RACING VETERANS DOMINATE TRENTHAM IST LEG

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30575, 19 October 1964, Page 4

RACING VETERANS DOMINATE TRENTHAM IST LEG

The nine-year-old Surging showed the limitations of the class and stamina of most of his rivals when he won his second Wellington Handicap on a soft track at Trentham on Saturday.

Between his first Wellington Handicap, in 1962, and Saturday’s win Surging’s record was notable for his feats as a hurdler, and little else.

He won the Waikato Hurdles in May, ran Smoke Ring close in the Great Northern Hurdles, but fell when one of the fancies for the Winter Hurdles on his last campaign at Trentham.

The best of Surging’s rivals en Saturday was My Contact, a strongly-finishing second, and the nine-year-old Count Filou was fourth, so it had the appearance of an old buffers’ race.

Blyton, which is six, was third. She ran the distance out a bit better than expected, judging from her place well down the betting. Surging was well ridden by Brian Andrews, one of the best of the Auckland lightweights. He is a plain-looking bay by Resurgent from Fleetmistress and is trained at Morrinsville by his owner, Mr S. N. Munro. Steady Run He was the 12/13 favourite, paid £34 18s to win and £lO Is 6d for a place. Surging was a good way back in the field though

ahead of My Contact after two furlongs. But he made a steady run from the six furlongs and had only Solly Joel, Clayton King, and Bagush to pass on the home turn.

He went through with his ran to lead into the last furlong and ran it out resolutely to beat My Contact by a length. Light rain overnight and a shower before the race brought My Contact into strong favour. He was the second choice for a win, and he ran up to his best wettrack form for a valuable second. Blyton strengthened the northern grip on the race when she finished solidly for third two lengths behind My Contact.

She was equal top weight with 8-7 and her solid run

at this distance held out bright prospects for later at the meeting, when she will run in slightly shorter races.

Count Filou, winner of the Islington Handicap at Riccarton in August, was made one of the stronger fancies when the ground got soft He was going like a winner on the home turn, but lugged in when R. J. Skelton asked him to go through with his run and finished fourth. It was a grand run under difficulties. He had missed two or three gallops after bruising a foot a fortnight before the race.

Count Filou was followed in a length back by the favourite Gillin, .which ran an even race forward of the middle of the field but was unable to quicken in the straight He ran like a one-paced stayer.

Solly Joel tired to sixth after pacemaking. Valuate, which tailed the field alongside Shady for a long way, finished eighth.

Zinder and Count Pedro did not handle the ground at all well and were beaten a long way from home. Form followers did not find matters any easier in the second leg, the Shorts Handicap.

This was won soundly by Home on the Range, the ninth favourite, which paid £25 and completed a double worth £1338 15s for £l.

Home on the Range joined the favourite, Gold Chat, as they left the chute running to the course proper and appeared to have it safely won outside the furlong. The three-year-old Starlit, which has not grown much since the autumn and was the smallest of the field, was also one of the gamest, and ran on pluckily in the straight to beat Gold Chat decisively for second.

Roodyvoo and Gauntlet served notice of likely improvement later at the meeting with big runs for fourth and fifth respectively. Roodyvoo was in a gap at the tail of the field after a furlong. Gauntlet looked like the Billy Bunter of the field, and the race should have done no end of good. His main mission at the meeting is the Pearce Handicap, a race he has already won. Sir Barton, another long shot, was sixth. Shipmate was not far ahead of Roodyvoo early. He made quick progress through a wide gap on the inside coming to the crossing, but failed to sustain his run in conditions all against him and finished twelfth.