Double Cross Impresses

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31803, 7 October 1968, Page 4

Double Cross Impresses

Double Cross confirmed a good second to Maida Million at Addington Raceway last month with a decisive win over Betsy Morano in the Seafield Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday. Double Cross’s win was a highlight of the day’s racing and suggested that she was in for a most profitable season for her Hororata breeder, Mr C. L Blakely. Double Cross got away smoothly and she was never far from the lead, although she lost a few lengths when she was pushed back in the middle stages. D. C. Watts sent Double Cross up to second at the half-mile and raced clear with her early in the run home. Betsy Morano made a game effort to overhaul the leader, but Double Cross had too much in reserve and was easing down at the finish with half a length to spare. Selwyn Hanover, another four-year-old, fought on quite well for third two lengths away, with a neck to Smokey Range, which made a forward showing considering his long absence from racing. Happy Hal paced a fair race for fifth, ahead of Benmore, First Pick and Lee, which were in line. The favourite, Barrhill, was slow away and was never a danger, finishing eleventh. BROTHERS WIN The brothers, Fair Play and Herrin, won the races for trotters. Fair Play led for a greater part of the Mount Somers Handicap and he fought on strongly when challenged by Shady Maid and he won by half a head. Bertha Jo ran on solldy from a handy position to finish third, just ahead of Annabelle Lee and Dim View. The first two furlongs of the race were marked by much interference, which ended the chances of the majority of the field. The greater proportion of the jostling was due to the unwieldy field. Merrin, a winner of the course in the winter, made a successful first appearance since then when he nosed the three-year-old, Western Valley, out of first place in the Chertsey Handicap. The favourite, Fri, made up ground for third, ahead of the

tiring pacemaker, Kilarno, and All Alone.

Bewitched gained a deserved win in the Durbar Handicap and as a result she will not now go north for the Te Awamutu meeting next Saturday. She won by almost four lengths from Sherwood Queen and Misty Morn and gained one of the easiest win of the day.

Top Row did well to justify favouritism in the Hinds Handicap. He was still well back in the field starting the last two

furlongs and D. J. Townley switched him to the outside. He got up in the last few yards to beat Lucky Lord and Sleeman by a rapidly-increasing margin of half a length. Cochrane completed the oncourse double for Mid-Canter-bury stables when he made most of the pace and held off El Caballos by a short length in the Elgin Handicap. Top Row’s setablemate, Julienne, was a hot favourite, but was never a danger, finishing eleventh.