MIGHTY GAY IMPRESSES

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33254, 18 June 1973, Page 8

MIGHTY GAY IMPRESSES

(From Our Own Reporter)

NELSON.

I The speedy two-year-old, Mighty Gay, returned the most eyecatching winning run on the first day of the Nelson winter meeting on Saturday when he outclassed a field of maiden pacers in the Publicans’ Handicap.

It is seldom indeed that a two-year-old competes in an open maiden handicap, and it is the exception for one of such tender years to be successful in such a race. However, such a feat is not unknown at Nelson. Some 15 years ago Lanthea, after a bold run in the Sapling Stakes, slogged through the mud at Richmond Park to graduate from maiden company. And, about the same

time, Bounden Duty was successful over 13 furlongs in the North Island.

Mighty Gay is raced by his Washdyke trainer, G. D. Shand, who bought him as a iweanling for $250. “My wife is responsible for me having him,” Shand recalled on Saturday. “She was keen to get a foal by Gay Gordon and saw Rosa Dream and her colt advertised for sale by Mr W. S. T. Foote, of Hororata. I made inquiries about her and made an offer for the foal when he was weaned. But in the meantime Mr I J. X. Ferguson, of Akaroa, bought the mare, in foal to Armbro Del, and the foal. Later he agreed to sell me the colt,” said Shand. Shand is enthusiastic about the prospects for Mighty Gay, which, like his sire, is a little wayward at the start of his races. “I’ll race him again on Tuesday provided the track is not) heavy, and then I will takej

ihim north to the Auckland i meeting next month.” Mighty Gay will have mobile start ■races to suit him. If he races | well enough on the first day of the meeting he will bejcome eligible for a $5OOO race :a week later. On Saturday Mighty Gay lost a good 60 yards "at the start and was at the rear of the field with nine furlongs left. He sprinted up in the back straight and was handy to Clanford on the home turn. He was not seriously tested to win by a length from Clanford, with two lengths back to Bronco and Reassurance. He paced the 11 furlongs in 3:1 3-5, one-fifth of a second slower than it took Flying Eagle to win a 2:18 class event later in the day. LONG WAIT Backers of the hot favourite, Happy Song, had a long wait before he won the Caltex Gold Cup, the main race on Saturday’s pro-

gramme. The winner started from 24 yards and led for alb but the opening two furlongs and a half of what must have been one of the slowest two- ' mile races ever on a perfect track. He took 4:46 2-5 for the distance. The field dawdled through: the straight the first time to jeers from the crowd, the six runners being in single file. The leaders took 2:31 1-5 for their opening mile and 3:45 1-5 for the mile and a half. The sprint up the straight was little compensation for a dreary contest, with Happy Song gaining his third win on the track for the ; Happy Song syndicate, which is comprised mainly of mem-1 bers of the East Christchurch I Cricket Club. Happy Song won the; sprint home, but only just.; He lasted to beat Ron Han-: over by half a head, with the same margin back to Johnny Rich and a nose to, Sam Carter. Mickey Dhu and Gigi Lamour were not far: away. Ron Hanover's second placing was an expensive one. He has had six such placings since his last win, which was in the 1971-72 season. As a result he was reassessed to a 2:15 mark and will start from 24 yards in the sixhorse Bowater Motors Stakes tomorrow. He will meet Happy Song on 12 yards worse terms than on Saturday, the first-day winner being handicapped on 36 yards tomorrow. ■