McClure Back From Melbourne

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30762, 28 May 1965, Page 5

McClure Back From Melbourne

I. McClure, who left Riccarton nearly a year ago with the good stayer, Bon Filou, to settle in Melbourne, has returned to New Zealand, and may take up a position in the North Island.

McClure’s Australian venture with Bon Filou—this good stayer raced under the name of Gay Filou in New Zealand—was not an outstanding success. However, with better fortune, the 1964 Wellington Cup winner would have won more than two races in Australia. He was ailing in the spring, yet he won once in Melbourne and was just beaten in the Hothani Handicap on V.R.C. Derby day. He won the weight-for-age Chipping Norton Stakes in Sydney before the A.J.C. Easter carnival, where he ran an unlucky third in the Cup. He lost a strong winning chance when he got his tongue lover the bit in Sydney’s richjest race of the year. Bon Filou, which is owned

| by Messrs D. D. Fea (Winton) - iand Reece Smith (ChristIchurch), is remaining in AusItralia with a two-year-old | owned by Mr Fea. SCHOOLING FALL ! P. Daly, who will probably j extend his activities to riding I jumpers because of increasing .weight, had a fall from Hesus jwhen schooling that gelding over pony hurdles at Riccar- * ton yesterday, but he had bet[ter fortune later in a round i over the standard flights. II Hesus’s jumping improved las he gathered pace, and he I finished with a fast, competent 1 leap after jumping f our ; I flights. ■ j Later. Daly schooled Pic- ■ right in two runs over the pony hurdles. Picright had II ideas about refusing for a

start, but there was nothing wrong with his jumping when Daly got him to go through with his second run. There was little galloping on the No. 6 grass. Filspar, with E. G. Low up. showed his usual dash in running six furlongs in Imin 20 2-ssec, the last three in 40sec. The stablemates. Foxehief (Collins) and Sabeli (Stechmann), took Imin 22 3-ssec. Canadiana (F. H. Skelton) and Tracy's Comet (Mrs Clutterbuck) followed in Imin 21 3-ssec. Bronze Duke (Skelton) and William David (Swanson) recorded Imin 23 4-ssec for the last six furlongs of a mile, 40 4-ssec for the final three furlongs.