Manawatu Horses Had Highly Successful Day

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30593, 9 November 1964, Page 5

Manawatu Horses Had Highly Successful Day

Horses from Manawatu had a highly srccessful day at Riccarton on Saturday. Trainers from that district saddled the winners of half the programme. With the exception of the New Zealand Cup winner, Alaska, they were all popular fancies.

The meeting opened with a victory for the Woodvilletained Prince Murat and con-

eluded with a win for Ichtar, which, like Alaska, is prepared at Awapuni. The district's other winner was Golden Prince, another from Woodville. Prince Murat, a member of J. W. Harris’s team, and Golden Prince, which is prepared by E. Ropiha, completed a short-priced on-double. The combination paid £5 9s for £l. This dividend was shared by the holders of 4729 5s tickets. Prince Murat won his second race in succession for Mr W. F. Shaw when he defeated Cassarook narrowly in the Waimairi High-weight. But he had to survive an inquiry into interference in the last furlong before the decision finally went his way. M. J. Dromboski had Prince Murat in the third line on the inside to the straight. He brought him four wide to challenge Cassarook, Great Howe and Everglades for the lead near the furlong. Once Prince Murat cleared Everglades he ducked in quickly towards Cassarook. In the last 150 yards Dromboski had to concentrate more on keeping Prince Murat on a straight course instead of riding a torrid finish. At the line there was only half a head in it, in Prince Murats favour. Cassarook. which had received the run of the race behind the

co-leaders, Great Howe and 11am, to the straight, beat Great Howe for second by a length. Everglades was three-parts of a length back fourth. He had run three wide alongside Mon Roi and Cassarook in the second line to the straight. Keep improved a few places in the run home for fifth but he was three lengths and a half back.

Handsome Colt Golden Prince, a handsome chestnut Knight’s Romance

colt, maintained an unbeaten record in the colours of Mr C. T. Keeble by outclassing his three-year-olds rivals in the Spring Plate. Golden Prince did not accelerate quickly from one of the outside barrier positions but J. T. Anderson soon had him handy and he was sharing the third line with Hawkins and Royal Burgh at the half-mile. At that stage Lovely Day was out making the pace, three lengths ahead of Symbolist and Allegretto and the best of the others in the line behind Golden Prince were Status Symbol and Sabell. Golden Prince went forward quickly to lead the chase after Lovely Day early in the run home but he did not get to her until inside the last furlong. Once Golden Prince had the pacemaker mastered he drew right away to win by four lengths. Lovely Day beat Status Symbol, a clear third at the furlong, by a length for second. Status Symbol saved third by a neck from her diminutive stablemate, Sabell. Sabell would have been almost certain to have paid a dividend but for striking bother early in the run home. Frolicsome, which had her chance, was a length back fifth, three lengths ahead of the fast-finishing Oh Sally. Easy For Benefice The Dunedin-owned Benefice won the Hagley Handicap at good odds for Mr E. C. Hocking. This four-year-old Someo gelding, a member of J. L. Barr’s Riccarton stable, paid £9 and £3 4s for a win-and-place

for this, his second successive win against the hack stayers.

R. J. Skelton had Benefice in front for a time early in the race but at the five furlongs he was on the outside of Gipsy Fire sharing the chase after the pacemaker Scuffle which was out by three lengths. Benefice and Gipsy Fire went forward together to join Scuffle in front as soon as they straightened for the run home and a furlong later Benefice had spurted clear. Benefice won by a length from Bell Man, which was never far off the pace but still improved three places in the last furlong. Bell Man outfinished Last Count, sixth into line but equal second at the furlong, by a head. Gipsy Fire was a weakening fourth half a length back. Belloch and Carnbeg were next home ahead of Soutaine, one of the slowest beginners. Ichtar Succeeds Ichtar, last, season’s Great Northern Derby winner, gained his first success as a four-year-old for Messrs C. B. Stroud and W. J. C. Thomas in the Riccarton Handicap. B. F. Andrews had Ichtar in touch with the pace right from the start. He ran into the last half-mile between Royal Estate and Shakes in the third line. He followed Lady York, Royal News and Friar’s Birthday into the straight, pegged Lady York back just inside the furlong and pulled away to win by a length and a half. In a tight finish for second the top-weight, Balloo, got the decision by half a neck from Royal Estate. Baloo was in the line behind Ichtar at the half-mile, was a close third at the furlong but seemed to come to the end of his run 50 yards out.

Friar’s Birthday, which shared the second line with Royal News and Magician to the straight but was three wide all the way, was a length and a half away fourth. He beat the tiring Lady York by a neck. There were two lengths then to Picright, which finished well from mid-field, and a length to Shakes, which had tracked Friar's Birthday around to the straight.