Rough Riding In Villiers Stakes

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30938, 20 December 1965, Page 5

Rough Riding In Villiers Stakes

(New Zealand Press Association) SYDNEY. The favourite Castanea (7-2) aided by a good run along the rails, gained a last-stride win in a roughly-run Villiers Stakes over one mile at Randwick on Saturday.

Castanea, the top-weight with 9st and starting at 7/2, took the verdict in a threehorse photo finish after having appeared to be hopelessly blocked on the rails on the home turn. He won by a short head from Florida Keys (33/1), with the Newcastle horse Flotsam (8/1) a short half-head away third. Several top jockeys commented after the race on the rough riding of many of their colleagues. One said: “They rode like madmen. You’d have thought some of them were riding for £100,000.” A feature of the betting was a plunge on the Brisbanetrained Todwana, which opened at sevens and firmed to start at 4/1. Two minutes before the start most rails bookmakers were quoting Todwana at 3/1. He was back in tenth place on settling down, moved up to ninth at the half-mile, held the same place to the turn and came home sixth in the 20horse field. Florida Keys made a valiant bid to lead throughout, and it was only because he shifted off the rails in the

straight, allowing Castanea to make his dash that he lost the race.