Ben McLeod Makes Fine Winning Dash Along Rails

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

Ben McLeod Makes Fine Winning Dash Along Rails

Ben McLeod outfinished the first-day winner Zero for a decisive win in the W. Parsons Memorial High-weight at Rangiora yesterday. Once again * horse with the rails run came out best. A. Cowian had Ben McLeod nicely placed on the inside and close to the pace soon after the start. He was nursed along for a straight ohaMenge and managed to find more finishing speed than Zero, which made a sharp run three wide up to the leaders near die half-mile and was dear momentarily on the home turn. Golden Days made ground late in the race for third two lengths back, and would have enlivened the finish further only for missing the jumpout.

Golden Days was a length and a half clear of the tiring Bodkin, wtiich ran about the middle and on the outside of tile field ail the way.

Won Unchallenged The seven-year-dld Lhanerc was the veteran of the Lobum Madden Handicap No. 1 field, and easily the beet. D. N. Hadfield had her clear in no time, and she ran the others off their legs to Die straight, drawing out to win by four lengths. Mr C. R. Blackett's Llanstephan mare was the 5/4 favourite and paid £8 9s. Second and a fairly solid finisher after a slow start was Corrie Gilpin, which carried tap weight. He was ridden at 9-H, SJlib overweight, by C. McDonald, but he pegged the favourite. Bar Koch ba, back to third near the end. Dowmanca and Lord Carrington were the best of tire others.

Tight Finish Flying Lancer continued the winning run of the veterans with a narrow victory in the Swannanoa Apprentice Handicap. This eight-year-old Foocshsur geldmg made a dogged rad'lß challenge in the straight and got up to beat Gold Shower by a neck. Mygrid, Spartacus. Vienna Woods, and Misjudge helped to make it the moat spectacular finish of the meeting. They all finished within a length or so of the winner. Gold Shower was responsible for much of the pacemafcing, but when she drifted away from the ■ rails there was a gap wide enough for Flying Lancer, wtiich had been running kindly in the hands of M. McCann. Mygrid, last in a doserunning field at the five furlongs, caught Spartacus In the last few strides for third money. Nose Victory Golden Thistle, the 8 9 tavou.ite, cleared a pocket on the inside near the home turn just in time to make a winning challenge in the Lobum Maiden No. 2. She inched past Pepe close to home then just survived a late challenge from Somaira. There was only a noae in it. Golden Thistie is trained at Washdyfce by W. P. Hogan, and gave the stable apprentice. C. L. Reeves, his first winning ride. Golden Thistle quickly took up a trailing position behind Pepe and Lady Merling, which spurted forward from wide barrier positions. There was no run through for Golden Thistle on the home turn, where Lady Merling was weakening. But young Reeves had roam to bring her three wide to go after Pepe.

Sumatra finished baldly after a slow start, but Golden TltiiStie just lasted. Pepe was ostiy half a head behind Scanaca. but th« others, led in by Bushido, were beaten off. Unchallenged Etaile Este sped clear inside the first furlong at the Fe.'nside Improveins' Handicap and won unrtredlenged by two and a half lengths. This woe her third start aod first w.n this season for Mr J. B. Pareell. Clouds, Apparel, San Saba, and Vivien Robe were fairly close to Etoite Ea.e on tdive home turn but tbe Wafihdyk etrainied Kurdfetttn filly kicked away in the last funiong wkii an impressive burat. Trold came from the middle of the field to beat the weakening Appa el by a lengui and a half for second. Won First Up Marlborough started his four-year-old racing wiith a win in the Cust Intermedia e Handicap for his Chris'chore a owner, Mr* F. S. Wilding A gtablemate of Newbrook, the most successful sprinter ait the meeting, Marlborough mastered the Waganui-trained Lord Nikita close to home, winning by half a neck. Lord Nikita looked as if he might come through the meeting unbeaten when he secured a roils run to resch the front before the home turn. But Marlborough stayed close *4 hand, and was faorly confidently handled by W. H. Beck, Who was given a generous response when he pulled the whip close to ths post. Vbhukte. which drifted »t the start, but moved to fourth ait the half-mile, made further steady progress from the turn for a fair third half a Length behind Lord Nikita.