TROTTING G.B. Noble And M. Holmes Top The Lists

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30782, 21 June 1965, Page 4

TROTTING G.B. Noble And M. Holmes Top The Lists

G. B. Noble and M. Holmes retained their leads on the trainers* and drivers’ lists respectively for the season after the Rangiora Trotting Club’s winter meeting on Saturday.

The season has ended as far as trotting meetings are concerned and only two races for maiden pacers, to be run at Waimate and Addington on July 17, remain. The results of those two races cannot affect first placing on either list.

G. B. Noble failed to train a winner on Saturday, but he went fairly close to finish his race-driving career on a winning note. He drove Vista Abbey into second place in the Eyreton Handicap and Julie Hanover into second in the Archer Memorial Handicap, the last two races on the programme. Holmes was placed only once during the day at Rangiora. D. J. Townley, who started the day two behind Holmes, made a spirited effort to catch him, but he too, failed to get a win on Saturday. Townley finished second with Eyreton and Sheridan and third with Happy Wanderer.

He looked almost certain to reduce Holmes’s lead when Sheridan led by two lengths on the home turn in the Rangiora Winter Cup. the first leg of the T.A.B. double. However. Night Rocket joined him soon after and after a stern struggle over the last furlong Sheridan went under by a neck.

Sheridan got away safely, if a shade slowly, at the start. He was a good way from the lead at the nine furlongs, but he improved quickly spon after, following Noisette through when that runner set out three wide after the leaders. Sheridan was second on the outside when Happy worked dear at the seven furlongs, and a furlong latter he took control.

Night Rocket got pushed back a length or two in the back straight and was eighth at the half-mile. He improved rapidly and appeared to be pacing comfortably when second to Sheridan at the straight entrance.

Townley urged Sheridan to greater efforts, but Night Rocket was soon alongside. Night Rocket looked in for a comfortable win, but Sheridan kept fighting back. Night Roc-

ket did not look like being headed over the last 30 yards and won by a neck, with Bruce battling on for third five lengths away. He was half a length in front of Black Treasure, with a length to Don Caesar and a length and a half to Flying Over, which was running on strongly. Arahina was close up next, well clear of Loyal Hanover and Intrigue. Overdue Night Rocket, which Is raced by his Templeton trainer, G. Holmes, is a four-year-old gelding by Garrison Hanover from Knightniare. His win was a deserved one as he had been beaten by a narrow margin by Sheridan in the Nicoll Handicap at Ashburton on June 5 and finished an unlucky fifth in the main race on the same course two days later. Sheridan was a commanding favourite, carrying £1286 for a win and £985 10s for a place. Night Rocket, the second favourite, carried £483 for a win and £634 for a place. Sheridan carried 16,605 10s tickets in a double pool of 58,0831 tickets, while Night Rocket, the third favourite, carried 67311 tickets. Don Caesar was second favourite with doubles investors.

Powerful Light completed a double worth £42 15s for £1 when he beat Vista Abbey and Paranova in the Eyreton Handicap. His supporters had a long wait before they received their dividends. An objection was lodged against his placing on the grounds of interference. The inquiry was ' adjourned until after the last race to allow Powerful Light's driver, D. G. Jones, to call evidence. Eventually the placings were unchanged but Jones was fined £25 for causing interference to Evening Twilight near the half-fur-long. Powerful Light, a strong favourite, had to be good to win. He was a long way back early, but improved on the

inner from the half-mile. It wag late when he seized an opening along the inner and he finished with a paralysing burst to win by a length going away from Vista Abbey, which trailed the pacemaker, Price Garry, to the straight. Vista Abbey finished with a buckled sulky wheel. Paranova was a neck away third, after being forced wide in the middle stages, shading Prince Garry and Friendly Tom. Powerful Light’s effort suggested that he could eventually take a high ranking. The 2/4 favourite, Kingster, was slow away and did not recover, finishing tenth.