TASMAN LAD IN £ll2 DOUBLE

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

TASMAN LAD IN £ll2 DOUBLE

Tasman Lad and Khoranet returned £ll2 5s for £1 when they won the course double on the first day of the Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting on Saturday.

In a pool of £17,419 10s Tasman Lad carried £724 10s and there were 513 5s tickets placed with Khoranet, which was the most popular fancy. Tasman Lad, a New Zealand Cup entrant, showed his qualities as a miler in winning the Wainui Handicap. Mr R, M. Neville-White’s Takanini-trained gelding had to overcome difficulties in the running to win. He was in cramped quarters with seven or eight rivals ahead of him on the inside on the home turn, but he quickly settled the chances of the others when he burst clear.

He spurted away in the last half furlong and won by two and a half lengths from Dandeinee, which beat the tiring Key just as easily. Key made a likely-looking

run around the home turn, but tired going to the furlong. The ground could have dulled her brilliance just enough to make victory elusive.

Acapulco ran fourth with a solid late run. Humber was fifth close up, weakening slightly after disputing the lead.

The Otago-owned favourite Lucky Son dwelt slightly from one of the inside barrier positions, and made a big run to finish eighth. Hushaway, another slow beginner, did best of the South Island-trained horses. He finished tenth. Shakes was sixteenth and three positions ahead of Royal Bid, which missed the start slightly, and was completely tangled by the going. Pulled Hard—But Wen Khoranet * narrow but Impressive winner of the Heretaunga Handicap, is a halfbrother by Khorassan to Ruato, an Auckland Cup winner, and he might develop form of the same standard.

Khoranet pulled so hard early in the race that few must have felt confident of his ability to last out 11 furlongs. But he lasted it out very well to beat

the top weight Alaska, by a long head. Alaska had passed the tiring southerner Last Count to lead into the last furlong, but again he had to settle for one of many minor placings. Prince Murat and the Riccar-ton-trained Everglades were the best of the others. Both ran close to the front, but Everglades lost a little ground on the Inside on the home turn and made a renewed bid going to the furlong. Tiki made ground for fifth, but his bracketed mate Clipper dropped out quickly after disputing the lead with Last Count from near the half-mile to the home turn.

Clipper faded to fourteenth. Last Count did little better, finishing tenth. Misjudge, the tall-ender to the half-mile, passed tired horses for twelfth.

Hurdles Victory Time Payment stoutly resisted a fairly late challenge from Chef for a comfortable win in the Glen Hurdle*. This was- his second win on the course this year, and his second successive win over hurdles this season for Mr E. Montgomery. The race had a touch of the spectacular about it from the start. It was more like two races, after half a mile, where Harlech and Time Payment were cutting out a solid pace in front just ahead of Corduroy and Flockhart but more than 12 lengths in advance of the others. Time Payment jumped to a

clear lead at the seven furlongs, but a furlong or so later the best of the second bunch had got closer and Chef was amongst them. A quick leap at the second-last jump carried Chef up to third, and he battled past Harlech early In the run home, but Time Payment would not surrender his lead.

Harlech, third, was in a gap of six lengths and a length in advance of Henry.

Chesterman and Monoceros were the best of the others. The Riccarton jumper, William David, struggled well back all the way, finishing thirteenth. The well-fancied Tilly Light, carrying £1231 for a win and £1527 for a place, fell at the first jump.

Light-Weight Victory The Woodville-trained lightweight, Gipsy Fire, gave J. T. Anderson a third success for the day when he out-finished Rashid, in the October Handicap. Gipsy Fire had a fourth and two thirds to show for - his earlier performances this season, so his win did not come as a surprise. He was about fourth on the home turn and ranged up to the pacemaking Unforeseen going to the furlong. Rashid and Carnbeg also jqined in to make it an interesting finish. Gipsy Fire stalled them off by half a length. Legatus was a fair fourth, and the next home were Aloft, Bairam, Kaupane, Unforeseen, and the Riccarton pair. Standout and llam, which both lost ground at tbs start.