RACING Middy Back To His Best Form

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31921, 24 February 1969, Page 6

RACING Middy Back To His Best Form

“The Press’* Special Service DUNEDIN. Middy showed he was back to his best form when he won decisively in the Wingatui Handicap, the feature race at Wingatui on Saturday.

It is likely that Middy will race at the Banks Peninsula meeting this week but a start in the Chalmers Handicap, the $BOOO two-mile event at Trentham next month, will depend on the progress his half-brother, Sandy, makes in the meantime.

The Mosgiel Park nwner-breeder-trainer. G. B. Thomson, was thrilled with Middy’s performance but he was bitterly disappointed with Sandy’s effort in the Autumn Handicap, the second leg, in which the Afghanistan gelding beat only Surgaway.

Mr Thomson is not likely to travel to Trentham with one horse. As he said yesterday. “there are plenty of good races coming up at the Canterbury autumn meeting.”

On the first day of the ' meeting Middy was beaten > favourite. He was racing in a new bridle with a tight nose- , band and this is thought to have caused him to hold his breath and weaken from the . half-mile. Open Bridle | Racing in an open bridle on Saturday, Middy was going so well in the back stretch I that the jockey, R. N. Marsh, ; moved him up smartly to hit the front racing to the half \ mile. He immediately- gained a three-length lead on the ! early pacemaker, Ski, and ! Semelight, and from there | never appeared in danger of being headed. In a blanket finish for the minor placings Glocca Morra, the favourite after her impressive win on the first day, | finished brilliantly from last' to snatch second place by half!;

a head from the lightly supported General Joe, with Gay Gabador right up in line. Western Gale, which followed Middy into the straight, was at the head of the others but two lengths and a half back.

In a doubles pool of 841,015 including 535.210 off-course, the first leg favourite was Glocca Morra with 18,324 50 cent tickets.

Middy carried 16,940 and 3346 of these were reinvested on Yipp. The second-leg favourite was Sandy, with 5598 tickets. Easy For Yipp Yipp, which just failed to hold Silver Spire in the sprint on the first day of the meeting, was not tested in winning the autumn handicap to complete a T.A.B. double which paid $19.60 for $l. Yipp was always close to the pace and ran past Silver Spire inside the half-furlong.

Silver Spire took over the running from Gars on the home turn and held second place by- a length and quarter from Gay Doctor which pulled hard and was three wide into the straight ahead of Gars and Waterfront which also covered extra ground. Kumai, which had raced at the rear with Sandy, made ground for sixth. Sandy was I not at ease in the birdcage before the race and sweated profusely. He drifted early and made no impression.