Hat Trick To Skelton

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30971, 29 January 1966, Page 6

Hat Trick To Skelton

The South Island jockey, R. J. Skelton, rode the winners of three successive races at Ellerslie yesterday, including Tardini, which won the feature event, the Anniversary Cup, in a thrilling four - way photo finish.

The margins in the cup were a nose between Tardini a' J Ravenwood, with half a head further to Pretty Lucky and a nose to Arbroath. The first four were out on their own, drawing away a length and a half clear. Tardini was the middle winner of a notable hat-trick by R. J. Skelton, who won beforehand on Prince Heroic and afterward on Kalaspira. On each of his mounts Skelton showed the patience and judgment that has kept him among the leading riders for years. The latest of his three wins was his 41st for the season. Tardini is a five-year-old gelding by Targui from Stylish Robin, owned by a Taranaki partnership. Messrs A. P. King and I. F. McGuire, and trained at Waluku by M. C. Conway. Conway took over the training of Tardini in November after the gelding had been prepared, with fair success, by Mr King. The Anniversary Cup was the 13th win collected by the Conway stable this season, all except one of which was at Ellerslie, Avondale or Trentham. In a field of 20, Tardini was the 8/8 win-and-place favourite, oaylng £l7 16s and 15 5s 6d. In the T.A.B. double with Red Count he paid £152 8s 6d. Open Sprint Red Count’s success came in the open sprint, the Zealandia Handicap, which he won in a hard finish with the outsider, Khan Sahib. He had run two or three moderate races, but there is no doubt that he is one of the best sprinter-milers. Red Count is trained by R. C. Verner, at Takanini, and was ridden by the visiting Australian, W. A. Smith. This is an association which enjoyed considerable success before Smith left for Melbourne. A five-year-old, Red Count is raced by Mr L. H. Prangley. He was the third favourite each way, win and place. Conditions were favourable, the weather being fine and sunny and the track in excellent order, although the use of a false rail precluded very fast times. On-course the totalisator handled £123,160 15s including £28.351 15s on doubles, against £121,533 5s last year. The Totalisator Agency Board handled a total of £172,817 10s on the meeting, made up of win-and-place bets of £85,142 10s and £87,675 on doubles. The off-course substitute was Hilldale. Results:— OTAHUHU HURDLES, £1000; 14f and 60yds.—3/3 JOVIC (2) 9-12 G. A. Walters 1: 2/2 TREBLE 16) 9-1 P. R. Wiiteon 2: 5/7 WAREA BOY (12) 9-0 B. E. Craig 3. AM started. Twenty lengths; four lengths. Royal Filou fourth. Time, 3:11. Win: E 4 9s 6d. Places: £1 14s, £1 Ils 6d, £4 Bs. CALLIOPE HANDICAP, £1000: 6f.—2/3 PRINCE HEROIC (4) 7-11 R. J Skelton 1; 3/1 NAUTICAL (7) 7-9 N. D. Riordan 2; -5/5 BOSTOCK (1) 8-6 P. J. Kempton 3. Scratched: Big Enough,

Felix Dee, Irish Rover. Two and a half lengths; half length. Some Count fourth. Time, 1:13 2-5. Win: £3 19s fid. Places: £1 Us, £1 8s 6d. £3 2s 6d. ANNIVERSARY CUP, £3000; Ilf. 9/8 TARDINI (4) 7-10 R. J. Skelton 1 5/5 RAVENWOOD (8) 7 5 D. J. Wyatt 2 4/4 PRETTY LUCKY (15) 7-2 D. A. Peake 3

3/2 Arbroath, 10/11 Earl of Foxwood, 13/13 Michellne, 1/1 Wilful, 2/3 Creemore, 11/10 Lucy Gray, 7/7 Mr Dickens, 19/20 Five Spot, 6/6 HiLMinx, 14/14 Persian Star, 18/15 Baleno, 12/12 Sunset Fair, 8/9 Royal Tax, 20/19 El Khebira, 17/18 Topsiil, 15/17 El Cortez, 18/18 Inner Cirele also started. Nose; half head. Arbroath fourth. Time, 2:19. Win: £l7 16s. Places: £5 5s 6d. £3 10s 6d, £3 3s 6d. MEADOWBANK HANDICAP, £1000; six furlongs.—2/2 KALASPIRA (7) 7-10 R. J. Skelton 1; 5/5 GAY GARDEN (4) 8-1 G. L. Willetts 2; 4/4 NERO BELLA (5) 7- J. P. Riordan 3. Scratched: Mary Poppins, Dolce Vita, Aba Rose, Lady Banda, Sun Again. Length; nose. Star Belle fourth. Time, 1:13 3-5. Win: £5 13s 6d. Places: £1 12s. £2 Us 6d, £1 19s fid ZEALANDIA HANDICAP, £1500; 7f. 3/3 RED COUNT (1) 8-13 W. A. Smith 1 12/12 KHAN SAHIB (9) 7-7 N. D. Landers 2 6/5 COMPUTER (8) 7-7 R. J. Skelton 3 2/1 Hilldale, 1/2 Arbelle, 11/10 Dark Intrigue, 4/4 Prince Manu, 7/7 Kurrewa, 10/11 Lady Wilkes, 9/9 Nicodemus, 8/8 Te Pari Chat, 5/6 Ursinus also started. Neck; length. Arbelile fourth. Time, 1:24 3-5. Win: £5 19s fid. Places: £2 5s 6d, £l3 0s 6d. £2 12si WAIATARUA HANDICAP, £1000: fif.—7/9 COUNT TWO (13) 7-12 B. W. McDonald 1; 2/2 SIR OMAN <5) 8-4 car. 8-1 N. D. Landers 2; 6/8 LORD TED <1) 8-10 L. R. Norris 3. Scratched: Freeway. Marica, Poised. Long neck; half head. Our Gem fourth. Time, 1:13. Win: £l5 6s 6d. Places: £4 7s fid, £1 18s 6d, £4 6s fid. WYNYARD HANDICAP, £1000: Um.—2/3 CASTLE DEE (3) 8-8 B. F. Andrews 1: 8/7 TRIPLE WYN (7) 8-7 T. J. Sharkey 2; 5/6 DE FILOU (15) 8-0 G L. Willetts and 6/5 ROYAL POET (5) 8- car. 8-4 N. D. Landers deadheat 3. AH started. Two lengths; one and a half lengths. Some-

thing Special fifth. Time, 2:31 3-5. Win; £7 6s. Places: £2 4s, £3 9s 6d, £3 7s (De Filou), £3 Is 6d (Royal Poet).

QUALITY HANOICAF, £1100; Im.—2/2 BARDOWIE (6) 7-11 M. A. Long 1; 4/5 ODEON (2) 8-8 D. J. Wyatt 2; 12/12 KARENT (14) 7-8 car. 7-10 J G. N. MeLeish 3 All started. Nose; half length. Te Awh’.na fourth. Time, 1:38. Win: £6 18s. Places: £2 13s, £2 19s 6d, £7 16s.