TROTTING Washdyke feature little more than a loiter

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33740, 13 January 1975, Page 9

TROTTING Washdyke feature little more than a loiter

... If there were such a thing as a prize for unimaginative driving those who took part in the Highfield Handicap at Wash* d\kc on Saturday* must surely have gone closer to wanning it.

There were one or two exceptions; notably Mike de Filippi and Derek Jones, whose drives galloped at the start, while up front Phil Heywood capitalised on the muscled inactivity to lead all the way with Chatterton in the feature race of the day.

The time of 3:36.8 for the 2600 metres did not reflect the true ability of the horses involved, and as a spectacle it provided a timid show for the large crowd at the Timaru Trotting Club summer meeting.

The race was little more than a loiter; being as it was the slowest of five pacing events over 2600 metres, three of them for maiden pacers.

Diamond's Last won the Second Fairlie Handicap in 3:29.9, Streaker streaked away with the First Fairlie Handicap in 3:30, and Miss Ireland got through the nontote event only point eight of a second slower. LISTLESS PACE Heywood was one of those which emerged from the Highfield Handicap with some credit: his untested control of of a listless pace gave Chatterton an easy win and quali-, fication for the $2500 Timaru Cup, in twilight hours on Saturday.

A handsome brown stallion by Eagle Armbro from Mansfield, Chatterton has raced with little luck over the last month or two, but this time he had the situation covered almost from the start.

He led them at a gentle clip until inside the last 700 metres when, from behind Hi Bee, he made a move that passed for a challenge. By this time, Heywood had asked Chatterton to go, and once into the straight he left them to it; Jan’s Dream running on strongly when clear and wider on the track; so did Avon Song.

Heywood, who farms at "Ashburton and bred Chatterton from

his M.v Chief mare Mansfield, says of trotting: “This is my golf and bowls.” Other participants in his hobby include two fillies from Mansfield, one a two-year-old by Regal Yankee, the other a foal by Lordship. All are closely related to Willie Win, Hardcraft, and many other good winners in this family.

NARROW WIN Cherristock showed by her narrow win at false odds in the Kerrytown Handicap that she was thriving on a well-spaced racing programme. She won fresh-up at Orarl on November 30, was successful three weeks later at Rangiora, 'and made it three on end by beating Graeme Hanover, Brother Eden, and Bojold in one of the best finishes of the day. A four-year-old mare by Local Light from Hanover Lass, Cherristock is trained by Richard Brosnan, one of the more promising members of his profession and an astute driver as well. Bradleigh. Another Day and Select Circle all returned excellent efforts. Bradleigh, a gelding by Brad Hanover trained by Jim Winter, worried Eau Sauvage out of first in the Timaru Challenge Stakes after a two-way tussle over the last 100 metres.

Another inch or two along the inside would almost certainly have given There And Back an opportunity to take part, too. But there wasn’t, he received a check, and he ran ninth. Another Day finished stoutly to win the Gleniti Handicap in 4:25.2, and Select Circle finished at a great rate from midfield in the Shaw Handicap to catch ■ Matai Chance and Wichita in ’ the shadow of the post.