TROTTING Le Chant First In Close Finish

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31586, 25 January 1968, Page 4

TROTTING Le Chant First In Close Finish

Le Chant returned to peak form with a narrow win over the pace-maker, Break Through, in the Summer Free-for-all. The close finish compensated in some degree for a most disappointing contest, in which the majority of the field broke or met trouble.

Le Chant, one of the early favourites for the trotting section at the InterDominion Championship meeting, is trained at Makikihi by C. C. Scott for Mr N. H. Campbell, of Dunedin. She was driven as usual by R. M. Cameron, who will handle her at Auckland.

Break Through got away to an early lead of three lengths, with Russell five lengths back last after failing to get properly into position at the start. Uteena broke after half a furlong and Mountain Pride and Queen’s Cord were sent to a gallop. Glen Dee and Johnny Gee also met trouble. Mighty Chief broke after a furlong and lost all chance. Break Through set a fairly ' easy pace in the middle stages, being clear of Tronso i and Le Chant Mighty Chief moved up near the half-mile, , but he could not carry on , from the two furlongs. Logan ' Count broke inside the last , three furlongs and Break ' Through led to the straight 1 by two lengths from Tronso 1 and Le Chant, with Mighty , Chief dropping away, just in i

front of Stylish Major, Johnny Gee and Mountain Pride. Le Chant gradually inched up to Break Through and, in a desperate finish, won by a nose. Break Through fought back gamely when challenged and was a length and a half in front of Stylish Major, which finished well. Johnny Gee made ground for fourth and was not disgraced. Tronso tired to fifth two lengths away, clear of Mountain Pride and Acquit. Fort Nelson had to cal on all his reserves to hold off Friendly Tom in the Flying Mile, the second leg of the main double. The Le Chant—Fort Nelson combination paid $14.65 for $l. Fort Nelson was one of the leaders all the way after having drawn handily. He was hotly pursued and was given no respite. He paced the mile in the good time of 2:1 2-5. As a result of his win he has advanced in favour for the Inter-Dominion championship series at Auckland next month. Fort Nelson took the lead from Lustre Scott at the end of three furlongs, and Holy Hal worked

up to second on the outer after having been very wide early. Holy Hal was about half a length from Fort Nelson on the home turn, but Fort Nelson had a length advantage at the straight entrance, where Friendly Tom was close, ahead of Bob Again, which was improving quickly, after having been nearly last at the halfmile. Buchanan and Stewart Hanover were also prominent. Fort Nelson was under a hard drive from the half-furlong and he responded gamely to win by half a length from Friendly Tom, which started from the second line. Stewart Hanover fought on for third, half a neck back, a length ahead of Bob Again, which did extremely well to finish fourth. Holy Hal tired to fifth. He was three lengths away, two lengths in front of Glenvale and Password. On-course the totalisator handled $186,954, compared with $198,996 last year, when the meeting was held on a Saturday.

Investments with the Totalisator Agency Board on the meeting were $263,572.50. No offcourse substitute was required.