RACING Weigh-out Mistake Could Have Cost Tumble A Win

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31660, 22 April 1968, Page 4

RACING Weigh-out Mistake Could Have Cost Tumble A Win

Tumble was the easiest winner of the day at Riccarton on Saturday, but he could have lost first place in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s $3OOO Waltham Handicap because of a mistake made in weighing out.

A 31b allowance was wrongly claimed for the Riccarton apprentice, G. R. Gullery, before the second leg of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s T.A.B. double. The discovery was made after the horses had gone to the barrier.

Gullery had to return to the weighing room to be reweighed at the correct weight of 7-12, then he rode Tumble to victory by six lengths in one of a number of surprise wins on a heavy track. At a later inquiry, R. Preece the trainer of Tumble, and Gullery were charged with the offence. The judicial committee found that Preece was the more culpable of the two and fined him $lO. Gullery and the clerk of the scales, Mr L. T. Woodward, were reprimanded. Tumble completed a T.A.B. double worth $154.10 with Millie Small, which had shown the utmost gameness to last for a half-head victory in the Great Autumn Handicap. Millie Small won after a sustained battle with Royal Master.

This was Millie Small’s 10th win for Mr and Mrs T. I. Smith, of Riccarton, and with it she became a fivefigure dollar earner. Now winner of $11,804, with $7670 earned this season, Millie Small Is a four-year-old daughter of My Pal, and a fifth generation descendant of Limelight, the Great Autumn Handicap winner in 1924. This has been a famous family, of which Galilee has been a highly distinguished member. Slowest Since 1877 Millie Small took 2min 44 3-ssec to run the mile and a half over a heavy track. It was the slowest Great Autumn Handicap since Henry Redwood’s Traducer colt, Briberv, won in 2min 45 J sec in 1877. Millie SmalPwas ridden by the Riccarton apprentice, D. R. Tucker, who had influenza earlier In the week, and did not recover until Friday.

G. R. Gullery rode Royal Master, and he felt the run-ner-up had been unlucky. Gullery had trouble keeping Royal Master straight when challenging Millie Small. Soon Clear Millie Small was allowed to run clear inside the first two furlongs and quickly opened a lead of three lengths from Royal Master and Segundo. Next, in a gap of a length and a half, came Carpenter and Running Scared. Point Duty, Royal Encounter and Court Belle made a line of three at the rear. Segundo and Royal Master reduced Millie Small’s lead to a length and a half at the five furlongs. There were few other changes except that Point Duty was alone at the tail of the field. Royal Master started a run which carried him close to Millie Small on the home turn and they came to the last furlong locked together. Royal Master's rider was in difficulties at times in attempting to keep the King's Command gelding from going over on Millie Small. >- Drawing on a store of gameness that has been exhibited in much of her racing, Millie Small lasted to win by half a head.

Carpenter was a length and a quarter back third and two and a half lengths clear of Running Scared. Court Belle was a wellbeaten fifth in a gap of three lengths and the favourite Point Duty was In another gap of three lengths in sixth position. Point Duty failed to run within a stone of his best form and beat only Royal Encounter and Segundo. Unchallenged Tumble opened a lead of a length and a half going to the half-mile In the Waltham Handicap and showed his mastery of the conditions by continuing to increase his lead rapidly while being kept dose to the running rail on the home turn. While this was going on Captain’s Command and some of the others were being taken wide in search of better footing, and by the time they straightened up Tumble was streaking away to his winning margin of six lengths. It was all over at the furlong. Glamis Lad had safely held second by two lengths, but it was close between The Greatest and Pasa Doble for third. Pasa Doble lost two or three lengths when he appeared to strike a bad patch of ground between the halfmile and the three furlongs.