Ahjay Wins Stakes; Good Day For N.Z.

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32395, 7 September 1970, Page 5

Ahjay Wins Stakes; Good Day For N.Z.

(N.Z. Press Association) MELBOURNE The New Zealand gallopers, Ahjay and Moomba Fox, skimmed the cream at Caulfield on Saturday when they took the two feature races.

Ahjay brilliantly made it two starts and two wins in Australia when he won the weight-for-age Memsie Stakes (9f.) and Moomba Fox ran home a twolength winner of the Meatherlie Handicap (lim.). Two other horses raised across the Tasman had victories to make it a great day for the New Zealand breeding Industry. Lunic Light won the Warriston Handicap (9f.) for three-year-olds in a race that resulted in a one, two, three New Zealand-bred finish and Voleur skipped away with the Patrobas Welter (Im.).

Ahjay, ridden by G. Carson, took his Australian stakes earnings to 98410 by winning the Memsie Stakes. The Better Honey gelding was perfectly positioned throughout, was with the leaders all the way and was much too good for his more fancied competitors in the dash to the post. He never looked like being run down and won by 1* lengths from Kumiss, which was handed his first defeat in nine races,

with Shorengro two lengths further back third. Dr A. McGregor Grant's galloper Not Again (H. White) came home strongly for a close-up fourth. Bompa (W. Skelton), the third New Zealand runner in the Memsit, was prominent early but according to Skelton "was gone" three furlongs from home. Bompa blew badly after the race and was rather distressed but Skelton said yesterday Bompa was back to normal and probably would start in the weight-for-age Craigiea Stakes next Saturday. Ahjay’s victory was even more impressive when it is realised he was lame on Friday night and his owner-trainer, H. J. Tapper had some doubts about his starting. The big disappointment of the Memsie Stakes was the New Zea-land-bred Cyron. the 2-1 favourite which finished fifth.

Moomba Fox, which was sent to J. B. Cummings from New Zealand during the winter, was never further back than third and won easily from a moderate field. Moomba Fox, owned by Mrs D. M. McKellar, the wife of the American sportsman, Mr D. McKellar, and Mrs J. J. Sullivan, of Auckland, won by two lengths from Better Talk with Beer Street third.

Not Again's stablemate. Lord Thurteen (Forearmed—Miss Waihou) just missed causing an upset in the Warriston Handicap, with the New Zealander, Skelton, up, was beaten a length by Lunic Light (Glove of Light —Gay Charade), with Trader (Idomeneo—Set Fair), third.

The Le Filou gelding, Voleur, gave Cummings a double when he won the Patrobas Welter. The favourite, he won by twe lengths from Summerflre (Summertime—Astric) and displaced 11 Tempo from his pedestal in markets tor the Melbourne Cup.