SECOND WIN IN NINE DAYS

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30405, 2 April 1964, Page 4

SECOND WIN IN NINE DAYS

Bandarshar Takes Shirley Hep.

Bandarshar and W. D. Skelton combined successfully for the second time in a little over a week in the Shirley Handicap at Riccarton yesterday. Bandarshar won by a head from the faster-finishing Crackers, which had won this race in the hands of W. D. Skelton last year.

Bandarshar was one of three successful newcomers at the meeting. This was his first start since the second day of the Oamaru autumn meeting when he made all the running in the middle distance hack race. Yesterday he had a trailing run behind Gold Shower to the straight, battled to a short lead near the furlong and ran it out gamely to win by a head from Crackers.

Way from the lead when Windvale Lass shot out to put a break of about six lengths near the half-mile. Nippa Leigh, Cassarook, and Everglades caught Windvale Lass going to the furlong, but Eversley pegged them back in a race of quick-changing fortunes.

Pigling Bland beat Everglades by a nose for third, and the weakening Cassarook was a length back fifth. NOT TESTED

Sharpened by his run on the first day, when he was fifth, Beu Seant was much too good for the others in the Christchurch Handicap. Dr. A. H. Meikleham’s lightly-raced five-year-old dashed clear early in the race, and his sharp speed kept him beyond challenging range of the others to the end. The win favolurite, Saint Steven, tried hard to peg him back, but was soundly beaten by a length and a half. Even Better was another length and a half back third, and filled that place at long odds. He had little to spare from Bushido, Say So, Pay Bank, and Triple Crown. SURPRISE WIN

The runner-up tracked Bandarshar to the straight and ran it out gamely a length clear of Misjudge, which beat the tiring Gold Shower by half a length. Town Talk was the best of the others. VERSATILE John O’Groats was at oddson for the Kildare Hurdles and he justified such solid backing, but the pay-out was held up while there was an inquiry into interference near

the end of the race. John O’Groats is proving a versatile performer for the Southland owner, Mr W. E. Hazlett. He has successfully mixed hurdling and flat racing this season, and his win yesterday was his third as a jumper. His trainer-rider, W. J. Hillis, had the Callander gelding at the tail of the field early in the race, but took him forward steadily to close on the pacemaking Captain Morgan near the five furlongs. He was clear going to the last hurdle, but ran it down badly. This cost him ground, but not his chance. He had the speed to stay in command and win by two lengths from Bador, his most solidly-backed rival.

Lightning Girl, a stablemate of Sailorman, mastered the stablemates Clipper and General Gilbert close to home for a meritorious and surprise win in the Wigram Handicap. Clipper put up the strongest resistance near the end, but Lightning Girl caught him in the last few strides and beat him by a head. The stable apprentice, C. L. Reeves, rode Lightning Girl well back in the field to the straight, brought her to the outside and brought her along with a determined challenge just when it appeared that the race would be a triumph for J. L. Barr’s Riccarton stable. Clipper beat General Gilbert by three-quarters of a length for second. General Gilbert, which was trying for a second win at the

Bador beat the tiring Captain Morgan as easily for second. £26 DIVIDEND Eversley, a failure in the Warstep Stakes and in one other start since her win in maiden class at Waikouaiti in January, won the Tasman Handicap with a bold late run down the outside.

meeting, pulled very hard in front early, and that might have cost him the race. He just saved third from the Wingatui veteran, Central’s Pride, which came down the inside from the middle of the field. Donna Gola weakened to fifth after challenging for the lead from the half mile to the home turn. Backers of the favourite Knight of York had their hopes dashed at the start. The big Riccarton gelding lost several lengths. He rejoined the field after passing the five furlongs, tried to go right round the outside on the home turn, but was beaten on straightening up and finished fourteenth.

The race was a triumph for the Washdyke trainer, M. R. Jones, who trains the winner and also the runner-up, Nippa Leigh. The stablemates battled it out a length clear of the favourite, Pigling Bland, which would have been harder to beat with a better run through from the pack. Eversley, a Knight’s Romance filly owned by Mr W. A. Grant, paid £26 18s 6d for a win. She was one of the slowest away, and was a long