Gift Horse Surging Wins Waikato Hurdles

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30437, 11 May 1964, Page 4

Gift Horse Surging Wins Waikato Hurdles

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. May 10. Surging, once a gift horse, and an eight-year-old of the most ordinary appearance, won hands down over the biggest and best Waikato Hurdles field at Re Rapa yesterday. Surging burst to the front from a tight pack as soon as they began the run home and stayed there, pretty comfortably, until the finish. Tilly Light, a visitor from Awapuni, clung gamely to Surging as they gathered in the last jump. He then started to tire. Surging, on the other hand, showed no sign of weakness and he drew well away near the finish to score by three lengths.

Surging was bred at Walhou. near Te Aroha. by the late Mr B. A. Swney. During his first two seasons he was raced by the Te Aroha trainer, D. J. Arnott. When a five-year-old he was taken over on lease by a Morrinsville farmer, Mr S. N. Munro. About a year later he had done nothing of much account and Mr Swney made a gift of him to Mr Munro, who has owned and trained the gelding ever since.

A bay by Resurgent from Fleetmistress. Surging has won the big Te Rapa event as an eight-year-old. From a handful of attempts he had only one jumping win beforehand. In his very latest try before Saturday he fell in a hurdle race at Te Aroha.

Where Surging excels is In his ability to gallop well through the most holding ground. It was when many of his opponents looked "bogged" by the going that Surging swept to the front. In the tricky conditions he was sure-footed as any and his jump at the last fence was big and certain. Gallant Run The prize for first was £1250 and a trophy valued at £5O. Tilly Light collected £4OO for second by a length from Prince Sylvan, the rank outsider, and Golden Defaulter, ploughing on gallantly under his 12-0, won fourth from Smoke Ring.

Smoke Ring was the each-way favourite. Surging was 4/4 and he paid £9 Is and £3 0s 6d.

The disappointments were Mireusonta and Cretan, which came sixth and seventh. Cretan faded from the last fence home.

Mireusonta kept close for a mile or so, and seemed hardly dangerous afterw’ards. Clarendon, a favourite at fair odds, won an exciting finish to the second leg of the T.A.B. double, the Stewards’ Handicap. Clarendon was taken wide on a big run after the leader. Fire Gold, as soon as they started the straight and he stayed on very solidly to score by half a length from the dead-heaters. Supreme Gold and Summer Blaze.

The weather was fine and cool and there was a good attend-

ance The totallsator on-course handled £115.024 (including £22,519 on doubles) against £115.774 10s last year. Results:

