Banks Peninsula Cup Won By Johnny Gee

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31809, 14 October 1968, Page 4

Banks Peninsula Cup Won By Johnny Gee

W. R. Butt came away from Motukarara on Saturday thoroughly satisfied with a day’s work well done. The Templeton trainer took six horses to the Banks Peninsula Trotting Club’s annual meeting, won with two of them—including Johnny Gee in the Banks Peninsula Trotting Cup—and earned minor place-money with three of the others.

Johnny Gee earned his trainer $l3OO in cash and a tronhy valued at $lOO when he beat Logan Count handily and 12 others easily in the cup, the main event on the programme. Tony Bear, the other Butttrained representative in the race, took third place and so earned $2OO of the $2OOO stake for his Melbourne owner, Mr J. T. Smith.

Saturday’s win was Johnny Gee’s first since he won a heat of the trotters’ championship at the Inter-Dominion Championships at Auckland last February. But his success .was anticipated after two sound placings at the National meet' ing in August. Johnny Gee would have almost certainly won his previous start —he was third in a nose-and-nose finish—but for h'.s tendency to hang-ln when challenging. This tendency was noticeable again on Saturday, but his trainer did not bustle him, and he kept a reasonably straight course to win going away by half a length. Second Again Logan Count'seems fated not to win a Banks peninsula Trotting. Cup. Last year, he was narrowly beaten in the event by Stylish Major. This time, It looked as If he might win when he spurted clear on the home turn, and still had a handy lead starting the last furlong. Tony Bear, three places back on the outer and In the line ahead of his stablemate (which had a ralls-run most of the way) battled into third. He was two and a half lengths from Logan Count, and three lengths ahead of Stylish Major. Stylish Major ran a sound race from the back mark of 30 yards. That he weakened slightly In the last furlong of thia, his second race In a fresh campaign, was not surprising —for to keep a handy position he was forced to race three wide for the best part of the last five furlongs. Good Family Rhlnegolde showed all the qualities which have characterised many distinguished members of the family founded by the celebrated brood mare. Purple Patch, when she led for the last six furlongs of two mites io win the Ellesmere Handicap, the second leg of the main double, for her Methven owner-breeder, Mr P. A. Watson. For this, her second win In three starts, Rhinegold had to battle hard In the last 56 yards to cope with a dogged challenge from Double Cross, but she responded gamely to a vigorous drive from M. A. Watson to win by a neck.

Although two lengths away third. Wipe Out raised hopes of an early return to winning form. There w z as also merit in Benmore’s late run from the ruck for fourth. The two most popular fancies, Selwyn Hanover and Betsy Morano, were eliminated just before the straight entrance. The latter was trying to work out of a pocket on the inside when she struck a sulky wheel, broke, and collided with Selwyn Hanover, whose driver. R. Young, was tipped from his sulky. Young was not injured. Second Success Los Altos gave W. R. Butt his second training and driving success for the day when she out-ran the sprinters In the Mount Herbert Handicap. Messrs C. I. Payne and E. H. Davison’s U. Scott mare tracked Bonnie Lindy and Spandau to the straight, led the chase after Spandau just inside the furlong, and wore him down in the last few strides to win by a neck. These two had the finish to themselves. Jimmy Dick battled past Bonnie Lindy for third, but was four lengths back. The firm favourite, Raphael, was sixth, finishing In a gap. She shared the third line to the straight, but failed to quicken in the run home. The other Butt-trained piacegetters during the day were Credo and Quite Local. The former ran second to Bronze Maiden In the second division of the Waihora H a n d i ca p.

while Quite Lncil wac fourth in the first division, won by Diamond Joe. Change Of Luck D. D. Nyhan, who had not driven a winner for some considerable lime, had a welcome ahange of luck op Saturday. He drove two winners and a third from four drives. The first of those was Hia Nibs, a four-year-o d Caduceus entire which beat Overland narrowly In the First Akaroa Handicap, and the other was Diamond Jim, which Is trained at Addington by H. R. Walker for Nyhan’s father-in-iaw, W. J. Doyle, of Leeston. Doyle was also represented successfully by All Alone, which he drove and trains himself. This Light Brigade mare led all the way for an easy win In the Halswell Handicap, for 2:19 class trotters. The maiden trot, the Wairewa Handicap, resulted tn an easy impressive win for Mystic King, a member of R. G. Morris’s Rolleston stable, and Cochrane gained his fourth win from his last five starts and kept his winning record for the season intact when he out ran the 2:17 class pacers in the Paparua Handicap. Cochrane was one of two winners driven by D. C. Watts, who was also successful behind Smokey Express In the second division of the Second Akaroa Handicap. The first division of this race went to Volo Dor. a Widower Scott mare having her first start at a totalisator meeting-