Cassbridge too good in steeplechase

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32659, 15 July 1971, Page 8

Cassbridge too good in steeplechase

(From Our Own Reporter) TRENTHAM. Cassbridge improved B. P. Kennedy’s outstanding record over jumps at Trentham in winning the Wellington' Racing Club’s Matai Steeples yesterday.

Cassbridge won running away by seven lengths from the hot favourite. Proud Vai. to give Kennedy, his sixth successful ride over jumps 1 on the course. Kennedy won the Matai 1 and Riddiford Steeples on I Kumai in 1968, and last year ! he won three hack hurdle i races on the Riccartontrained David William. : However, Cassbridge’s win i represented a double triumph i for Kennedy. He also pre-li pares the rising 12-year-old i for Mr T. A. Robinson and feels that the chestnut would < have been hard to beat in the i Wellington Steeplechase only ( for a check in his prepara- 1 tion. Cassbridge missed some 1 work after overreaching in 1 the steeplechase at Ashbur- s ton last month, and Mr Rob- 1 inson and Kennedy then de- I cided to miss the Wellington ! Steeplechase. Instead they I ran Cassbridge in the Trentham Hurdles and the j veteran was a respectable < fourth. , “I was always confident of < beating Proud Vai," Kennedy said after yesterday’s race, i Kennedy said Proud Vai i had eased his tads by making i a bad jump at the second 1 last, but he did not believe 1

that was the turning point of the nee. Kennedy would have liked another horte alongside him at the last fence, where Cassbridge was “gawking about,” but it was as good as over when the Otago horse landed safely. A tired Proud Vai, which still managed to save second without being challenged, put a lot of atmosphere into the race with his attempt on an all-the-way win. Everyone was waiting for a careless leap from the dashing Waikato jumper, and it came about a mile out. But he again dashed away and led into the last five furlongs by some 10 lengths. Cassbridge had reduced that to six lengths at the three furlongs, and two furlongs from home it was clear mat the South Island’s first victory for the meeting was at hand. Destine, a consistent nine-year-old from Matamata, earned $3OO with a third, and Agra was fourth in a gap of four lengths. All except Jacks Bay got round. The Awapuni-trained grey made a mess of the second of the double a round from home and bumped C. McGovern to the ground.