Upset By Clarendon

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31363, 8 May 1967, Page 5

Upset By Clarendon

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. While several of his wellbacked opponents were trying without much luck to clear the pack, Clarendon took a course down the outside and won narrowly in the first leg of the T.A.B. double, the Gold Mile, at Te Rapa on Saturday. Neither Rainfall nor Pell Mell, from which much had been expected, could get into the finish. They were about ninth and tenth. Rainfall ruined her chance when she dwelt and lost two or three lengths at the start. She made much of the ground with a run through the Inside along the back straight, but became hemmed in afterwards with hardly a prospect of getting clear. Pell Meli lost ground early, and was not able to get near the leaders.

Clarendon had trouble raising early speed, and except for Rainfall was last when the field had covered 50 yards. For a half-mile he was well back. From the home turn he began to gather in the others, and a brilliant late run took him past Valiant Rebel and Kurrewa just short of the post. Clarendon, a seven-year-old gelding from Morrinsville, had not finished first since he took the Taumarunui Gold Cup in July, 1965. In the meantime he was awarded the Avondale Cup last September after the winner, Blue Lodge, was disqualified. He won the Golden Mile two years ago but had been kept more recently to middle distances.

This latest race was his second after a let-up. In the first he finished last over a mile at Te Aroha on April 29, so it was hardly surprising that he ran at long odds. Clarendon was 15/17 in the win and place betting but as neglected as he was, the success of Kurrewa, which looked almost certain to win, when clear in front half a furlong out, would have been more of a surprise. Kurrewa was the rank outsider except for Plantation, and would have paid more than £lOO. He returned £27 19s for a place. None of the pacemakers, Boodle, Sir Juvante, and Wairere Lass, looked likely to run out the distance, but they fore, ed such a hard gallop that Clarendon’s winning time was Imin 36 l-ssec, a great run at any time on the Te Rapa course and a remarkable effort this time of the year. The going was much faster than on any previous occasion in May and in the second leg, the Garden Place Intermediate Handicap, Rescator had to go 2min 18 2-ssec for 11 furlongs to win.

A disappointment the time before, at Te Awamutu, Rescator was prominent all the way and he went ahead with a strong challenge a furlong from the finish. Court Rapid ran him closest and with more room over the last furlong might have been less than half a length away. The track was in good order. Results:— MATANGI HURDLES HANDICAP, £800; about Hm.-l/l BILL YIA) 9-0 C. Lewis 1; 3/4 HOMESPUN (10) 9-0 D. Finlay 2; 1/1 BIG BOYS (1) 9-13 G. Jenkins 3. Scratched: Senor, Loyal Ruler, Little Janie. Sixth lengths each way. Emphatique fourth. Time: 3:10 1-5. Win: £3 17«. Places: £3, £2 3s. Bracket: Bill and Big Boy. KINDERGARTEN HANDICAP, £780; two-year-olds; 6f.—First Division: 2/1 NIPAWIN (1) 8-5 R. J. Skelton 1; 4/5 MARYCRAD (4) 8-0 R. W. Taylor 2; 6/6 MANONO 7- R. C. Lang 3. Scratched: Cindy Moss, White Lace, Impatient Lady. Head, neck. Satin Tone fourth. Time: 1:13 2-5. Win: £4 9s. Places: £2 12s, £2 Bs. Second Division: 2/1 NAGARRO (1A) 8- G. R. Edge 1; 8/8 SWIFT STREAM (SA) 7-13 B. W. McDonald 2; 3/3 ROGRADER 8-1 D. J. Wyatt 3. Scratched: Court Lass, Appian, St. Pierre. Three lengths, each way. San Jose fourth. Time: 1:12 4-5. Win: £4 9s. Places: £2 16s, £4 12s'6d. Brackets: Ndpawin and Nagarro; Swift Stream and Game Hunter. PEACH MEMORIAL JUMPERS' FLAT HANDICAP, £1000; Ilf.— 9/7 KING'S CREDIT (9A) 9-5 G. Walter 1; 6/9 CARLYNN (5) 10-0 W. H. Short 2; 3/2 ROBERT EARL (11) 9-6 F. P. Blackburn 3. Scratched: Regal Ruler, Something Special, Royal Ransom, Otaika. Neck; three and a half lengths. Tawa Mahal fourth. Time, 2:19 4-5. Win: £l5 19s 6d. Places: £3 13s, £4 0s 6d, £2 Is fld. CLARKIN STEEPLES, £800;