MELVILLE STEEPLECHASE HANDICAP, £800: 2im—l 2 WHISTLING HOME (1) 10-1 .1 Helv 1. 3/2 COUNT LIN (6) 9 9 A. K. Lawrence 2: 2/2 QUENBY HALL (2) 100 P. Wilson 3. Scratched: King's Host. Summer Sun. Torrid Time, Three lengths each wav. Rethea fourth. Time, 4-54 3-5. Win: £2 16s 6d. Places: £1 12s 6d. £32 3s 6d. £1 12s 6d. OTOROHANGA HANDICAP, £800: 71 First Division: 4 3 GOLD DOWA 1.3) 8-11 V Tinsley 1: 24/23 LORD THURNHAM .S) 8-1 P. J. Kempton 2: 7/6 LUCID 7- B. F. Andrews 3. All started. Half a head. neck. Summer Prince fourth. Tune. 1:29 4-5. Win: £4 4s 6d Places: £2 7s. £23 Is. Second Division: 5/7 EL CID (9) 7-13 I. Medcalfe 1: 11/11 CALM JANE (15A) 7-10 L. R. Norris 2: 3/4 COURT BEAU 8- H. Green 3. All started. Half a head: length. Bardowie fourth. Time. 1:32. Win: £5 12s. Places: £3 Ils, £5 15s 6d. Bracket: Bright Chief and Calm Jane. PRESIDENT'S HANDICAP. £1250; Ilf.—l/1 ARO (3) 8-1 N B Holland 1; 16/16 CLYMOM (15) 7-3 D. Ftnla# 2; 15/15 CRADDOCK (5) 8-0 B. F. Andrews 3. Scratched: Ravenwood. Irishman, Kings Credit, Melodic, Neck; same. Revello fourth. Time. 3:23 4-5. Win: £3 4s 6d. Places: £1 13s 6d, £l2 10s, £ll 19s fid. G. W. VERCOE MEMORIAL STEEPLES, £1250: about 2im 5/5 HANUT (8) 9-4 J. Grylls 1: 2/2 RINGLOCK (6) 9-6 J. Humphries 2: 1/1 JOHNNY DEE (3) 9-13 J. Hely 3. Scratched: Whistling Home. Half a length; two lengths. Ballador fourth. Time, 4:53 3-ssec. Win: £l3 10s 6d. Places: £2 15s, £1 Bs. £7 ss. WAIKATO HURDLES HANDICAP, £2060; 2m. 4/4 SURGING (20) 9 0 E. Hollway 1 6/5 TILLY LIGHT (11) 9 9 H. N. Rauhiht 2 19/19 PRINCE SYLVAN (15) 9-3 .. J. S. Humphries 3 13/14 Golden Defaulter. 14/13 Pin Money, 18/18 Chef. 3/3 Cretan, 12/11 No Offence. 15/15 Lord Pilate (fell). 3 2 Mireusonta, 8/9 To Reign (fell), 5/8 Flockhart, 16/16 Lord Nikita (fell), 11/12 Acquittal, 17/17 Musketeer, 1/1 Smoke Ring. 10/10 Goa. 9/7 Clnnaman. 20 20 Iwiroa. 7/6 Young Greg also started. Three lengths; length. Golden Defaulter fourth. Time, 3:45 4-5. Win: £9 Is. Places: £3 0s 6d, £3 16s fid, £23 15s 6d. CITY HANDICAP, £800: 7f.— 4 4 AWAROA (1) 8-8 V. Tinsley 1: 10/11 BOMBAY (8) 7-7 G. L. Willetts 2; 2/2 LOYAL RULER (2) 8-6 G. McLeish 3. Scratched: Caralon, Foxrone, Moerewa. Neck: two lengths. Corbasslere fourth. Time, 1:29 2-5. Win: £lO Ils. Places: £2 13s 6d. £8 12s 6d. £1 10s 6d. STEWARDS' HANDICAP, £1000: 7f. 1/1 CLARENDON (18) 7-2 G. R. Edge 1 4/4 SUPREME GOLD (3) 7-fi .1. P. Haves f 10/10 SUMMER BLAZE <9l 7-10 G. McLtesh t t Dead-heat for second. 9/9 Kitty K.ldare, 15/14 Watpari, 2/3 Mali Peter, 5/5 Toureg, 6/7 Fire Gold. 14/16 Hilldale, 12/12 Yonda, 17/17 Bonnie Dee, 8/8 Impresario, 11/11 Count Carmel, 21/20 Fair Bid, 13/13 Dry Martini. 7/6 Udare, 16/15 Gardone, 16/15 Shahgen. 18/19 Lady Lorinda, 19/22 Lannuzel, 19/22 Miss Halo, 3/2 Overdale, 3/2 Seasonal, 20/18 Supreme General also started. Half a length; dead heat. Toureg fourth. Time: 1:28 4-5. Win: £6. Places: £2 6s 6d. £2 19s fid. £8 3s fid. HOROTIU HANDICAP, £800; Im. —l3/16 OLAVE (13) 7-8 R. G. Forbes 1: 9/9 LUCKY GRAY (3) 8-2 L. R. Norris 2; 5/5 SEA BATTLE (1) 9 2 G. McLiesh 3. Scratched: Heroic Flight, Royal Bride, Valiant Roman. Threequarters of a length; neck. Emphatique fourth. Time: 1:43 3 5. Win: £65 12s. Places: £6 15s, £8 8s fid, £3 12s 6d.