Rex Havoc speeds to victory

Press, 26 July 1976, Page 21

Rex Havoc speeds to victory

By 808 SCHUMACHER • The prominent Oxford owner and trainer. Jock Walsh, had high hopes of taking the quinelia in the South Island championship with his litter brother, Rex Havoc, and litter sister. Shady H iVOC. Walsh failed to achieve that aim in the big greyhound feature at Queen Elizabeth H Park on Saturday afternoon, but he did provide the winner and it was the lesser fancied of his charges, Rex Havoe, that was victorious. In many ways, Rex Havoc’s win was a surprise. He was the Slowest of tire four heat winners after pacemaking and had not beaten the best dogs over the 540 m distance. But when Shady Havoc, which made her usual brilliant beginning to lead along the back, capitulated abruptly 180 m out, Rex Havoe took control and he was unchallenged down the home straight. The big brindle did everything right. He jumped well from box No. 5. trailed around the first benu, gained control at the crucial time and put sufficient lengths on the field in the sweep around the top to stay clear over the final stages. There was much to admire in the runs of the place-getters, Hobbs Galore and the southern bitch. Olympic Royale. Hobbs Galore .jumped slowly from the outside and was still three lengths behind the field along the back. She sustained a withering run on the extreme outside to snatch second from Olympic Royale metres from the line. The Old Hobbs —Trudy Galore bitch closed to within two lengths of Rex Havoc—a magnificent run. The light-framed. Olympic Royale, had only Hobbs Galore behind her after the jump and she railed excellently to take her placing ahead of Desert Fox, which was second along the back. A kennelmatc of Hobbs Galore, Desert Fox fought on solidly. Top Chib, which seemed to strike trouble when Shady Havoc stopped quickly, was a good fifth and was followed home by the disappointing Shady Havoc and Lady Dawn. Strauss, which was allowed to bypass the South Island championship in preference to the limit race, made no mistake in the Bond Street Stakes. The blue Old Hobbs dog rushed past the opposition along the back and ran away. Silver Knight stayed on for second ahead of the fast-finishing Swell Time. Circus Girl wrested the lead from Dartanyon early in the home straight and came away for a comfortable win in the Invercargill Stakes for puppies over 340 m. The consistent place-getter, Hi Pam, finished solidly for second ahead of Miss Gamble, which made ground strongly in the straight after leaving the rails on the home turn. FINISHED WELL The Lord Shannon Cup champion, Master McGrath, produced a storming finish wide on the track to gather in the pacemaking Safin Miss—a litter sister to Circus Girl—and win the second puppy sprint

Renown s Pride, a replacement in tile field, swamped a novice sprint, line-up. She made a great start from box No. 8 and kept well clear of Kiwi Import, which led the chase throughout, and Kim’s Miller, which was doing her best work at the finish. The second novice sprint brought deserved success to the speedy Domingo. The brindle Seaforth King dog broke quickly from the traps and was never headed. Dale’s Gift ran well for second after being bumped by the bigger Tudor King in the last 80m. After gaining two lengths on the field from the jump. Tiger Moss stuck solidly to the task and just withstood a belated inside challenge from Smokey Eyes in the novice 750 m. Merry Mac, which began well but drifted, added interest to a close finish in which tile first six runners were separated by no more than three lengths—an unusual result over the staying distance. Moon King took advantage of crowding at the first bend to race clear in the progressive 540 m. He gave his owner, Trevor Joli. no cause for worry as he spreadeagled the field and won by seven lengths. Joli had another success in progressive company when Happy Ending, a recent acquisition to his kennels, won the Farewell Stakes in decisive fashion. The other progressive event was won convincingly by Set Forth which gained control before the home bend and came away in the straight. Apache Squaw made a spirited burst along the rails for second. EQUALISATOR Invercargill Stakes, puppy, 340m.—Circus Girl (M. G. Moore) I. Hi Pam (Mrs O. D. Carroll) 2, Miss Gamble <W. A. Gill) 3. Time: 19.775ec. Winter Stakes, puppy. 340 m—- . McGrath (E. O’Shea and J. Wood; trainer, O'Shea! 1; Satin Miss (J. M. Stewart; trainer. P. J. Gardiner) 2; Swan Lake (O. D. Carroll) 3. Time; 19.95. Dunedin Stakes, novice, 340 m. Renown’s Pride (F. G. and G. E. Loudon) 1; Kiwi Import (R. Hopkins) 2; Kim's Miller (C. R. Joel) 3, Time: .19.75. Timaru Stakes, novice, 340 m—- . (W. J. Cairns) 1; Dale’s Gift (L. R. Joel) 2; Tudor King (R. C. Kingston) 3. Time: 19.76. Stayers' Stakes, novice, 750 m—- . Moss (P. C. and L. P. Henley) 1; Smokey Eyes (F. G. and G. E. Louden) 2; Merry Mac (Mrs M. G. Wilkin and T. C. Forrester; trainer. M. G. Wilkin) 3. No time. Philip Morris Stakes, progressive 540m.—Moon King (T. and K. Joli) 1; Gitana (A. Vincent) 2; Paspalum (H. A. Brown and T. Green: trainer. Brown) 3. Time: 33.07. South Island Championship, open 540m.—Rex Havoc (J. J. Walsh) 1; Hobbs Galore (J. R. Cullen: trainer, W. A. Gill) 2; Olympic Royaie (M. Diedrichs; trainer, O. Gray) 3. Time: 32.99. Bond Street Stakes, limit. 540 m—Strauss 18. T. and S. E. McGrath) 1; Silver Knight (Miss B. Kane. P. and O. Kane: trainer, G. H. Kingston) 2; Swell Time (T. M. Adamson and P. R. Smith) 3. Time: 33.01.

Ashburton Stakes, progressive 540m.—Set Forth iK. A. Gibson) 1; Apache Squaw iB. J. and W. A. Werner; trainer, W. A. Werner; 2; Franrene (Mrs F. E. Cairns and W. .1. Cairns; trainer. W. Cairns) 3. Time: 33.57. Farewell Stakes, progressive 540 m—Happy Ending (T. and K. Joli) 1; Victoria Belle (C. Percy and G. Walsh; trainer, Mrs C. Percy) 2; Venus (P. de Roo) 3. Time: 33.62. NON-EQUALISATOR First Maiden, 540m.—Palomine (D. E. Tillett) 1; Ronald McDonald (H. Silva; trainer. R. C. Kingston) 2; Top Revs (G. A. Helms) 3. Time: 33.83), Second Maiden, 540m.—Fiddlers’ Arm (B. S. Streets) 1; Dancing Wave (Mrs E. A. Plusas) 2; Windsor Lad (R. S. Harrison) 3. Time: 33.33. Third Maiden, 540 m.— Solitaire (P. .1 Gardiner) 1; Leica Prince (J. H. Cleary) 2; Hi Ho Toby. First Puppy, 340m.—Tamariki (Mrs H. Little: trainer. G. H. Little) 1; Bright Byrne (R. Trembath; trainer, W. A. Gill) 2; Rythmic Wave (K. .1, Davison) 3. Time: 19.89. Second Puppy, 340m.—Outa Bounds (B. Mitchell and B. Lee; trainer, Gill) 1: Red Patches (M. P. Duffy) 2; Star Kingdom (J. W. Smith and Mrs Smith) 3. Time: 19.45.