Shifnal Chief provided a galloping treat in Cup

Press, 9 August 1976, Page 16

Shifnal Chief provided a galloping treat in Cup

Shifnal Chief made an admirable job of preaching to the unconverted in the Winter Cup at Riccarton on Saturday.

He started his six-year-old racing with a performance of machine-look smoothness to win the Canterbury Jockey Club’s $12,250 metric mile by two and a half lengths'while giving weight all round. He was left with top weight of 62.5 when Show Gate was taken out of the field because of the deterioration in the track under

rain late last week. What might have come out of a Shifnal Chief-Show Gate clash is anyone’s guess, but Mr lan Cameron, partowner of the Waikato speedster, was never daunted by such a prospect.

“Only South Islanders think Show Gate is a good horse,” Mr Cameron remarked, with an urchin grin, after he saw his Shifnal gelding win by two and a half lengths in the hands of Kevin Cutten. If he is not sold to the United States Shifnal Chief will -»o after a second victory in the Wellington Racing' Club’s Captain Cook Stakes at Trentham later this month. Mr Jack Tutton, a Riccarton owner-trainer who has made a number of purchases — Phoenician was one of them — for an American friend in New Zealand, in-

tvited Mr Cameron to put a price on Shifnal Chief on Saturday afternoon. Mr Cameron said he would discuss the proposal • with his brother and racing partner when he returns home.

si Mr Cameron brought Shifdjnal Chief to Riccarton un--isure about a spring proJ gramme for his talented per.l (former. a He did not nominate Shiff!nal Chief for the A.J.C. ! Epsom, but wished he had e done so when he saw the f horse had been given 57kg ;- in the George Adams Handi- - cap. the big metric mile race k at the V.R.C. Cup carnival, r “More than anything else I would like to see our fel- ■ low get his $lOO,OOO and bes come the biggest stake-ear-s ner for a sprinter in New f Zealand," Mr Cameron said n after the Winter Cup. Kevin Cullen, Shifnal

Chief’s partner in the Winter Cup triumph, confessed to only one uneasy moment: he was concerned that the leaders would come back to him too soon. Cullen had found the trailing run for Shifnal Chief

and it was clear all of 800 metres out that everything was working with silky smoothness.

Cullen has had widelyspaced visits to Riccarton these last few years, but they have been usually rewarding. On his last trip six years ago he won the New Zealand Derby on Fairview Lad. Princess Eulogy and Butch, the next best to Shifnal Chief with only a nose between them, had been first and third respectively in the Christchurch Hunt's Brabazon Handicap a week earlier, but went into the Winter Cup as only lukewarm fancies.

The Levin-trained Karu was backed down to win favouritism, and gave it a good try. finishing fourth. But he, like the others, had no answer for Shifnal Chief’s formidable powers.