Tatua Takes Clifford Plate Honours

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30636, 30 December 1964, Page 4

Tatua Takes Clifford Plate Honours

“The Press" Special Service AUCKLAND, Dec. 29.

Tatua took the £ll4O for first placing and all the honours of the Clifford Plate at Ellerslie today. In respect of pace for the mile and a quarter he had a distinct edge on such Auckland Cup hopes as Polo Prince and Baloo and his finish was sufficient to make him an easy winner over Gold Chick. Tatua is the top-weight in the Auckland Cup with 9st. 21b. Previously he has been racing a bit below his best and his show of winning form, with the big two-mile event now very close at hand, must give his connexions considerable encouragement. The cup entrants, which Tatua settled so decisively, in-

eluded Palo Prince, which came fifth, and Baloo, third, a couple of the more prominent contenders. Gold Chick is also in the cup.

Tatua won the Ormond Gold Cup and the Awapuni Gold Cup at weight-for-age last autumn, but he has had to wait until the Clifford Plate, on the second day of the Auckland summer meeting to gain his first success meanwhile.

Close before today’s success he collected thirds at weight-for-age over a mile in the Thames Valley Stakes at Te Aroha and the Waipa Turf Plate at Te Awamutu.

Tatua is owned by his breeder, Mr M. H. Tims, of Te Awamutu and trained at Cambridge by W- J. Pratt. In the Clifford Plate he was ridden by R. J. Leggett of Matamata for the very first time. Leggett will be Tatua’s rider in the cup. Although he came only halfway through the field at the finish, Polo Prince satisfied everyone who has him as a

cup favourite. For the first seven furlongs he kept at the back of the 10 starters. Near the three furlongs Taylor sent him round the field and he kept going hard on his run right until the finish. Tatua has 9st 21b in the cup, a pound less than he carried under the weight-for-age conditions of the Clifford Plate, and Polo Prince has 9st 11b—21b less than his weight today. The Summer Cup, the first leg of the double, saw a hectic finish

between the outsiders, Umpah and Blue Beard. Both were at odds of 30 to one or more, the dividends on Umpah. which won by inches, being £32 4s for a win and £7 10s Bd for a place. A rugged-looking five-year-old gelding, by Clarification from Foxtrot, Umpah had no previous races as far as the Summer Cup distance, a mile and a quarter. Today’s race was his very first in open company. In his two most recent attempts beforehand he finished fifth in intermediate mile events at Pukekohe on November 28 and at Tauranga on October 17. The finish in the second leg

of the double, the Electric Handicap was hardly less exciting, when Summer Blaze caught Brldoon just short, of the post and won by half a head. Summer Blaze was one of the beaten horses in the Newmarket Handicap on Saturday. She is a five-year-old chestnut mare, bv Summertime from Super Clm, trained at Te Rapa bv J. 1) Frew for Mr H. Otto. She paid £6 12s 6d and £2 5s 6d on the win and place and £352 9s 6d in the double with Umpah. Conditions were again very favourable, the weather being fine and sunny and the track fast. The attendance was 13,151 against 14,373 last year.