PROTEST IN STEEPLES

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31399, 19 June 1967, Page 4

PROTEST IN STEEPLES

Success For Bandarshar

Bandashar led for the last two miles to win the E. H. Aubrey Memorial Steeplechase at Oamaru on Saturday but he had to survive a protest before he was officially declared the winner.

The protest was lodged by P. J. Daly, the rider of the runner-up. Lovely Clover, who alleged that the winner had caused interference to his mount after jumping the fence near the half-mile.

The club’s judicial committee found that Lovely Clover had to be eased at that point but did not receive a severe check nor lose sufficient ground to warrant an alteration to the placings. Silver Paper and Sydtrev had turns at the early pacemaking but after the former had ducked off on the inside of the fourth fence Bandarshar was left clear. Except for Ranana, which had tailed right off early in the contest, it was a fairly close running field for the first mile and a half. But as they ran into the last six furlongs some were beginning to feel the strain and one was the win favourite, Startler.

Once he began to drop back Lovely Clover was left to lead the chase after Bandarshar. Alaine moved into third place and Indian Chief was the only other runner making any progress at all then. Daly tried to take Lovely Clover through on the inside of Bandarshar at the brush near the half-mile, the second-last fence on the home turn and also the last fence in the straight but Bandarshar resisted her challenges each time and ran on best to win by three parts of a length.