SHILOH IMPRESSIVE

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31933, 10 March 1969, Page 4

SHILOH IMPRESSIVE

One of the most impressive wins at the Hororata meeting on Saturday was that of Shiloh in the Selwyn Handicap. He is the first horse prepared by his part-owner, D. G. Gibbons since he was granted a training licence and he was making his race debut on Saturday.

Gibbons was until some months ago associated with the Hinds trainer, W. E. Lowe, who gave him Shiloh’s dam, Andot, an unraced mare by Lucky Jack from Gloxania, which left Grouse, Lyndhurst, Lagmhor and others.

Shiloh is a three-year-old gelding by the Dillon Hall horse, Robert Dillon. He has plenty of size and looks to be one of the most promising maiden graduates seen for some time. Shiloh had to be well above average to win on Saturday as he was pushed back at the start and was from then on left in the open. For most of the way he was outside two horses and his chances of success did not look bright when Swift Action was still pacing comfortably starting the last furlong. However, Shiloh, although racing greenly, responded in great style to win by a head.

Swift Action was three lengths in front of Light Globe, with the same distance to Real Hall. Pun, which is closely related to Shiloh, won the Glendore Handicap, the other race for maiden pacers on the programme. This promising three-year-old gelding by Thurber Frost from a highclass mare, Merval, is trained by W E. Lowe for his mother, Mrs W. T. Lowe, who travelled to Hororata to see Pun win. Pun took the lead after three furlongs and, although headed for a short time by Possum Girl, he was always pacing easily and drew out in the run home to beat Blandville by five lengths, with Somerset Gold a fair third. In Cheviot Cup

Bright Frost qualified to start in the Cheviot Cup next Saturday when he won the Farewell Handicap, which provided one of the keenest finishes of the day. It was at this meeting last season that his half-brother, Bright Enterprise, won the Hororata Cup. Bright Frost was prominently placed all the way and he responded gamely for R. Young to beat Wairimu by a short length. Thurberoyal, another to have every chance, fought on for third, half a neck from Wairimu, with the same distance to Ballytrue, which was checked on the home turn. Heidelberg was right up fifth, ahead of Zhivago, with a gap to Sunny Boots.

Someday, which had been troubled by a poisoned leg earlier In the week, gained an overdue win in the Malvern Handicap, a race in which she was one of few runners not to make a mistake or meet trouble. Someday was left clear when Tasman and then Final Donn broke in the run home and she came on to win by six lengths from Final Donn, which came again. Deodatus, which broke at the start and lost 80 yards, did well to finish a neck away third, with a head to Mystic King and a neck to a solid finisher. Melody Way. Tasman and another to break in the run home, Superwise, were next. Finnigan was having only his fourth race start when he won the Tawera Handicap from Sport and Fri, which did well to finish so close after breaking at the start. Great Faith, which joined F. Murfitfs team only a fortnight earlier, finished fast along the rails after receiving a good run, to win the A. J. Harris Memorial Handicap from Evette and Thunder Globe. Harvester shaped like an improver when he finished fourth, ahead of the tiring pacemaker, Mobelle. Sir Basil, at odds of close to 29 to 1, caused a major surprise when he beat Hi Dryden by half a head in the Darfield Handicap. Bobo was half a length back third, well clear of the others, headed by Black Judy.