Fair Gap At Long Odds

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31563, 28 December 1967, Page 4

Fair Gap At Long Odds

"The Press’’ Special Service TIMARU. Fair Gap has done little so far to distinguish herself as a daughter of Surprise Ending, one of the best staying three-year-olds of her year, but she made a contribution to family records by winning the Pukaki High-weight at long odds yesterday.

Fair Gap was the 12th favourite, in her second start for the season, and paid $43.25 for a win and $10.95. Fair Gap is owned and trained at Riccarton by D. M. Kerr. She was ridden by E. G. Low, and this involved a 71b penalty. Low was one of four jockeys who

had to ride because of a shortage of high-weight riders. Fair Gap completed an oncourse double with Sacred Steps worth $71.30. Acrobat, which ran Fair Gap to a neck, paid $10.50 in the concession double.

Acrobat, which had a trailing run almost from the- start, saved second only by a nose from Jes Tar and there was a head to We Have Fun. Jes Tar and We Have Fun both struck trouble early in the race, and had some ground to recover in the last two furlongs. It continued to be a rough race in the straight and any chance the favourite. David William, might have held disapeared when he was solidly bumped outside the furlong. He finished seventh. SURPRISE FAVOURITE

Sacred Steps was a surprise favourite for the Temuka Stakes, first leg of the double, but justification for such solid backing became obvious early in the race.

J. R. Dowling, who arrived on the course only minutes be-

fore the start of the race, rode Sacred Steps into the lead from the start and there was not much doubt what would win when he shot the five-year-old Cassock gelding clear early in the run home. The Washdyketrained Sacred Steps won by two lengths and a half from Pic-a-Deck, which had, her chance with a trailing run. IMPROVED FORM Smart Time, a failure on the first day of the Dunedin Cup meeting, recaptured his best form on his home track to win the Smithfield Handicap for Mr K. G. McLaughlin. Ridden by the Riccarton apprentice, D. R. Tucker, Smart Time challenged determinedly from behind the leaders, Lady Fort and Anabel, and won soundly by a length from Partner. Lady Fort, the each-way favourite, shortened stride close to home and was pegged back to third, three-quarters of a length from Partner and half a neck ahead of Anabel. Swiss Knight was fifth in a gap of a length and a half, just beating Gone Astray.