RACING Lei Best In Rough Race For Gold Cup

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31237, 8 December 1966, Page 5

RACING Lei Best In Rough Race For Gold Cup

"The Press’* Special Service

PALMERSTON NORTH. Lei triumphed in one of the roughest races immaginable when she won the Wattie’s Gold Cup at Wanganui yesterday.

Lei won in a tight finish with the outsider Kenrick, which was later relegated to fourth.

It was Lei’s third success on the Wanganui track. In ail probability this will be her final season of racing. Lei has risen to a position in the weights that would make her prospects of winning next winter rather difficult. She will race in the weight-for-age Awapuni Stakes at the Manawatu Racing Club’s Christmas meeting and is likely to be retired soon after.

Lei has been a wonderfully consistent performer for her Masterton owner, Mr I. A. R. Macrae. She was well ridden by her usual jockey, R. A. Jenkins, a son of her trainer. Lei won by a nose from Kenrick. Mukupai, after looking the winner when clear at the furlong, stopped in his tracks and finished third. Baloo was fourth.

The judge, in his visual call, gave it to Kenrick, but qualified by saying it was very close.

After a prolonged inquiry Kenrick was relegated 'to fourth behind Mukupai and Baloo.

Most jockeys described the race as the roughest they had ridden in. More than half a dozen said their mounts were almost knocked down at certain stages of the race. N. D. Riordan (Tuskar Rock), M. Donoghue (Lady Janus), A. T. Jones (Surf Boy), J. A. Messent (Fon), B. F. Andrews (Cabriere), and H. N. Rauhihi (Baloo) were all of the same opinion. Lei, the victim of a bad run at Feilding at her previous start, received a clear run over the last half-mile yesterday. She went past Mukupai inside the furlong and was immediately challenged by Kenrick, which was running about.

Kenrick might have won had he run straight. Mukupai was always travelling well. His run was good enough to give his connexions cause to consider an attempt on the Auckland Cup. Mukupai was ridden by R. J. Skelton. He was offered the Auckland Cup mount. It likely that he will be too heavily committed with northern trainers to accept at this stage.

Mukupai raced handy all the way. He shot into the lead soon after the turn. Even at the furlong he had a break on the others. When Skelton asked him for a little extra he compounded quickly. H. H. tfauhihi considered Baloo could have won with a better run home. Baloo loomed up as the big danger soon after the turn. Then he" was hampered and lost a possible winning chance. Aqua Pura was in the first four or five all the way. She fought on well for fifth, her

effort auguring well for her prospects on the Taranaki circuit.

Beira came from a long way back for sixth and Surf Boy was an unlucky seventh. SECOND WIN

Jetmate won his second race in a few days when he held on decisively in the Bristol Thousand to return a double dividend, with Lei, of £66 13s 6d for £l. Jetmate trailed Prince d’Amour to the turn and quickly ran clear. Home On The Range, which was third all the way to the turn, challenged. For a few strides he looked like making a race of it with Jetmate, but he could not pull out anything extra. Home On The Range was clear of Classical Glow, which ran another fine race.

Classical Glow began well but drifted to an awkward place on the inside. Her young rider (B. L. Cullen) took her off the rails at the three furlongs. Classical Glow showed up wide out at the furlong, she kept np a strong run, but the first two had gained a good break.

Corina, back in the middle at the half-mile, also came fast late in the race. She finished a close fourth in her first start for some time. It was a promising effort. Awaroa; a last start winner at Levin, had every chance. She was fourth on the turn and weakened to fifth ahead of Valentino, which was in the first four or five all the way. Re-Echo made ground in promising style for sixth.

FANCIES BEATEN The top two-year-olds, Rego Star and Brittanicus, failed badly in the Celebrity Stakes, one of the feature events.

The race was won by the maiden two-year-old, Wilma Rudolph, a filly by Syntax. Wilma Rudolph finished well to catch Saint Ives in the last few strides. Le Danois, which was having his first start, was third, and Brittancius ran on from the rear at the turn for fourth well clear of Golden Tudor. Rego Star finished eighth. He looked beaten at the three furlongs. His run was a poor trial for Ellerslie and plans for his trip could be revised. The meeting was held in fine weather but the track was easy. On-course, the totalisator handled £52,137 10s, compared with £45,297 10s last year, an increase of £6840. WESTERN HIGH-WEIGHT, £400; Um.—6/5 ARLINGTON (8) 9-2 G. W. Lawson 1; 2/3 HUMBER (1) 11-1 G. F. Laurenson 2; 8/8

RAND (12) 9-0 N. Treweek 3. Scratched: Topmost, Miss Beatle, Vulcan. Short head; half length. That’s It fourth. Time, 2:10 1-5. Win: £l3 3s 6d. Places: £3 8s 6d, £1 14s 6d, £4 19s.

