Soldier Gal, Vantage Win Rangiora Double

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31090, 20 June 1966, Page 4

Soldier Gal, Vantage Win Rangiora Double

Soldier Gal, owned and trained at Balclutha, and Vantage, owned in Dunedin and trained at Woolston, formed the ful TA.B. doubles combination at the Rangiora Trotting Club s winter meeting on Saturday. The return for £1 was £lolss od.

Soldier Gal, a laststart winner at Ashburton on June 6, again showed gameness to win. M. Holmes had her in about fifth position for most of the way. She was on the outside of Our Smokey and just behind

Flying Over and Walts Away approaching the x straight, with Burns Rival close by. Soldier Gal raced clear early in the run home and she showed great courage in a fairly hard finish to win by two lengths. Soldier Gal, a six-year-old mare by Garrison Hanover from Errol’s Pal, is trained by L. H. Tilson, who races her in partnership with B. H. Throp. She was the fourth favourite win-and-place and paid £6 12s fid for a win. She was fifth favourite on the double at odds of about 10 to 1.

The favourite, Epona, ran on a little better than any of the others to take second place without looking likely to get to Soldier Gal. Only a length away was Burns Rival, which had his chance. Flying Over tired to fourth two lengths further back, a neck in front of the bracketed pair, Hal’s Delight and Raven Song, which made up ground. Our Smokey, the second favourite, received the run of the race, but could not improve in the run home. He finished seventh, well clear of Waltz Away. Why Not, after breaking at the start, finished eleventh. Thunderboy, Frugal, Raven Song and Vauxhall Prince lost ground at the start. Decisive Vantage gained his fourth win in a fairly restricted career for his southern owners, Messrs A. W. Hopkins and E. C. Hocking, when he outstayed the field in the Eyreton Handicap. Vantage appreciated the firmer footing than he encountered at Nelson the previous week-end and his supporters had no real worries.

Vantage made a splendid beginning for W. R. Butt and he was alongside his stablemate, Blue Pin, in seventh place early. He lost a few

places when the field bunched in the back straight, but he improved sharply to fifth racing to the straight. He was soon in command and won decisively by two lengths. The favourite. Overtime, after being a good way back and rather awkwardly placed, made a game bld to give M. Holmes wins In both legs of the double, but he came to the end of his run just short of the post Richard Hanover, one of slowest beginners, did well to finish third, with noses to Dryden Smoke and Kingster, which were closely attended by Ulight Lustre Scott, which showed little dash after leading to the straight Showpiece and Eyreton.