Favourites Successful

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31785, 16 September 1968, Page 4

Favourites Successful

Kurwood was the only Otago winner at Ashburton on Saturday but in another respect he was following a well-dtfinited pattern.

Kurwood, a decisive winner of the Methven Improvers’ Handicap, the final race on the card, was one of seven successful win favourites on the second day of the Ashburton County Racing Club’s spring meeting.

The only favourite not to win was Shipmaster, the run-ner-up to Glamis Lad in the seventh race on the programme.

Kurwood had looks and form to commend his chance in the Methven Improvers' Handicap. He started the season successfully for his veteran Wingatui owner-trainer, Mr D. F. O’Connell, at the Otago Hunt meeting a week earlier, and none of the others could match his finish over seven furlongs at Ashburton.

R. N. Marsh rode the topweight with hands and heels and took good care to keep the Kurdistan gelding in the clear towards the centre of the track after the five-year-old had shown a tendency to lug in. The best of Kurwood’s rivals was Not Guilty, which like the winner was a newcomer from Wingatui at the meeting. Not Guilty was one of the long shots. Gold Treaty, another little-fancied runner in this, his first start at the meeting, saved third place by half a neck from Sailing Home. UNBEATEN AT MEETING

Beau Leigh completed a double in high-weights at the meeting when he beat Ngatua decisively and the others easily in the opening race and the first leg of the on-course concession double on Saturday. Mr and Mrs H. T. Prebble’s big Dogger Bank gelding, a younger brother of Cranleigh, which showed good winning form In Sydney earlier in the season, won by a length and a quarter from Ngatua, which looked a winning prospect for a time when he dashed into a clear lead early in the riln home.

It was an all-Washdyke finish with Coeur de Chene and Llanston securing third and fourth places respectively. WELL-EARNED WIN

Equal Chance and Suppi-Yaw-let, three-year-olds sired by the Amberley-based sire. Eastern Nip, filled the first two places in the Wakanui Maiden Stakes.

Equal Chance, a nuggety colt owned by Mr M. C. Watson, of Halkett, was clearly the best, winning in style by three lengths. He had earned this win after a second on the first day of the meeting, and five placed runs in 13 starts as a two-year-old. Power, Equal Chance’s most heavily-backed rival, rewarded

his place supporters with a third, his second such placing at the meeting. PAYOUT DELAYED Watchman shied at a tractor close to the post in the Mt Somers Hack Handicap, but rallied quickly for E. G. Low and won by a neck from Miss Mannequin, a winner on the first day of the meeting. The pay-out was held up while the committee considered whether Miss Mannequin had lost a winning chance in the incident. The committee did not find evidence to warrant any changes in the placings. Watchman, the shortestpriced favourite on the programme, is a half-brother by the speed sire Pakistan II to Next Please and has now won twice in as many starts this season for his North Canterbury breeder, Mr L. R. C. Macfarlane.

Those behind the winner end runner-up were beaten oft. Sony was third In a gap of four lengths. He lost ground through taking the home turn awkwardly. DETERMINED RUN Chilli Bean placed further value on first-day high-weight form by winning the Weaterfield Hack Handicap decisively for his Christchurch owner, Mr W. H. Williamson. Chilli Bean was runner-up to Beau Leigh in the high-weight on the first day of the meeting. On Saturday he was left in front when Brookfields Hope ran wide on the home turn and lasted the mile out determinedly for a length victory over Crepe de Chine. Nursie, which had been responsible for the pacemaking, saved third by a neck from the top-weight, Our Wyn, whose finish lacked its usual dash.