win-and-place. Aloft was three places from the rear till the home turn. He showed up six places back and wide out coming to the furlong and swamped the others for finishing speed Aloft, on the outside, beat Callander’s Gift, which shared the third line to the straight, by a tong head. Vogel Bloem, which tried to lead for the last half-mile, was a head back third and Lady Dilemma was fourth by a similar margin. Lady Dilemma made ground from the rear through gaps on the inner in the straight but weakened in her run a few strides from the finish. That’s It, about the same all the way. was fifth in a gap of two lengths. He shaded the favourite, Cantus, which trailed to the straight. Fairford's Fast Run Fairford, a fiaehy chestnut colt in J. A MacfMtane'B team at Oaki, out-ram the favourite Rio to win the Rosenee® Handicap for Mr J. Wattle, of Hastings. Fairford and Rto were the

only one* seriously involved in the finish. Narbada, third, was three lengths and a half back, then at two length intervals came Ferragamo and Night Life. Dunmure and Narbada led across the junction to the course proper from Rio. Night Life, Ferragamo and Fairford. Rio worked through to the front at the furlong and almost immediately Fairford came through on the inner of Narbada to challenge on his right. Rio responded gamely down on the inside but Fairford had him mastered 100 yards out and won handily by three parts of a length. Fairford’s time of 581 sec was only a quarter of a second outside Expedite '8 track record.

Easy But Not Popular

Ichtar, which finished well down the track when 2/1 in the betting in the Rimutaka Handicap on Saturday, was accorded a mixed reception when he returned to weigh in after beating the favourite. Hushaway. in the Ruahine Hack Handicap.

Kaehaway tried for an all-the-way win and Ichtar was three wide in the second line as they ran to the straight A Riccarton victory still looked hopeful when Hushaway shook Llanmeter off inside the furlong but he had nothing left to cope with Ichter’s strong run nearer the end. Ichtar went on to win by a length and a half and Hushaway saved second from Dacron, which was close up all the way, by only a head. Llanmeter was a weakening fourth a neck behind Dacron and she was clear of Fairmarket, Town Talk and Playday ait the head of the others.