RACING GAY FILOU-BANDON CLASH IS LIKELY

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30391, 16 March 1964, Page 5

RACING GAY FILOU-BANDON CLASH IS LIKELY

Trentham Wins Lead To Riccarton Races

Bandon and Gay Filou heightened interest in their expected clash in the George Adams Handicap at Riccarton on Easter Monday with wins in major races at Trentham on Saturday.

Bandon and Gay Filou both won under top weights— Bandon with 8-10 over a mile and a half in the President’s Handicap and Gay Filou under 9-0 against the milers in the Hutt Handicap.

Bandon’s Taranaki owner. Mr J. J. Barry, said that the horse would almost certainly go to Riccaiton for Easter racing. “We’ll know for sure after we see the weights,” Mr Barry said. Bandon has now won three races this season, and two of them have been over a mile and a half at Trentham. He ran out the distance courageously on Saturday and won by a long neck from the Takanini-trained Tasman Lad, which was carrying 101 b less. Straight Irish took third place narrowly from the Waikato mare, On Purpose, which will do her Easter racing at Riccarton under the direction of J. C. Tomkinson. The each-way favourite, Senor, was fifth in the President’s Handicap after an interrupted run from the home turn. Llanelly, the Chalmers Handicap winner a week earlier, tired to sixth after leading to the last furlong. Commodore Roberts, a surprise second favourite, could finish only tenth. The Riccarton - trained Hushaway made no progress from the ruck on a track that was heavy in places after early-morning rain. Hushaway also pulled a plate and finished at the tail of the field. £9976 for Season Gay Filou gave the South Island its sixth success for the meeting when he beat the milers in the Hutt Handicap. Gay Filou is easily Riccarton’s best winner for the season. His six-year-old racing has already produced four wins and £9976; his Wellington Cup victory in January contributed £6626.

G. F. Hughes rode Gay Filou into a trailing position behind Gymkhana early in the race.

Gymkhana came to the straight with a lead of two lengths, but Gay Filou steadily closed on him, mastered him near the furlong, and ran it out stoutly to win by a long neck from Funny Story, which came from the fourth line in the last halfmile. Jen Hal, a short-priced favourite, ran an even race for third; he was always well placed close to the pack. Gymkhana weakened to fourth, with little to spare from Baloo and Shakes, a slow beginner. Solid Record Tasman Sea improved a very good record for the McEwan stable at Hawera by winning the Suburban Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double. This was Tasman Sea’s third start in open class, and his third win. After a second to Hushaway in a hack mile at the Wellington Cup meeting, Tasman Sea won the two open sprints at Wanganui in February. Like Bandon, he did not race on the first day of the Wellington autumn meeting. C. A. Bowry rode Tasman Sea in the trailing position behind the Riccarton-trained Waverley and led from outside the furlong. He shook off a challenge from the favourite, Good Day Peter, without much trouble, but the South Island sprinters, Apache and Careen, were quickly reducing his lead at the end. These light-weights appeared to be out of the race on the home turn, where they were abreast at the tail of the field. Both recorded pleasing trials for the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton on Easter Monday. Good Day Peter tired to fourth, and That’s That led the others in. Bellarook, the third favourite, was one of the slowest away. He made a run around the outside early in the run home, but was beaten before the furlong and finished 12th.

Rehandicapped.—Tasman Sea has been rehandicapped 51b to 8-11 in the St. Patrick’s Handicap at the Opunake meeting on Wednesday.-—(P. A.)