HOMEBY STEEPLES WINNER Walters cleared of careless riding

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33290, 30 July 1973, Page 8

HOMEBY STEEPLES WINNER Walters cleared of careless riding

The successful North Island jockey, G. A. Walters, was cleared of a charge of careless riding after he won the Christchurch Hunt's Homeby Steeples on Arrant at Riccarton on Saturday.

Stewards alleged that Walters had shifted ground, forcing Free Frenchman to check on the inside near the nine furlongs, but after hearing evidence the judicial committee announced that in deciding not to sustain the charge it had taken into account the observations of its own members.

“A better juniper than Robert Earl, but an inferior stayer.” That was Walters’s assessment of Arrant after he had ridden the Arragon gelding to a victory by two lengths over the Southland chestnut, Deep Cove. Walters’s enthusiasm for the quality of Arrant’s jumping was understandable. The Waikato jumper cut Riccarton’s tall brushes down to size, and his swallow-like leap at Cutts’s, in particular, will remain an eduring mem-i ory. Stable confidence in Arrant’s chance on Saturday dimmed when rain affected the track earlier last week, but the horse’s part-owner and trainer. J. W. Singers, feels he will have a worthy successor to Robert Earl in the Grand National if the track firms before next Saturday.

Earlier career

“Jock” Singers races Arrant in partnership with Mrs M. W. Pellow, of Ngaruawahia. The Arragon gelding won once at two years, but found success elusive after that until after he joined the Singers team two j'ears ago. “He couldn’t get two miles and a half when we tried him earlier over country, and in the build up for the present campaign I have concentrated on giving him the kind of work I hoped would produce an improved staying performance,” Mr Singers said on Saturday. Mr Singers said he had taken a close interest in Canterbury’s weather for the last few weeks, and arrived

lon the Canterbury circuit. Quick Tide and Blason all but} dominated the race. It was Blason's day, and his winning margin of four lengths and a half was decisive enough. But . Quick Tide did well for his : I second after landing badly : [and having his rider, A.,; [Cowan, almost over his ears} la; the second last. The' Hazlett-owned Gay Duke was . checked in this mix-up. other-, :}wise he would have done bet- } f ter than fourth. All-Southland finish It was an all-Southland ; finish in the Longbeach ' 1 Hurdles. Loch Linnhe .was > sent out a firm favourite, but : his bid to lead for the last 1200 metres after having i pulled hard earlier was 1 thwarted by the Cochranestrained Tinker Boy, which ■ [beat him going away by a ’ length and a half. L Frosty Light was third, five' ’[lengths back.

from the North Island early} last week with a team of} horses with high hopes of getting tracks firm enough to suit all the travellers. Hopes faded His hopes faded when Christchurch had one of its wettest days of the year last Wednesday. Another disappointment was in finding that through some misunderstanding, his: five-year-old. Red Invader, had been scratched for the Longbeach Hurdles, while he: believed he was scratching: Tremolando from the Kennels' Hack.

At his second attempt he had Tremolando withdrawn, and having also scratched Battle Chief for the Camla Hack he had only two runners on Saturday. The percentage was good. Before Arrant won the Homeby, Blanco Sol carried topweight of 8.111 into second in the Montgomery Handicap. On firmer footing, this Copenhagen II gelding would have almost certainly won. Deep Cove in form Of the other Grand National hopefuls in action on Saturday, Deep Cove did enough to spark Southland confidence. A. Robb was content to ride Deep Cove at the tail of the field of five until close to home, then brought him forward on a purposeful run that easily carried him past Free Frenchman. Opstan was an undistinguished fourth, and Head Master a wellbeaten fifth after showing a mixed brand of jumping first time over the course. Quinella backers did not. have to have psychic powers} to be on the mark in the Law- ] ford Steeples. On form earlier