RACING Rich cups double may fall to Wingatui pair

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 8

RACING Rich cups double may fall to Wingatui pair

A rich cups double for the Wingatui stablemates, Golden Sam and Foxy, seemed a bright possibility after A. N. Didham’s pair won brilliantly at Riccarton on Saturday.

Golden Sam is being pointed for the Auckland Cup, and could not have been. more, impressive in his final leadup race in the South Island when he triumphed against the sprinters at the Hororata Racing Club’s meeting.

Earlier in the day Foxy won the Hororata Cup, a race captured last year by Golden Sam, with the style and ease of a mare capable of meeting the demands of a testing two miles in the Wellington Cup. Foxy was entered for the Auckland Cup, but her connections feel Ellerslie would not show her to the same advantage as a big left-handed course, and two gifted stablemates were parted at the week-end. Golden Sam to go on to the North Island, and Foxy to return to Wingatui until next month.

Golden Sam’s triumph under 9-1 over 7f on Saturday — coming after some splendid runs over ground, including two minor placings at two miles earlier in the year — leaves high hopes for a third successive Auckland win for a South Island-bred.

To win on Saturday he came from third to last, sped over his last half mile in 46 4-5, yet he “loafed” when he swept into the lead close to home.

“He went up to them so quickly he must have thought it was all over, and he eased — I had to shake him up

again to remind him it was not all over,” Golden Sam’s rider, J. R. Dowling, said later.

I Dowling also partnered I Mrs H. G. McLeod’s Afghanistan mare settled some distance off the pace but she I had the race as good as won when she dashed around the outside to go into the lead I about two furlongs out. While it had been all plain sailing for Foxy making ground on the outside, there had been traffic problems for the favourite. Smart Mellay. A. K. Robinson was unable to make any headway on

Foxy in her Hororata Cup victory. Characteristically, Smart Mellay behind the tiring Rose Gate going to the

three furlongs, and it was late before he could get her into the clear. By that time Foxy was storming home with the race as good as won. In the circumstances Smart Mellay’s second was a good run. She was unchallenged for that position. Foreign Lad was Canterbury’s best, finishing boldly for third, and inching out Crusade, which had been forced over extra ground when Rebel Lad shifted ground while leading around the home turn.

Crusade saved fourth by half a neck from Seaside Story, which was held up for a run when following Smart Mellay near the three furlongs and came fast when in the clear.

It was Otago’s day from the start, with Fair Mystery and Ribo Star filling the first two places in the Hororata High-weight. And the programme ended on the same note with the Wingatuitrained Clarendon Princess narrowly beating the Invercargill mare, Silver Sally, and . Riccarton’s Bel Cavallo into ' the minor places in the Sandown Hack Handicap.