N.I. trip now for Funny Way

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32479, 14 December 1970, Page 8

N.I. trip now for Funny Way

Funny Way earned himself a trip to the North Island when he won the Trial Plate No. 1 in style in the colours of his trainer, L. D. S. Barr, and Mrs J. L. Barr at Riccarton on Saturday.

Tomorrow night Funny Way, in company with his stablemates, Quetta, and Bunny Girl, will be taken north for a campaign which will begin at the Manawatu Racing Club’s meeting at Awapuni next Saturday. Funny Way’s first victory was notable in more ways than one. He was the first runner saddled by his new trainer and partowner, who only three weeks ehriier had taken over the team formerly prepared by his late father, J. L. Barr. It was also .Mrs J. ,L. Barr’s first success as ah owner. Funny Way was one of five winners for Riccarton stables on Saturday’s programme. The others were Green Light, Regent Royal, Maxwelton, and Moonfleet. Green Light, which R. B. Tag gart prepares for Mr L. R. C. Mdcfarlane, like Funny Way, gave a grand exhibition of frontrunning to beat her rivals hands down in the Hororata Higl> weight, first leg of the double for course patrons only. In the second leg of this double, the H. A. Knight Memorial Hack Handicap, Regent Royal came from far back in the last three furlongs for a last-stride victory over Capriano. Regent Royal’s victory was also very much a family affair. She is raced by Mr H. C. Barr and is trained by his son, G. C. Barr. Maxwelton, which is raced in partnership by the West Melton trotting trainer, J. S. Dalgety, and Miss J. Edgar-Jones, caused the major upset of the meeting. He ran from a trailing position Into the lead early in the run home in the Trial Plate No. 2 and cleared right away to win by eight lengths. The Sedgwick three-year-old in this, his first race, was the 18th favourite of 22 and returned his win supporters $83.30 for $l. In the L. Derrett Handicap, the event for staying hacks, Riccarton contenders had to settle

for minor placings only. The Wingatui-trained Stormcrest, given the run of the race by E. J. Didham, set out after the locally-trained Mr Subtle in the last furlong and pegged him back in the last few strides.