TROTTING HARBOUR LIGHT HAS FINE WIN

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30948, 3 January 1966, Page 5

TROTTING HARBOUR LIGHT HAS FINE WIN

Canterbury Park Cup At Addington

Harbour Light gained an overdue first win for the season when she beat Poupette, Asia Minor, Castleton’s Gift and Flaming Way in a keen finish to the £3050 Canterbury Park Trotting Cup at Addington Raceway on Saturday evening. Her win in this, the richest race on the calendar for trotters, was well received. She had finished second to Queen’s Cord 12 months earlier and when the race was first run in the 1963-64 season, she dead-heated for first with Flaming Way.

Raced and trained at Rangiora by G. 11. Murfitt, Harbour Light had heralded an early win when on Boxing Day she finished third to Asia Minor and Flaming Wav at Ashburton.

Harbour Light was favourably placed throughout by M. Holmes, who had her three places back on the inside. She had trouble working clear in the straight, but took an opening about the half-furlong and strode through for a narrow but decisive win.

Harbour Light's win gave Holmes his fourth major success in five days. Last Monday he won the Ashburton Cup with Happy Ending, and on Tuesday he won the Auckland Cup with Robin Dundee, following that with the Great Northern Derby Stakes at Auckland on Friday.

Poupette trotted up to her best form to take second, half a length behind Harbour Light. She was seventh early, but improved two places at the straight entrance. She ran out the last furlong in grand style and was doing better than anyone at the finish. Asia Minor was only a neck away third. He was forced three wide by Acquit with

i fewer than six furlongs to run. Acquit struck a wheel I of Forward March’s sulky near ithe half-mile and broke. Forward March broke almost i immediately and Asia Minor I was checked, so there was j merit in his placing. | Castleton’s Gift, after leading early and later trailing Flaming Way, held on for a good fourth, just ahead of Flaming Way. Le Chant, an early breaker, was a fair sixth, ahead of Queen’s Cord, which broke at the end of a furlong, Ali Bey, which broke at the straight entrance, and i Spring Greetings.

Mighty Chief wrecked his chance early, as did Spring Greetings and Ipiana. Terrace Dale completed the double with Harbour Light when she won the New Year Handicap. The combination paid £224 17s 6d for £l. Terrace Dale took the lead from Paddy’s Day with one mile left and from then was always in control, winning handily by a length and a half from Cloudy Bay, which appeared to have every chance. Fielder fought on

gamely for third a head back, with Space Cadet shaping like an early improver in fourth place. Happy Ending did well to finish a close fifth, shading the unlucky Wendy Dawn, which received a poor run. Yale, which checked Peerswick, Gay Gordon, and Terrace Dale, lost ground at the start.