TROTTING James Wins Heat Of Festival Cup

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32214, 5 February 1970, Page 5

TROTTING James Wins Heat Of Festival Cup

(From Our Own Reporter) DUNEDIN. The hardy Tinwald six-year-old, James, gained his third win in the last month when he won the second heat of the Dunedin Festival Cup at Forbury Park last evening.

James showed great courage when he led over the last seven furlongs. Challenges came thick and fast over the final furlong but he held them all off quite comfortably.

James paced his last mile in 2min ssec and his last half mile in Imin 3/ssec. He should make a bold bid to win the S5OOO final on Saturday night. Meadow Bank followed his good third on Saturday night by battling on for second. He looked likely to test James but came to the end of his run 30 yards out Nevertheless, it was a good trial for the Inter-Dominion Championships in Melbourne later in the month.

True Averill, which lost ground at the start, paced a splendid race to finish third. Equally impressive was Radiant Globe, which took fourth place after breaking badly at the start. His finishing run was a feature of the race.

No excuses could be offered for the remainder. The Timaru Cup winner. Torrent was never a possibility and finished well back.

Our Smokey was scratched from the event at the direction of the chief stipendiary steward (Mr L. A. Butter-j field), acting on instructions, from the chief handicapperi (Mr R. C. R. Morton), who yesterday afternoon declared the horse ineligible to start. Mr Morton’s interpretation of the conditions governing the race said that the horse could not start last night because he was not eligible for

■the first night of the meeting last Saturday. Our Smokey won at Addington Raceway on January 28, two days after the closing withdrawals for the first day of the Forbury meeting. As a result he earned an assessment which appeared to qualify him to start last night He was handicapped accordingly and he was accepted by the club as a starter. His owner-trainer, J. R. Carter, brought him to Dunedin with the intention of starting him on the last two nights. It is understood that the club will refund the nomina-

tion and acceptance fees. Stylish Major, which is to join Le Chant and Disband in Canada shortly, gained one of the easiest wins seen for some time in the Calf ex Trotters’ Championship. Stylish Major was driven with great confidence by D J. Townley and although forced wide for almost five furlongs he was always trotting easily and won with a lot in hand from Fair Play and Alisa Peterson.