TROTTING ORBITER WINS BY A NOSE

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30367, 17 February 1964, Page 4

TROTTING ORBITER WINS BY A NOSE

Great Credit Second In Brighton Cup

Orbiter confirmed his position as one of the early favourites for the Easter Cup carnival, which starts at Addington Race* way in three weeks, when he won the New Brighton Cup on Saturday night. He gave a splendid display of front-running and lasted to beat Great Credit by a nose after a most interesting contest. . :

Orbiter set a sound pace in front from the start and fave none of the others any chance of wresting the lead from him in the middle stages. He paced his opening mile in about 2min llsec and then applied the pressure with one mile in better than 2min 4sec. He completed the distance in 4min 14 4-ssec. The field bunched about the half-mile and a number of the tail-enders began to improve. Orbiter opened up a lead of more than a length between the three furlongs and the straight entrance and this advantage was sufficient to enable him to hold on for a slender win.

Orbiter has now had 13 ■tarts this season for seven wins and four placing! worth £4050 to his Papanui owner-trainer-driver, W. L- Bagrie. Orbiter is without doubt the most promising young pacer In New Zealand at preseit and there was merit In his win on Saturday as he is comparatively inexperienced. He is a four-year-old gelding by U. Scott from Margaret Hall and has both the breeding and appearanace to suggest that he will be one of the outstanding performrers in major handicap events in the next 12 months.

Great Credit’s second placing was also full of merit. He lost about 24 yards on top at his handicap at 36 yards at the start and was still at the tail of the field at the halfmile. He was forced almost off the track leaving the back straight the last time, but kept up a powerful run and Just failed to catch Orbiter. He, too, will be in great order for the Easter Cup carnival. The second leg, the Autumn Handicap, also resulted in •uccess for a front-runner. Uteena led from end to end and won handily from Nimble Grattan and Chesterfield. Mrs M. and Mr R. C. Monk’s U. Scott mare was driven by W. R. Butt as her trainer, O. M. Quinlan, is ■till recovering from injuries received at Blenheim a week •go. Saturday’s win was Uteena’s third for the season. The Orbiter—Uteena double paid £lB 5s 6d for £l.

The meeting was held In pleasantly fine weather before, a crowd of 11,500. The track was fast. Considering the slow classes catered for in some races, the racing was of a good standard. Totalisator investments oncourse amounted to £98,816 10s, including £10,713 10s on the double, compared with £70,761 last year when the club raced On its own course. Brighton Cup Flying Note, Chiffon, Inglemead, Terrace Dale and Great Credit lost ground at the start of the New Brighton Cup. Orbiter made a fast beginning and set a sound pace from Gay Robin, Deft, Fox Able and Cheta, with Great Credit settling down at the rear some 60 yards from the lead. Inglemead and Cairnbrae were Just ahead of him. Terrace Dale improved at the end of half a mile, but was forced wide. She was second, on the outside of Gay Robin, before the mile post, with Safe Return well placed on the outside of Deft Great Credit and Caimbrae were still last.

Caimbrae was first to move from the back, with Great Credit following him and Inglemead Joining in behind the two of them. All three were forced very wide as the field bunched, particularly Great Credit which must have been near the outside of the track.

Orbiter led Gay Robin by a length and • half racing to the straight with' Safe Return, Caimbrae, Great Credit Cheta and Inglemead handiest of the others. Orbiter looked in for a fairly comfortable win inside the furlong, but Great Credit maintained his tremendous run and failed by only a nose to overhaul his younger rival. Cairnbrae battled on better than anything else in the straight and held on for third two lengths and a half behind Great Credit with half’ a neck to Gay Robin. Cheta was three lengths and a half further back, half a length in front of Deft which lost a length or two when Terrace Dale stopped in front of her at the two furlongs. Inglemead and Flying Note were next well clear of Fox AbieSecond Leg White World, Minnow and Arizona Gal made mistakes in the first 100 yards of the second leg of the double, the Autumn Handicap. Uteena was quickly into her stride and she led from Nimble Grattan and Chesterfield. They formed the leading trio throughout the race and turned for home ahead of Our Jimmy, Dreaming, Flying Maiden, Rebel and White World.

Uteena had too much in reserve for her rivals and she was not seriously tested to win by a length and a half from Nimble Grattan. Chesterfield trotted a solid race for third half a length back, a neck in front of a solid finisher in Rebel, which came home well along the rails. Rebel was awkwardly placed at the straight entrance and finished along the inner. Our Jimmy had every chance but could not quicken in the straight. He was a fair fifth, ahead of Doctor Kyle, with Minnow, White World and Flying Maiden next.