RACING | Morris Francis Has Easy Westport Win

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30437, 11 May 1964, Page 5

RACING | Morris Francis Has Easy Westport Win

(From Our Own Reporter) WESTPORT, May 10. Having his first attempt in open company, the Washdyke three-year-old, Morris Francis, proved far too good for his opposition in the one mile President’s Handicap, first leg of the Westport double, on Saturday.

Morris Francis was in the middle of the field near the home turn, where his rider, D. N. Hadfield, shot him around the field to the lead.

The favourite in the second leg, Race Guide, completed a £32 3s double. Race Guide was checked soon after the start of the Members’ Hack Handicap, and was last when the field settled down.

Sirtax led out from Tarboy, Grecian Prince, Lady Wallingford, Llanstar, and Race Guide. At the half-mile Sirtax was a narrow leader from Tarboy up on the outside and Grecian Prince trailing on the fence. Llanstar was starting to make ground when he was bady checked and lost five or six lengths. Into the straight Lady Wallingford raced to the lead from Sirtax. Race Guide was making a big run around the field. Race Guide led soon' after and held off a strong late run from Llanstar by a neck. Lady Wallingford was third, and then came Sirtax, Tarboy and Grecian Prince. MILLERTON STAKES No. 1, £150; 6f. 1/2 TANZY (7) 8-10 B. D. Collins 1 5/5 GLENMIST (9) 8-4 B. S. Finlayson 2 3/1 GRAND HARBOUR (10) 8-5 G. W. Mein 3 7/8 Dawning Sky, 4/4 Denmark, 9/9 Isaac’s Gold, 8/7 Meadow Maid, 6/6 Red Watch, 2/3 Open View also started. Tw’o lengths, half a length. Open View fourth. Time, 1:17. Win: £3 Us. Places: £1 12s fid, £2 12s, £1 10s. SEDDONVILLE HANDICAP TROT, £150; 2:20 class; lim. 4/3 LOCHIE (10) It G. Shand 1 2/3 CHERIGLOBE (1) It J. Crofts 2 14/13 NIGHT BOY (18) 24 W. S. Cummings 3 5/5 Diane’s Pick, 1/1 Meadow Green, 6/6 Dawn Hanover, 8/8 Colonial Boy, 5/5 Le Whip, 16/16 Going Gay, 1/1 Paddy Dhu, 11/7 Doctor Jim, 12/9 Constant Bay, 10/11 Eone Navarre, 9/10 Gold Whip, 13/12 Maelynne, 15/14 Addisonia, 7/4 Last Beam, 3/2 Harker also started. Two lengths, head. Le Whip fourth. Times—2:49 4-5, 2:50 1-5, Win: £7 3s fid. Places: £2 9s fid, £2 9s fid, £7 13s. WAIMANGAROA HACK HANDICAP, £200; 7f. 3/2 BELLE YORK (5) 8-5 R. tf. Skelton 1 1/3 DOUBLE GOLD (4) 8-5 E. G. Low 2 5/7 IRINA (6) 8-4 J. R. Dowling 3 2/1 Fonteroy, 8/6 Star Maiden, 6/8 Cornell, 4/4 Lady Wallingford, 6/5 Mike also started. Length and a half, three lengths. Mike fourth. Time, 1:28 1-5. Win: £4 19s. Places: £1 9s 6d, £1 Us, £2 16s. PRESIDENT'S HANDICAP, £350; Im. 3/2 MORRIS FRANCIS (10) car 7-10 D. N. Hadfield 1 8/8 SAFE HARBOUR (11) 7-4 P. J. Daly 2 9/10 DELADANA (9) 7-4 A. R. Swanson 3 4/4 Ups And Downs, 2/3 Brown Watch, 1/1 Foxy Boy, 11/11 Gold Find, 6/7 Crackers, 7/6 Marlow, 5/5 Bandarshar, 10/9 Sura also started. Two lengths and a half, three lengths. Ups and Downs fourth. Time, 1:41. Win: £5 17s fid. Places: £1 17s fid, £4 12s fid, £7 9s. NGAKAWAU HANDICAP TROT, £150; 2:20 class; l(m. 1/1 POP’S DONATION (7A) It S. I. Henderson 1 12/11 WHEELS (13) It W. N. Forsyth 2 3/3 MORANO STAR (8) It K. Purdon 3 15/12 Black Prince, 8/8 Eone Navarre, 13/8 My Location, 12/11 White Smoke, 2/2 Port Star, 7/9 Colonial Boy, 9/15 Paddy Dhu, 4/4 Sister Jane, 5/6 Nephrides, 17/10 Suzte Wong, 10/17 Diane's Pick, 16/16 Going Gay, 6/5 Scottish Gold, 18/14 Patriarch’s Son, 13/13 Torella also started. Two lengths, a neck. Eone Navarre fourth. Times—2:s2 2-5, 2:52 4-5, 2:53. Win: £2 15s. Places: £1 13s, £lO 2s, £1 17s. Brackets: Pop’s Donation and Gold Whip; Wheels and White Smoke. MILLERTON STAKES NO. 2, £150; 6f. 2/1 MUSHTARA (5) 8-10 E. G. Low 1 1/2 COTTON BLAZE (1) 8-10 J. R. Dowling 2 9/9 WAITOHI (8) 8-10 J. Messent 3

