RACING Gold Chick—Alkaid Win £25 Double

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31188, 12 October 1966, Page 4

RACING Gold Chick—Alkaid Win £25 Double

The Press” Special Service

AUCKLAND.

Gold Chick was too strong for his 14 opponents in the Dominion Handicap at Ellerslie yesterday. Once R. J. Skelton sent him after the lead, with a furlong and a half to go, he looked the winner and finished with a comfortable one-length margin on the best of the others.

Clarendon, from a fair way out, ’ maintained a game chase but was spent at the end and Town Guard all but beat ‘ him for second. The others fell well i away, none having had a chance from J the home turn. i i

Since his two-year-old days,. Gold Chick has been a consistent winner for his owner, Mr W. S. Borich, of Henderson, and the Takanini trainer, R. J. Wallace. Ellerslie is where he goes best, and spring is the time of the year when he seems to come to peak form. As a seven-year-old he looks as well as ever. Three days before, Gold Chick shared first with Geyser Land in the Mitchelson Cup, an event which he had won twice before, and the £l3OO for first this time brought his stake earnings for the meeting to £2337. As in the Mitchelson Cup last Saturday, Gold Chick was a warm favourite. Clarendon,

t in spite of moderate performances in his two latest atI tempts, was the next best | backed, and Red Crest was 3-4 lon the win and place. Little Luck Red Crest was unable to clear a backward position with a rails run, and it was bad luck for his rider, B. F. Andrews, and his backers, that he had to go wide with a rush from the half-mile to the home turn. For a few moments Red Crest came ahead, but a strong finish, on top of such a big effort already was too much to expect, and he was beaten all of a furlong from home. Gold Chick paid £2 13s 6d and £1 Us 6d on the win and

place, and £25 13s in the ■ double with Alkaid Alkaid’s success, his second; at the meeting, came in the I Kennels Handicap which he; won well from Special Request and Master Defence. On) the first day Alkaid won the Flying Handicap over seven; furlongs. This time, over six, I he caught Master Defence I together with Special Request with 150 yards to go. Special Request was second lin the finish by a long neck from Master Defence. Alkaid has now managed I two wins and two seconds from his last four attempts. He is a five-year-old gelding by Byland from Cimdora, trained by one of the owners, Mr K. J. O'Connor, at Te Awamutu. The other owner in the partnership is Mr F. P. O’Connor. On the win and place Alkaid paid £7 16s 6d and £2 2s. He was the 4/3 favourite and Special Request was 2-4. The weather was fine and the going soft An attendance of 8557 bet £118,775 on the j course, compared with I £120,928 10s last year.