TROTTING HOT FAVOURITES BEATEN

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31381, 29 May 1967, Page 4

TROTTING HOT FAVOURITES BEATEN

Le Chant, Disband

Narrow Winners

Le Chant gained her fifth win for the season and Disband her first for the period when they were successful in the feature races at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington Raceway on Saturday night. The two races were noteworthy for the failure of the two hot favourites, Mighty Chief and Lordship, to return a dividend.

Le Chant avenged a narrow defeat by Mighty Chief at Forbury Park on April 29 when she beat the pacemaker, Uteena, and Asia Minor in the Canterbury Park Stakes.

There was merit in Le Chant’s win. She raced in the open for most of the way and fought on strongly under pressure. A six-year-old mare by Flying Song from Moccasin, she is trained at Makikihi by C. C. Scott for Mr N. Campbell, of Dunedin. Le Chan,' should again be one of the top performers among the trotters next term.

Uteena set the pace from Asia Minor, with Le Chant next on the outside of Harbour Light. Then came Glen Dee and Mighty Chief, which had made up ground after breaking at the start. Mighty Chief went to a break again near the half-mile when trotting very easily. A film of that section of the race would have been most interesting, but unfortunately none was available. Arrangements had ben made to film and videotape races on Saturday, but plans had to be changed on the eve of the meeting.

Le Chant was with Asia Minor and Uteena racing to the straight, with Harbour Light, which broke, and Glen Dee right behind. Glen Dee broke inside the last 80 yards. The other three had a great duel, with Le Chant beating Uteena by half a length. Asia Minor was a long neck back third, a length and a half in front of Glen Dee. Then there was a break of nine lengths to Break Through. Later the fourth and fifth placings were reversed. Mighty Chief showed extreme speed to finish sixth. Mile Race The finish to the Champion Mile was a real crowd-pleaser, with Disband holding off a determined challenge from Master Alan by a head. Inside the furlong all but QUesnel and Gay Gordon, which had been pulled up after refusing

to line up properly, had winning chances. Disband is part-owned in Dunedin by Mr C. B. Foon. She had been a shade unlucky in some of her other races this season, while in others she had raced well below her best The U. Scott six-year-old showed great gameness in a tough finish and next term she will only have to train on to be a big winner.

D. G. Jones had Disband well placed on the outside of Lochgair and just behind Buchanan and Julie Hanover, which tracked Lordship when that runner went to the front at the five furlongs. Master .Alan was one of the tailenders.

There was little change coming to the straight. Disband was then pulled out, with Julie Hanover going through on the inside of Lordship, which was being urged J along by D. G. Nyhan. The favourite was soon in trouble and Disband looked to be in for a fairly comfortable win until Master Alan started to close on her. Disband fought back gamely and lasted to win by a head. Master Alan was a length and a half in front of Julie Hanover, which did well as it was her first attempt in such rich company. She was half a head in front of Buchanan, which raced in the open all the way. Lordship was another half-head back fifth, a neck in front of Lochgair, with a short break to Quesnel. £289 Double Yankee Dandy, an out-of-form runner from L. H. Tilson’s Mataura team, caused a major surprise when he won the Peninsula Stakes, the second leg of the main double, in a most spectacular finish. Yankee Dandy was the 9/11 •favourite and paid £37 3s for a win. The Le Chant-Yankee (Dandy double paid £289 16s 1 6d for £l.

| D. J. Townley had Yankee Dandy about sixth or seventh for much of the way. He followed Nocatchem, James, Landlord and Friendly Tom into the straight. The field spread right across the track

at the furlong with any one of 10 runners looking to hold winning chances. Yankee Dandy burst through the middle of the bunch and responded well to win by a length. Landlord paced a splendid race for second after being back with Yankee Dandy at the six furlongs. He was a neck in front of Stereo Scott, which was about five back on the rails early. She had to be switched almost to the outside of the track to secure a run at the furlong and she made up

’ several lengths from that I point. She was far from disgraced. Vantage, after being handy ; early, ran on quite well for i fourth half a neck behind Stereo Scott. James was half a length further away in fifth ! place, a nose in front of ; Friendly Tom, which led i early and showed little dash when headed at the three furlongs. Guyfa and Spry, which i was last early, were next, well : clear of the remainder. Flying Bonnie lost her i chance at the start.