Hurdles Win By Morrisy

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31349, 20 April 1967, Page 4

Hurdles Win By Morrisy

(From Our Own Reporter)

BLENHEIM.

Morrisy made a successful debut as a jumper in the Wairau Hack Hurdles at Blenheim yesterday.

This race was the first leg of the on course double on the third day of the Marlborough Racing Club’s annual meeting. In the second leg, the Dix Memorial Hack Handicap, Gold Mint rounded off his campaign with an unbeaten record in three starts at the meeting. The Alcimedes gelding carried top-weight of 9-3 to a narrow victpry pver Riccarton’s Pee Wee.

The Morrisy-Gold Mint combination paid £23 6s for £l. The dividend for Morrisy and Pee Wee was £l4 3s 6d for £l. Morrisy was towards the rear for the first six furlongs of the Wairau Hack Hurdles but W. C. Gye brought him i forward quickly near the halfmile and he joined Mister Ed behind Gayemana on the home turn.

Morrisy mastered Gayemana running to the last I flight and drew out to win by three and a half lengths. Gayemana, which jumped to the front at the second last flight, was second by five and a half lengths from Sir Loin, which was well back and wide for a good part of the race. Sir Loin outfinished Mister Ed by a length. The favourite Bandarshar was two lengths away fifth. He was third on the inside when he received a check near the half-mile, and was knocked back to the rear. CLOSE FINISH

Gold Mint was three places back and on the outside to the home turn in the Dix Memorial Hack Handicap, but came to the front quickly early in the run home and fought off all challengers. Gold Mint won by a neck in a very tight finish. Pee Wee was second by a head from His Lordship, and Kid Gloves was a neck away j fourth. Pee Wee and His Lordship ' were near the tail of the field half a mile out but close to I the pace-maker, Kid Gloves, at the straight entrance. | Evening in Paris, a minor I place-getter in her two either

starts at the meeting, gained an overdue win in the Trial Stakes, for which she was the second favourite. C. A. Bowry had Evening In Parle in touch with the pace all the way. She followed the coleaders, Janess and Great Luck, around the home turn and mastered them quickly but she had to be ridden right out to beat the fast-finishing Kid Boots by a length. Kid Boots, which was last when the field settled down and was still well back on the home turn, outfinished Thurible by three parts of a length. Great Luck weakened to fourth. UNBEATEN Solarium came through the meeting with an unbeaten record when he outran his twoS ear-old rivals in the West erby Handicap. W. D. Skelton took Solarium to the front at the end of a furlong. He maintained his lead for the rest of the race, but had to be hard-ridden close to

the end to cope with a solid run from Augusto.

Augusto, one of the slowest out of the stalls, was rushed up quickly by H. N. Rauhihi to a handy position. He was third on the inner to the straight and ran strongly once clear. Conway- Stewart, which was outpaced early, but improved to follow Augusto on the home turn, fought on for third. He was a little more than a length from Augusto and a length and a half ahead of Alan's Pride.

SOLID BACKING Talavera, which weakened to fourth after making the pace in the Hack Stayers' event on the first day, justified solid backing in the Champion Hack Handicap, for which he was the 2/4 favourite of 10.

R. B. Marsh rode Talavera in a trailing position this time. She shared the third line on the home turn, had to wait to get clear in the run home, but finished determinedly once she found racing room close to the end,

Talavera caught Dr. No, which had tried to lead for the last seven furlongs, in the last 30 yards and beat him by threequarters of a length. Dr. No saved second by a nose from Modern Lad, which received the run of the race. Lerwick, which improved quickly from mid-field on the home turn, was a nose away fourth, but ip a small gap. Coseta led in the others.

NARROW WIN Sleeky Fox gave Riccarton stables their third win for the day when he outran the hack sprinters in the Dash Handicap. G. R. Gullery had Mr J. Y. Scales’s Arragon gelding close up all the way. He followed Basilio and Fair Ribbon into the straight and beat Basilio by half a head.

Mr Joe, fourth on the home turn, was a nose away third. There was half a length to the Favourite, Gayspot. She came home strongly after being slowest away.