RACING Delta Lad Easy Winner

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32350, 16 July 1970, Page 4

RACING Delta Lad Easy Winner

“The Press’* Special Service HAMILTON. I Delta Lad gave his! trainer, R. C. Verner, a home - coming present with a good win in the Cambridge Handicap, the first leg of the T.A.B. double at Te Rapa yes* terday. Verner returned home to Takanini the previous night after a fortnight in Australia. In his absence Delta Lad has been looked after by one of his staff, the hurdle rider, K. J. Hughes. Yesterday’s win was some compensation too for Hughes, who had another of the stable. Del Mar, die a week or so back. Unfortunately Hughes was not at Te Rapa, Delta Lad being attended by Mr L, W. Davis, who races the horse in partnership with his wife,, and Miss Margaret Critoph,| one of the stable's staff. A black colt, rising four, Delta Lad cost Mr and Mrs Davis $l5OO as a yearling, just a trifle less than the amount of the winning stake yesterday. He has taken a little time to develop good form but the patience of his (connections is now being rewarded. I From his last three attempts Delta Lad has gained two firsts and a second. The ! first of his wins was a runaway one in a middle dis- 1 tance at Hawera on June 17 and the second placing in be-' tween came over 10 furlongs] at Avondale behind Bonnie] Fille. Wet Track It is when the ground be-] comes really wet and heavy that Delta Lad seems to excel and the conditions for the Cambridge Handicap were right to his liking. His rider, R. J. Skelton, had him third behind Greenstone and Barbado as they made the home turn and he took command in plenty of time to score by three lengths. Barbado also ran freely and that is more than could

be said for the beaten fav-| ourite, Yogi Bear. After the! first half-mile Yogi Bear was so far from the leaders as to have no chance at all, even allowing for his well-known finishing strength. In the end be was eighth. Brygan, an outsider, made ground for third and Greenstone, after trying to lead all the way, came fourth. The Matamata gelding Ahjay showed himself again to be a wet-weather galloper right out of the ordinary and one of the most durable three-year-olds when he battled very gamely .and successfully to hold Second Chance in a tough finish to the Learning- < ton Handicap. Ahjay trailed the pace-; maker, Wyoming, to the! straight, came ahead with; Monander and bad no sooner shaken her off than he was! challenged by Second Chance., The two had a great battle! and Ahjay won by a nose. Monander held third but four lengths away, and Wyoming and Choucuana shared fourth, two and a half lengths further back. Last Saturday Ahjay fin- 1

I ished second at Matamata (when he had just returned from a tough race on the first day of the Wellington meeting. Quite evidently be was not himself at Trentham. Otherwise, in a busy season, he has been pretty consistent

A smallish bay, which does not carry much condition, Ahjay is trained by his owners, Mr and Mrs H. J. Tapper, at Matamata. He was weighted with 9-5 for the Leamington Handicap but by being ridden by the apprentice, P. Haitana, bad to carry only 8-12.