Waitaki Hanover In Record Time

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31269, 16 January 1967, Page 4

Waitaki Hanover In Record Time

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copyright) MELBOURNE. The New Zealand pacer, Waitaki Hanover (10/1), clipped one second off Cardigan Bay’s Melbourne Show Grounds record for 14 furlongs when he had a brilliant win in the 14,000-dollar A. G. Hunter Cup on Saturday night.

He Is the first New Zealand horse to win the Hunter Cup. He won in a thrilling finish by two yards from Angelique, with Dale's Gift two yards away third.

Waitaki Hanover was driven by the New Zealand reinsman, D. J. Townley, and rated 2min 6 3-ssec from 24 yards behind for the 14 furlongs. This bettered the precious race record by 1 l-ssec. Robin Dundee, the favourite at 5/2, was disappointing. She was fourth at the bell but failed to finish with her customary brilliance and weakened to finish seventh.

Waitaki Hanover and Robin Dundee will race at Harold Park in Sydney next Friday night and again a week later before going to Perth for the Inter-Dominion Championships next month.

Townley, who arrived in Melbourne only a few hours before the race, said that Waitaki Hanover raced perfectly and he was always confident he could win in the final lap. In a market on the InterDominion framed after last night’s race, the Tasmanian champion, Halwes, which missed the Hunter Cup because of an injury, is favourite at 4/1, with Robin Dundee at 6/1. Waitaki Hanover, Dale’s Gift, Tongue Twister and Rocky Star are on the third line of »ur.i.ism at 10/1.