In the last furlong Morris Francis was just kept up to his work to beat Safe Harbour by two and a half lengths, with three lengths to Deladana.

Safe Harbour’s run augured well for a return to form by the mare. Fifth into the straight, she was the only one of the field, apart from the winner, to finish on. Deladana ran a much improved race, leading until the straight and running on much better than in recent racing. The favourite, Foxy Boy, ran a most disappointing race, finishing sixth after having every chance. He was well placed near the lead all the way, and started after Morris Francis in the straight, but could not go on with it.

It was Foxy Boy’s first race for over a month, and it should improve him considerably.

10/10 Our Tul, 8/8 Irish Field, 4/4 Grand Harbour, 11/11 Isaac's Gold, 3/3 Open View, 5/5 Bob’s Price, 7/6 Frigid, «/7 Rohan Star also started. Half length; three-quarters of a length. Frigid fourth. Time, 1:17 2-5. Win: £3 8s 6d. Places: £1 ss, £1 10s, £7 Is fid. MEMBERS’ HACK HANDICAP, £200; Im. 1/1 RACE GUIDE (1) 9-0 N. T. Cowles 1 4/4 LLANSTAR (7) 7-9 A. H. Eastwood 2 5/6 LADY WALLINGFORD 7-12 J. R. Dowling 3 3/3 Grecian Prince, 2/2 Sirtax, 6/4 Tar Boy also started. Neck; length. Sirtax fourth. Time, 1:44 3-5. Win: £2 Us. Places: £1 15s, £3 6s. DENNISTON HACK HANDICAP, £200; 6f. 4/2 SHANTY TOWN (6) 8-4 G. W. Mein 1 2/3 FONTEROY (2) 8-12 B. S. Finlayson 2 7/7 MARGARET YORK 7 9 P. J. Daly 3 3/4 Taxman, 5/5 Cabalina, 6/6 Prize Girl, 1/1 Knight’s Revue also started. Two and a half lengths; length. Knight’s Revue fourth. Time, 1:16. Win: £6 18s. Places: £2 10s, £2 15s. OVERFLOW HANDICAP TROT, £150; 2:20 class; sf. 4/5 MORANO STAR (8) It K. Purdon 1 8/8 REAL SONG (18) 36 C. R. Mansell 2 2/6 PORT STAR (17) 36 J. G. Crofts 3 12/11 Chief Joe, 7/9 Le Whip, 6/3 Lochie, 12/12 Maelynne, 3/4 Meadow Green, 14/17 My Location, 1/1 Pop’s Donation, 11/13 Ramsay, 17/16 Scottish Gold, 10/10 Sister Jane, 16/14 White Smoke, 5/2 Certify, 9/7 Great Kick also started. Two lengths each way. Le Whip fourth. Times.—3:49, 3:46 2-5, 3:46 4-5. Win: £7 16s. Places: £2 19s 6d, £5 4s 6d, £2 Bs.