RACING Red Chips-Lord Nelson win Ashburton double

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32706, 8 September 1971, Page 8

RACING Red Chips-Lord Nelson win Ashburton double

Red Chips gave his Riccarton part-owner and trainer, C. McDonald, a welcome home present by winning the Gordons Gin Handicap, the first leg of the Ashburton County Racing Club’s TA.B. double yesterday.

McDonald returned to Christchurch last Friday after a holiday in Sydney to find Red Chips thriving in his preparation for a spring campaign.

Red Chips’s victory yesterday was his twenty-third for McDonald and Mr J. A. Randle, of Blenheim, and it did not suggest that there has been any noticeable diminution in his powers as an eight-year-old.

He was well ridden by N. ' Cowles, who found a trailing position for him early in the race, and a narrow gap to go through with his run when Default shifted ground near the home turn. Red Chips led into last furlong, looking as if he would make it with something to ; spare, but stayers’ runs by ;

Hay Burner and Carafin down ' the long Ashburton straight | changed the situation late in the race. Red Chips’s margin over Hay Burner was only a head, with Carafin half a head back third. ‘ Hay Burner was ridden at 3 Jib overweight by the Wingatui horseman, J. R. Dowling,

a replacement for the injured D. Reed.

Dowling said he had been impressed by Hay Burner’s run. It was the performance of a stayer racing short of his best distance, Dowling said. Carafin, a strongly-finish-ing third, is a stablemate of Red Chips and, on yesterday’s run, it seems she is on the threshold of a patch of winning form. The Washdyke stablemates, Glamis Lad and Red Carpet, were the closest to the dividend payers separated by only a neck. Red Carpet was responsible for a fairly casual pace in the first half mile. He shook off a challenge from the favourite, Grippie, early, in the run home, but could not pull out anything extra when Red Chips ranged alongside. Second leg Lord Nelson went one better than his stablemate and half-brother Hay Burner by winning the Flying Handicap, the second leg of the double. He was at cramped odds in this his open-class debut for Messrs J. J. Cowan and J. D. Phillips, and his place backers lost 5c in the dollar. R. J. McCann, a substitute for D. Reed, rode Lord Nelson in the third line in a close-running field to the straight andsecured a generous response when he asked the long-striding My Pal gelding for something extra. Lord Nelson went to the post strongly for a length victory over the three-year-old Awocato, which was having his first start since the autumn. With this run Avvocato became one of the early favourites for the John Grigg Stakes on Saturday. Flying Melda just saved third place from the former North Island, Ruffino. Lloyd and I Spy were almost in line, next ahead of Watchman, which weakened after making the pace.