Warm Up Won With Inches To Spare

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31941, 19 March 1969, Page 5

Warm Up Won With Inches To Spare

Racing at Ashburton yesterday started with a spectacular contest for the Winchmore High-weight.

The first four horses reached the post almost dead in line, but after the judge (Mr M. A. Mace) called for a second photograph, he gave the favourite, Wann Up, first place by a nose from Blue Amber. Then there was half a neck to Julmark, which finished better than anything else in the race, and half a head to Sleeky Fox. Warm Up, a half-brother by Summertime to the Wellington Cup winner, City Court, has now won his last two races, and a programme of jumping seems to have

(effected the improvement in his form for Mr E. Rutherford. I The Trial Stakes, the second race on yesterday’s card, also produced its share of incidents, but less enjoyable ones.

The four-year-old gelding Rokfire died, instantly when he fell inside the first furlong. The course veterinarian found that the horse had suffered a compound fracture of the skull in the fall. Later in the race, on the home turn, a two-horse fall put the two most stronglybacked runners out of the race. Moody Blue fell when close to the lead and brought down Daytime, whose rider, E. G. Low, was not fit to ride again for the day. Soon after this mix-up Persian Crusade battled into the lead, then drew out to win in style by three lengths and a half from Headwyn, which beat the weakening pacemaker, Intervene, by a length and a half.