MOSQUE-TAKATUA PAY £l9

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 4

MOSQUE-TAKATUA PAY £l9

Mosque, an odds-on favourite for the Spreydon Hurdles, and Takatua, the 3/4 faney of 24 in the Sumner Ilaek Handicap, combined successfully in the on-course double at Riccarton yesterday. They returned £l9 6s for £l, a dividend shared by the holders of 913 5s tickets. W. J. Hillis sent Mosque in a long chase after Maine six furlongs out in the Spreydon Hurdles. He had reduced a six-lengths lead to two at the i straight entrance and ran past i his Woodville rival before the J last flight. Mosque did not have to be kicked out to win by three lengths and a half. Marine, which had tried for an all-the-way win, was second by four lengths from Golden Glen, the early tailender, but a clear third running into the last half-mile. Silver Kingdom, which had led the chase after Marine until the six furlongs, battled into fourth. He was three lengths and a half from Golden Glen and a length and a half in front of Lord Fair, which had his chance. Takatua improved from the middle of a tightly bunched field on the home turn in the Sumner Handicap, chased Shoshone into the last furlong and ran it out best to win by ithree quarters of a length. Shoshone, which was near i the front all the way and led outside the last furlong, beat Sir Guy, another which received a good run behind the leaders throughout, by two lengths. Elvin Bay, the leader when the field straightened for the run home, was a head back fourth. He beat the favourite, Otherwise, which was handy but wide all the way, by threequarters of a length. How Exciting, one of the tail-enders six furlongs out, led in the others. BY A NOSE Belshazzar made a successful first appearance at the meeting by beating Senator Jack and Quick Flight narrowly and 23 others decisively j in the Woolston Handicap. J. D. Pankhurst brought Belshazzar forward on a wide course around a packed field near the straight entrance.: The Wingatui hack sprinter still did not look a winning prospect inside the last furlong, but a dogged run far out

on the track enabled him to nose out Senator Jack in the last stride. Senator Jack improved on the inside to join Quick Flight in front as soon as Belloringa dropped away from the pacemaking early in the run home. These two matched strides in a battle for supremacy from the furlong and Senator Jack inched ahead a stride or two from the end, but lost to Belshazzar in the last stride. A head separated Senator Jack and Quick Flight. Otaio Bank arrived on the scene late for fourth, a length and a half from Quick Flight, and beat Gold Marc, which tracked the winner into the straight and to the furlong, by a head. The favourite, Glamis Lad, wilted to 18th after being fairly handy on the home turn. The second fancy, Gunga Din, did well to finish sixth.

Research, another solidly backed runner, weakened to 14th after sharing the third line until the home turn.