Sandbank Takes High-weight

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31655, 16 April 1968, Page 4

Sandbank Takes High-weight

Sandbank and Kiowa tomblnid •uccoostully in a $17.80 on-courca double at Riccarton yesterday. The concession double, Sandbank and Flower Girl, paid $4. ■ Sandbank, an even-money favourite, made short work of his rivals in the Opawa Hlgh-weight. Kiowa beat 18 others hands down in the Courtenay Handicap. Considering Mr V. D. Clutterbuck’s Plctavia ' gelding was ridden by W. D. Skelton, he was at good odds, being the 6/7 favourite. The runner-up. Flower Girl, was the third favourite. B. T. Jones had Sandbank at the rear, but going well, half a mile out. He took him forward on the outside approaching the straight and he ran past the others with ease two furlongs out. Running Scared, last early but tn the third line on the home turn, led a hopeless chase after the favourite from the furlong. His sound run gave him second by two lengths from Count

Down, but he was four lengths from Sandbank. Count Down earned his placing with renewed effort on the inside. Agrippa looked the like ly third when he headed Couni Down 100 yards out but the top weight rallied again and nosed his Riccarton rival out in the last stride. W. D. Skelton’s mount, Auto bank, was the best of the others He was fifth in a gap of four lengths. RESPONDED WELL W. D. Skelton brought Kiowa forward from mid-field to reach a challenging position early in the run home in the Courtenay Handicap. He took up the chase after Running Waters at the furlong and responded gamely to a hard ride to win by a length. Running Waters, which had spurted clear from a trailing position as soon as they straightened for the run home, lost second to Flower Girl in the last stride or two. Flower Girl came on the scene about the same time an Kiowa, was third into the last furlong and kept going strongly to cut Running Waters back by half a head. The best of the others wan Bigoted. He finished strongly from midfield for fourth, a length and a half behind Running Waters. The favourite. Spare Time, weakened to twelfth after dis puting the pace to the straight * SKELTON AGAIN Jay Ribbon won the Merivale Handicap in style for his Dunedin owner, Mr J. A. Wilson. W. D. Skelton had Jay Ribbon in touch with the pace all the way. He brought him forward to join Gee Tee and Sleeky Fox in front as they began the run home and he had the result in safe keeping outside the fur long. Jay Ribbon won by two

lengths from Pretentious, which outfinished Fair Behaviour for second by a neck. The runnerup came strongly from mid-field for his placing, but Fair Behaviour was in the line behind the leaders most of the way. Why Harp, mid-field early but handy on the home turn, battled on for fourth but was four lengths away. Julmark, running on. led in the others. The favourite, Port Bank, was thirteenth at the finish and never much closer. BELLNOTE BEST Bellnote gave Wingatui stables a second win for the day when she out-ran the hack sprinters in the Papanui Handicap, for which she was the third favour ite. E. J. Didham had Mr E. S.

Falconer's Bellborough filly three places back on the inside till the home turn. He brought her three wide to challenge Haast and Chilli Bean outside the furlong and she ran right away to win by three lengths. Chilli Bean, W. D. Skelton’s mount and a warm favourite, improved from the second line to master Haast at the furlong but had no chance of coping with Bellnote’s finishing run. But Chilli Bean was in no danger of losing second. He held that place by two lengths from Centaur, last but one at the half-mile. Prince Magundi, which shared the fourth line to the straight, was a length back fourth, two and a half lengths ahead of Kowhai Princess.