RACING Game and Kirrama to meet at Tauranga

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32567, 29 March 1971, Page 9

RACING Game and Kirrama to meet at Tauranga

“The Preu’’ Special Service WELLINGTON. Game, Panzer Chief and Kirrama are Tauranga-bound for what must surely by a most memorable Stars Travel Invitation Stakes next week.

At Awapuni on Saturday Game gave one of his best performances to win the Awapuni Gold Cup, with Panzer Chief not far away in third place.

Kirrama. getting over stifle trouble, galloped six furlongs and looked every inch the champion he is. Game won the Gold Cup by a length from Monastic with Panzer Chief beating Bardall by a nose for third. For the record it was Game’s twenty-third win and it took his stake earnings close to $60,000. It cemented his claim to being the best weight-for-age horse over recent years because the field he beat was a strong one in every respect A few minutes before the cup a very heavy shower of rain made the going shifty. For a big stricter such as Game that was more hinderance than help. It meant that R. B. Marsh had to let him run wider than usual on the home turn. But at that stage Game had put a break on the opposition of about two lengths,

and at the line he still had one of them left

Marsh has won many big races over the last two seasons but his delight and enthusiasm about Game’s performance were obvious.

“He wasn’t happy in the ground,” he said, “and he wasn’t handling it well on the turn. I knew I had to put a break on the field before the straight” While Marsh’s tactics paid off, W. D. Skelton (Monastic) felt he should have won. “If I had got a run on the inside, I would have, but I had to go out wide to make my run," Skelton said.

Monastic’s performance was first-class. While Game, Bardall, Panzer Chief, Silver Knight and Artifice were tearing along, Monastic settled a long way from them. He was still standing up the leaders nearly 10 lengths at the half-mile, but when Skelton set him alight, he came with a dogged finish to run Game to a length. Panzer Chief was threequarters of a length away third. He did not settle early and then clipped Game’s heels as the field went out of the straight But when Game

started to stretch out Panzer Chief, with more room to work in, settled more kindly. He had every, chance from then on and fought on strongly when Bardall threatened to take third from him. G. N. McLiesh was certain afterwards that Panzer Chief would improve with the run. “They may have been a bit light with him after Wellington. He needs racing and will be much better for it next week.”

Bardall was a handy fourth after being dose to the lead, from the start He fought on gamely in the straight in his bid to win the Awapuni Gold Cup for the second year in succession. The others were well beaten. Papahu was a distant fifth, and Breathalyser sixth after trying to follow Monastic through. Then came Aristoe, which was never happy in the conditions, and Silver Knight, which after being handy to the half-mile, dropped out quickly.