RACING Meldie Wins Main Race At Trentham Meeting

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31982, 8 May 1969, Page 4

RACING Meldie Wins Main Race At Trentham Meeting

"The Press’* Special service WELLINGTON. The Bellborough gelding, Meldie, upheld his reputation as being one of the south’s most promising stayers when he scored a narrow but most impressive victory over the hot favourite, Proud Chief, in the Waterloo Handicap at Trentham yesterday.

Meldie finished gamely to win by a short neck and give W. D. Skelton his second big handicap winner of the meeting.

Skelton rode Colorado Boy to victory in the Gloaming Stakes on the first day of the meeting. He brought Meldie down the outside over the last furlong and caught Proud Chief short of the line. Escameno was a good third after

shooting clear of the field at the half-mile. Meldie was Riccarton’* second successive winner. The outsider. Aconite, won the previous event, the Khandallah Hack Handicap, at odds of 80/1. Aconite, which is trained by D. J. Thistoll at Riccarton, is a gelding by Cassock and his finishing run was just too much for the favourite, Champion Road, which was again gallant in defeat. In the Waterloo Handicap, Skelton kept Meldie back in the middle of , the field. He improved to fifth on the turn buteven at this stage it did not appear that he would catch either Proud Chief or Eseameno. However, Meldie was equal to. the. occasion and won going away.

Bright Future

Meldie is trained at Riccarton by J. L. Barr for Messrs C. P. Hayes and M. K. Rodgers. He is only a three-year-old and appears to possess a bright future.

Proud Chief, with conditions tailor-made for him, was a strong favourite. He carried 74,000 double tickets with off-course investors, compared with Dark Song’s 39,000. Dark Song’s rider was H. N. Rauhihi. R. J. Skelton had been engaged to ride the gelding, but along with the other Auckland jockeys, G. F. Hughes, B. S. Compton, B. F. Andrews and D. A. Peake, he could not get to Trentham. Dark Song ran poorly and finished ninth after toiling in the rear all the way. N. D. Landers gave Proud Chief every chance. He went past Eseameno at the furlong

but could not hold off the winner. Eseameno battled on well for third, clear of His Lordship which enjoyed a good run throughout. Gold Mint was next ahead of Kalott which made no real impression. Then came Jen Hal, Thurible, Dark Song, Allbut, which pulled very hard early, and Gay Gabador, which ran to fourth on the turn but it was short-lived. Close Win Just Wishing, which was narrowly beaten by Choucuana on the first day, confirmed that good form with a last-stride victory over Cambridge Fair in the Port Nicholson Handicap. Just Wisbing’s success gave W. D. Skelton the winning double.

Just Wishing was back in the middle to the turn. She came with another strong run near the finish and just caught Cambridge Fair, which had been well placed throughout and led at the furlong. Zephyrus, which was thirdlast at the half-mile, came home well for third ahead of Terramyein, which raced through on the rails when the leaders went wide turning for home. He led briefly and was not far away at the finish. The Minuit mare, Choucuana, stamped herself as a top-class galloper on any going when she carried her 8-13 to a gallant victory in the feature event, the Cuddle Stakes.

Choucuana won the open sprint on the first day of the meeting. The ground then was firm but yesterday’s very heavy conditions made no dif-

ference to the Te Awamutu galloper which comes from the stable of W. Sanders. Choucuana was ridden by her usual jockey, K. Cullen. Choucuana has now won six races this season, including the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie when she was ridden by R. T. Heaslip. Cullen had Choucuana well placed throughout the race and she strode to the front soon after the bend. Cobbler Lane made ground along the fence but had no chance with the winner. Whittle, which ran to the lead before the turn, battled on gamely for third, just beating Emanuela, which was in the leading division on the turn.

Dormaranne found the ground against her. She finished fifth, ahead of Ardfem, Shire Lass, Lisieux, Trend, Our Baby, Her Pal and Wilma Rudolph. The northerner, Castle Dee, scored an . impressive victory in the Brooklyn Hurdles at the expense of Foxy Boy and Golden Rebel. Running Scared fell at the last fence when sharing the lead.

Baudelaire .came with the last run to beat Sir Blue in the Newtown Steeplechase with the pacemaker. Running Bear, third. In this race the Awapuni jumper. Grand Coeur, fell at the second fence and severely injured a shoulder. He was taken home later in the day and will be sent to the veterinary faculty of the Massey University for X-rays and possible treatment. The racing was held in wet weather and the track was very soft. '