ONLY ONE FAVOURITE WON

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31543, 4 December 1967, Page 4

ONLY ONE FAVOURITE WON

Although Royal Walk was the only successful favourite at Addington Raceway on Saturday night, of the six minor events on the New Brighton Trotting Club’s programme three were won by second favourites. - ,>

Royal Walk confirmed the worth of a sound run at Orari the previous week by winning the Juvenile Stakes in style for Mr and Mrs D. S. Harrison. Last season's Sapling Stakes winner did not have to cope with any serious challenges after leading for the last six and a half furlongs. Royal Walk won by a length

and a half from Waratah, a solid finisher from mid-field. Happy Hal, third on the inner until the home turn, was a fair third ahead of Credo, which battled on well after covering extra ground to reach a challenging position half a mile out. Fresh Start

Westland -King, which took high ranking among Canterbury’s young trotters early last season, showed that he had lost none of his former ability during a period of almost 12 months away from racing when he gave most of his rivals a start and a sound beating in the North Beach Handicap.

Westland King went away in a gallop but his Kaiapoi owner-trainer, P. K. Ryder, allowed him to improve quickly once he settled and he was a clear leader a mile from home. From that point onwards it was Westland King all the way. Beverley Dawn, which had made the early pace then trailed Westland King to the straight, held on for second in a gap of two lengths. She beat Young Morris by half a head, Codex was a head back fourth. They had also been close to the pace all the way. The warm favourite, Royal Armour, broke hopelessly at the start. Compensated Golden Fleece, was compensated for two sound placed runs at the cup meeting last month with an all-the-way #in in the Welcome Stakes. Golden Fleece won by a length and i half from Demure which had tracked him practically throughout the race. Jib, third on the inside to the home -turn, was a good third and Spanaway ran on well from mid-fleld for a close fourth. Several runners were checked at the end of two furlongs when Braeburn broke. One of the worst sufferers was Unreal, which continued on and finished tenth, although' she had a broken hopple. An inquiry was held into the incident and disclosed that Braeburn had tangled when she touched Demure’s sulky. The Welcome Stakes was the first leg of the concession double for course patrons only. The second leg, the Members’ Stakes, went to

Stylos in a tight finish with First Pick. > $15.90 Dividend The Golden Fleece-Stylo? combination paid $15.90 for $l. The supporters of Golden Fleece and First Pick received $6.60 for $l. It seems as if Stylos reserves her best efforts for New Brighton summer meetings. She had not been successful, since the New Zealand Oaks at the corresponding fixture 12 months earlier. Even on Saturday she was, perhaps, lucky that the run-ner-up struck bother early in the race. First Pick lost valuable ground when he was checked at the end of three furlongs. M. Holmes, the driver of Stylos, I. M. Behrns, the driver of Arkle, and First Pick’s driver, W. R. Butt, were questioned regarding the incident but no action was taken. First Pick ran Stylos to half a neck. The third place-getter, Arkle, was three and a half lengths back. Ranganui, the best of the others, was another length and a half away. Good Stayer Wipe Out jcept a winning record as a two-miler intact with a strong show of stamina in the New Brighton Handicap. Although he did not have much to spare at the end there was much merit in his run for he had to overcome a check near the three furlongs when improving (rom mid-field. Wipe Out beat Cathpete by half a neck, and they were the only two seriously involved in the finish. The run-ner-up’s performance was also a good one for he lost ground in a break soon after the start. Cheeky, which received a good trailing run all the way, battled into third but was three and a half lengths back. Snowline, another in touch with the pace all the way, was a moderate-fourth. Consistent Worth Seeln, one of Canterbury’s most consistent trotters last season and a minor place-getter in two of her three starts on her present campaign, regained winning form in the Rawhiti Handicap. She was one of two runners J. A. Carmichael harnessed. Her stablemate, Bonny Strathair, finished, third.

The stablemates both improved from handy positions to Challenge Direct Globe for the lead early in the run home. For a time it looked as if they would be first and second but close to the end Flying Minstrel, the early pacemaker, wore Bonny Strathair down. Flying Minstrel ran Worth Seein to half a length and beat Bonny Strathair by a bead. Glen Dee,' the backmarker on 36 yards, turned in a first-class run to finish a close fourth. He finished strongly from mid-fleld. The firm favourite, Cleome, lost all chance at the start. I