Baloo Wins Cup After Late Switch Of Riders

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30629, 21 December 1964, Page 5

Baloo Wins Cup After Late Switch Of Riders

Baloo proved the value of form at the New Zealand Cup meeting last month in winning the £3250 Manawatu Cup for his Masterton breeder, Mrs P. J. Borthwick, at Awapuni on Saturday

He had won the Canterbury Gold Cup over a mile and a quarter in the hands of J. T. Anderson at Riccarton, but the former Riccarton jockey was held to an earlier engagement to ride My Contact in the rich Awapuni race.

Anderson was wearing the Baloo colours when he was told he would be held to the My Contact engagement, one he is believed to have made before nominations at a time when there was some doubt whether Baloo would run. This setback for Anderson (My Contact finished eighth) brought a stroke of good luck for K. Cullen, who took' the mount on Baloo and rode him well to score narrowly but decisively over the long shot.

i Prince Murat, and the favour--1 ite, Tasman Lad. ’ Cullen found this rich com- , pensation for having to pass j over the ride on Trial Offer, t his regular mount which won the Waipa Turf Plate at Te 1 Awamutu on Saturday. Game Finisher It was generally expected that the combination of an , easy track and 8-12 would

beat Baloo in the Manawatu Cup. He and Apa were the “ponies” of the field, but the little Woodville horse is stout of heart and his fighting qualities shone through in the last furlong as he clung to a short lead. If Anderson had been released from his engagement to ride My Contact, the winners of a big Awapuni T.A.B. double would have been ridden by former South Island horsemen.

The former Riccarton apprentice, K. Reggett. seemed his first success since he moved to the North Island when he got the 13/11 favourite Grazioso home to a narrow win in the President’s Handicap. Grazioso paid £36 16s to win and holders of 333 5s tickets on the Baloo-Grazioso combination received £902 11s 6d for £l. Baloo carried £5587 of a pool of £90,913 15s, of which £10,227 were invested on the course.

The racing was held in fine weather before a big crowd, many people being attracted by the official opening of the new members’ stand. Forced Wide

Titian, Harvest Moon. Lionheart, Lucky Son and Sir Barton had a duel in the lead in the early stages of the Manawatu Cup. It was a tussle for good early positions, and jockeys on the horses down on the inside were not then prepared to give an inch, which meant that Sir Barton was forced five wide leaving the straight. A little further on. W. D. Skelton found the inside trailing run for Lucky Son behind Titian and Lionheart.

Sir Barton was almost upsides with the leaders but he was being forced three wide, which was setting him a formidable task in a field of this strength. Baloo had nine ahead of him at the half mile where Lionheart and Titian were still cutting at each other in front and Lucky Son was going easily on the inside. Closer to the home turn Skelton switched Lucky Son away from the rails to run up four wide on the outside of Lionheart, Titian and Sir Barton.

Hi-Minx made a run wider out, but like Lucky Son’s it was a short one.

Tasman Lad, Richetta, and Baloo had reached the straight almost in the same stride and not far behind the leading bunch, and they came into it quickly going to the furlong. Baloo took a short lead about a furlong out and had the gameness and the class to hold it in the face of stiff challenges from Prince Murat and Tasman Lad, which finished closer to the inside. Prince Murat was four places behind Baloo at the half mile and his big run gave him second by a nose from Tasman Lad in the last stride.

Cantus, never far behind the front bunch, was a good fourth ahead of the bracketed pair, Sir Barton and Richetta. Next were Advocacy, My Contact, Sparkling Maid. Trawlerman. Bright Coral, and Count Filou.

Lucky Son weakened to finish 15th but beat the more strongly fancied Jen Hai and Hi-Minx. Second Leg Grazioso shaded Humber and Count Carmel in a battling finish to the second leg, the President’s Handicap. Humber challenged from a trailing position to pass Dunmore early in the run home, and he led narrowly into the last furlong. But Grazioso. which had never been far behind the Hastings bay, found a little i bit extra near the end and! secured a head victory. Count Carmel did well for his second a long neck back; this Waikato sprinter looked hopelessly out of it coming to the home turn. Plush was a fair fourth after being just ahead of the winner early and just behind him at the half mile. Probably the fastest finisher of all was Baloo’sl stablemate, Golden Prince. He! could not go with Maria j Mitchell. Dunmure and i several others early, and was; close to the tail of the field at the half-mile. He should; be better suited by longer! races within the next few| weeks. Tara’s Pride, another unable to go the early pace, also made a big run to finish ninth. Grand Win showed nothing and finished 18th.

REEFTON JOCKEY CLUB NOMINATIONS for the Second Summer Meeting on January 6 close with the Secretary, Box 34. Reefton. on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1964. at 4 P.M.