Islington a romp for Karu

Press, 16 August 1976, Page 18

Islington a romp for Karu

Karu. Shyfella, and Jack Hobbs won for Levin stables on the final day of the Grand National meeting on Saturday. Each was favourite.

Karu won the Islington Handicap by six lengths in the hands of the Riccarton veteran horseman, Graeme Mein.

The five-year-old carried 52.5 kg and in his present form — he has won at three of his four starts — he has emerged as one of the more interesting entrants for the spring cups in Melbourne. Karu has 52kg in the Caulfield Cup and half a kilo less in the Melbourne Cup. He was the New Zealand St Leger third of his year, and is by Acharacle, which had winning form beyond two miles in England. An alternative spring programme for Karu would almost certainly be the New Zealand Cup in November.

Karu is raced in partnership by Messrs' N. B. and N. C. Aldridge with the gelding’s trainer, Jack Holmes. His lead-up race to the Ishng. ton Handicap produced a fourth behind the brilliant Shifnal Chief in the Winter Cup a week earlier.

Earlier in his career Karu was successfully treated at Massey for an oxygen dificiency which stemmed from an excess of acid in his blood. And in the brand of form he showed on Saturday he should have a rewarding spring programme. Errol Skelton, who formerly trained at Riccarton, and is now at Levin, prepares Shyfella and Jack Hobbs, winners of the first and last races respectively on Saturday’s programme. Skelton gave Shyfella his first start over hurdles only a week before, and this produced a second. On Saturday the Shy Boy gelding beat Good Nip by a length, and held first place after an inquiry to determine if when shifting ground he had affected the chance of the runnerup.

There were no lingering doubts about Jack Hobb’s win in the Redcliffs Handicap. This four-year-old Mellay gelding gave the Riccarton apprentice Brent Lee the easiest of rides at the end, powering away to win by three and a half lengths from