DECEMBER TRIAL, £300: 6it. —l/1 M’QUITA (10) 8-5 B. F. Andrews 1; 6/8 CENTAUR (4) 8-6 B. L. Cullen 2: 2/2 ROUSSEL (19) 8-5 W. D. Skelton 3. Scratched: Applaud, Aquilegia, Prince Tirage, Ronamoss, Te Humera, Wedding Bells. Long neck; length. Colimero fourth. Time, 1:23 1-5. Win: £3 6s. Places: £1 13s 6d, £5 7s, £1 18s. CHRISTMAS HANDICAP, £500; Um.—s/7 GETUP (4) 8-1 B. L. Cullen 1; 9/9 REGAL KEYA (9) 7-8 R. Cleaver 2; 7/8 TOPMOST (2) 8-6 K. J. Grylls 3, Scratched: Miss Mya, Rahpete, Mammoth, Easy Money, Swift Chick. Threequarters of a length; two and a quarter lengths. Cox fourth. Time, 2:10 1-5. Win: £ll Bs. Places: £3 18s, £5 Bs, £4 Is 6d.

IMPROVERS' HANDICAP, £400; Im.—s/5 AVRO (9) 8-0) K. Lewis 1: 8/8 CINITA (16) 7-10} L. J. Clutterbuck 2; 1/1 THAT’S FAIR (4) 8-5 R. B. Marsh 3. Scratched: La Pert, Bourbon Lass, Messene, Mighty Blue, Don’s Mate. Short head; nose. Fair Koral fourth. Time, 1:41. Win: £lO 7s 6d. Places: £3 4s, £5 12s, £1 Us. WATTIE’S GOLD CUP, £1400; lim. 5/4 LEI (1) 9:0 R. A. Jenkins 1 4/5 MUKUPAI (4) 8-0 R. J. Skelton 2 7/7 BALOO (2) 8-10 H. N. Rauhihi 3 Others in finishing order: 14/ 14 Kenrick, 17/18 Aqua Pura, 11/ 13 Beira, 2/2 Surf Boy, 12/10 Understudy, 1/1 Cabriere, 10/11 Feurig, 6/6 Dhuran, 19/17 Lady Janus, 3/3 Tolka, 8/8 Fon, 16/16 Might, 15/15 Timber, 18/19 Star of Kildare, 9/9 Tuskar Rock. 13/ 12 Dark Song. Nose; length. Kenrick fourth. Time, 2:8 4-5. Win: £9 Us. Places: £3 4s 6d, £ll 10s 6d, £4 Is.

CELEBRITY STAKES, £6OO ; 5)1. —6/6 WILMA RUDOLPH (12) 7-5} R. B. Marsh 1; 3/2 SAINT IVES (3) 8-0 W. D. Skelton 2; 5/5 LE DANOIS (5) 7-8 R. T. Cleaver 3. Scratched: Ternarius, Latin Lover. Head: two lengths. Britannicus fourth. Time, 1:8 1-5. Win: £2l 16s 6d. Places: £3 14s, £1 9s, £2 6s 6d. BRISTOL THOUSAND, £1000; 6)1. 4/4 JETMATE (5) 8-7

W. D. Skelton 1 1/3 HOME ON THE RANGE (4) 8-5} J. T. Anderson 2 3/5 CLASSICAL GLOW (6) 7-7 B. L. Cullen 3 Others in finishing order: 10/9 Corina, 6/6 Awaroa, 9/8 Re-Echo, 2/1 Automaton, 12/12 Town Crier, 14/14 Acis, 11/11 Grapevine, 7/7 Tara’s Pride, 13/13 Kahi, 15/15 Supreme Courage. 8/10 Prince d’Amour. Half a length; one and threequarter lengths. Corina fourth. Time, 1:20 1-5. Win: £6 15s 6d. Places: £2 12s 6d, £2 3s 6d, £2 12s 6d. VICTORIA HANDICAP, £500: 6*1.—3/3 THAT’S RIGHT (3) 8-3 R' B. Marsh 1: 11/10 MR FASHION (IS) 7-3 R. T. Cleaver 2; 4/4 PARLEZ D’AMOUR (9) 7-10 B. S. Dodds 3. Scratched: Hyfort, Irish Rover, Gay Garden, Lady Chick. Three-quarters of a length; three-quarters of a length. My Peter fourth. Time, 1:22 3-5. Win: £5 17s. Places: £1 19s 6d, £lO 0s 6d, £2 5s 6d.