TROTTING Good Chase Wins Stakes By Nose

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31305, 27 February 1967, Page 4

TROTTING Good Chase Wins Stakes By Nose

A whirlwind 75-yard sprint enabled Good Chase to maintain his winning sequence with a nose win over Shepherd’s Delight in the Timaru Nursery Stakes at Washdyke on Saturday.

Those persons on-course who backed Good Chase down to £2 3s for a win were being far from complimentary towards the favourite’s driver, D. G. Watson, when he dropped in behind Shepherd’s Delight on the home turn.

Their chances of receiving a win dividend dwindled further when Imperial Way moved up on the outside and pocketed Good Chase. Watson made desperate efforts to extricate Good Chase just inside the final furlong, but to no avail until about the half-furlong, where Shepherd’s Delight looked to have established a winning break. Good Chase was pulled back sharply and he came outside Imperial Way. He set out on what appeared to be an impossible chase. Good Chase's sprint was that of an old, seasoned, top handicap performer. Even so most observers thought he had arrived a fraction too late. The judge, Mr M. Mace, declared for him in his visual call, which was confirmed by

the photograph, the official margin being a nose, and a very slender one, too.

Slow Time

Good Chase's time of 2mln 50sec for the 10 furlongs was not very fast, but he could have improved on that by many seconds. He is without doubt the top pacer of his age this season. After Saturday’s win it is even more regrettable that he is not entered for the New Zealand Sapling Stakes in June. However, his Annat breedertrainer, O. J. Watson, is strongly opposed to the principle of the forfeits system in classic races and he does not make entries in such events. Shepherd’s Delight attempted to lead over the last

six furlongs and a half on Saturday and just failed to give Mr B. Grice his third successive win in the event, Courtier and Pro Consul having won the last two contests. Mr Grice had an earlier winner in Buccaneer. Imperial Way, which will go to the New Zealand Kindergarten Stakes at Wyndham next Saturday, was a useful third two lengths behind Shepherd’s Delight Imperial Way received a poor run early and was far from disgraced. He was a length and a half in front of another Wyndham candidate, Lights Out which was never far away. Royal Walk, another handy all the way, was a short length back fifth, clear of Bewitched, with a further gap to Waratah and a longer one to Jane’s Son. Abbey Nelson, Winslow Lady, Wee Buttons, Jon Hall, Lords, Keep Smiling, Saladin, Fratello and Regal Hanover lost ground in the usual skirmish which marks a race with 19 starters.