about 2im.—7/6 MACQUARRIE (2) 9-10 K. A. Old 1; 9/9 SEA EAGLE (8) 9-3 R. J. Fergus 2; 3/3 EISTEDDFOD (3) 9-9 A. O. Clark 3. Scratched: Mo-I-Rana. Five lengths; 12 lengths. Kumai fourth. Time, 4:47 4-5. Win: £l3 4s 6d. Places: £2 19s, £7 2s 6d, £2. THE GOLDEN MILE HANDICAP. £1250; lm. 15/17 CLARENDON (15) 7-7 D. J. Wyatt 1 10/11 VALIANT REBEL (13) 7-10 .. B. A. Raklander 2 21/22 KURREWA (22) 7-2 B. S. Compton 3 1/1 Rainfall, 3/5 Pell Mell, 7/7 Michael, 5/3 Red Count, 17/16 Bright Chief, 9/10 Bywon, 21/22 Plantation, 8/8 Corbassiere, 14/14 Karinx, 20/20 Midnight Kiss, 13/13 Markable, 2/4 Admiral Donnington, 19/19 Odeon, 12/9 Wairere Lass, 4/2 Misere, 18/18 Queen's Poet, 11/12 Ginza, 6/6 Boodle, 6/6 Sir Juvante, 16/15 Anne Lane, 16/15 Umpah also started. Half head; three-quarters of a length. Misere fourth. Time, 1:36 1-5. Win: £45 10s. Places: £l3 6s 6d, £8 17s, £27 19s. PARANA HACK HANDICAP, £900; 7f.—First Division: 7/7 LADY TRUSTFUL (5) 8-2 J. P. Riordan 1; 3/3 GIANT SIZE (12A) 7-11 G. R. Edge 2; 4/4 GAY MARILYN 8-7 C. Lewis 3. Scratched: Little Richard, Pepomint, John Drake. Neck; head. Imperial fourth. Time, 1:25 3-5. Win: £8 6s. Places: £3 12s 6d, £2 7s 6d. Second Division: 5/5 MT. SECRET (2) 8-6 R. Fisher 1; 6/6 ISMONE'S PRIDE (4) 8-2 B. K. Long 2; 8/9 VERDUNE 7-11 G. P. Chitty 3. Scratched: Count De Cuddles. Length and a half; nose. Quadroon fourth. Time, 1:25 4-5. Win: £5 18s. Places: ( £3 2s, £3 10s 6d. Brackets: Giant Size and Chib.

GARDEN PLACE INTERMEDIATE HANDICAP, £1250; Ilf. 2/4 RESCATOR (5) 8-1 R. J. Skelton 1 3/2 COURT RAPID (18) 7-6 M. A. Long 2 4/1 SECOND SIGHT (4) 8-2 R. C. Lang 3 5/5 Blockade, 7/7 Alsarita, 9/10 Jan Cobbler, 4/1 Corumba, 8/9 Kopla, 10/8 Sir Polo, 10/8 Pacific Prince, 12/11 Rimu Rapa, 14/15 Big Beau, 1/3 Brother Bart, 28/28 Chui, 6/6 Nurmi, 16/17 El Cid, 11/12 Mr Charlie, 18/18 Royal Poet, 13/13 Second Mate, 19/20 Angelicum, 15/14 Captain Andy, 17/16 Just Sarah also started. Half length: length. Pacific Prince fourth. Time, 2:18 2-5. Win: £5 19s 6d. Places: £2 14s fld, £2 6s fld, £2 6s fld. Bracket: Second Sight and Corumba. WHATAWHATA HACK HANDICAP, £700; lm.—B/9 NICE GUY (10) 7/9 A. G. Colven 1; 4/4 BLUE WINTER (7) 7-10 G. R. Edge 2; 9/8 JULIET (20) 7-7 G. P. Chitty 3. Scratched: Able Queen, Jeenie Bee. Three-quar-ters length, one and three-quar-ter lengths. Te Matai fourth. Time, 1:38 4-5. Win: £23 Is. Places: £6 3s fld, £4 4s, £6.