RACING HEAD OFF BOOED AFTER OPEN SPRINT WIN

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31728, 11 July 1968, Page 4

RACING HEAD OFF BOOED AFTER OPEN SPRINT WIN

i From Our Own Knforttr) TRENTHAM. Head Off, the unplaced favourite in the Whyte Handicap on Saturday was booed after he won the Members’ Handicap, second leg of the Wellington Racing Club’s T.A.B. double at Trentham yesterday.

Head Off, second last in a field of 19 in, the Whyte Handicap—his rider B. F. Andrews said he was beaten about half a mile out—won the shorter Members’ Handicap by a length and a half from the South Island’s lone runner Glamis Lad, which finished better than anything else in the race.

Head Off completed a $7B double with Midnight Kiss. Midnight Kiss and Red Crest, both Waikato stayers, dominated the finish of the Parliamentary Handicap, the first leg of the double. Midnight Kiss, a seven-year-old from Matamata, thwarted Red Crest’s attempt to win the race for a second time. There was only a short head between them, and the ethers were beaten off behind them though Dark Song was picking up ground for third. Fine Condition Midnight Kiss it owned by Mr L. M. Lawson and Mr J. W. Lord. His condition was a credit to his trainer, F. R. Begueley, who placed the Ocean Spray n gelding skilfully for three wins from only seven starts this season. At his previous start Midnight Kiss won the Auckland Racing Club’s Cornwall Handicap. One of his most notable runs earlier was a third in

the Auckland Cup last season.

Midnight Kiss and Red Crest ran in close order throughout the race. For a start they were close to the tail of the field and a good way off the • pace for which the' New Zealand St Leger winner, Whiti Te Ra, was responsible. Midnight Kiss and Red Crest came to the front almost together. Midnight Kiss had to take the wider course and when Red Crest galloped through a wide gap alongside him he took some straightening. R. W. Taylor had to stop riding him for a few strides, and the fortunes of the race could have swung against him there and then. Slight Advantage Midnight Kiss clung to a slight advantage in the final furlong in one of those interesting two-sided finishes which have distinguished racing at the present meeting. Midnight Kiss was ridden by D. A. Weatherley. who

served his apprenticeship in the Begueley stable. Dark Song, R. J., Skelton’s mount, and a winner at Trentham in May. came from last for his third. Monastic and Master Brynn were the next best and both improved several positions. Then came Norma’s Lass. Gus, the second favourite, had a “dream” run three and four places back on the inside. He made a run through a wide gap into the leading line alongside Mammoth near the home turn, but then faded to tenth. Always Close In winning the Members’ Handicap Head Off also completed a good double for Waikato stables. He found the early speed te stay close to the pace from the start; unlike Glamis Lad, which gave ground quickly on the inside near the halfmile.

Bottle Top, which had been in front from the six furlongs, led into the last half-mile from Dunraven. Head Off. Diamond Red.

Redaire, Damar, Feurig, Glamis Lad Gayspot, Blue Turtle and Bijali. Bottle Top was beaten before the home turn and it then had the appearance of a two-horse race with Head Off and Dunraven the principals. However, Dunraven was weary and shortening stride beyond the furlong, and Head Off could not have been beaten unless ho had stopped to a walk. By the time Glamis Lad dashed through the pack into second Head Off had it safely won.

Redaire ran one of her usual sound races for third half a length back. Dunraven wa* a weakening fourth. A minor feature of the rac* was Chiave d’Oro’s run for fifth. She bounced into the lead early but went back so quickly on the inside that she was at the tail of the field with Bijali at the half-mile. Bijali picked up ground, but all too slowly, and finished sixth ahead of the disappointing Bottle Top. Blue Turtle ran a weak race finishing eighth.