Another visit to Aust. for Battle Heights

Press, 1 August 1977, Page 18

Another visit to Aust. for Battle Heights

Special correspondent Auckland Prefer and old Battle Heights gave r eal distinction to the end of the racing season with their wins at the Taumarunui Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday. Nobody could haw predicted the ease of Prefers success. Battle Heights did not have as much to spare but his victory was no less impressive or decisive.

With his win. Battle Heights guaranteed himself another visit to Australia tn the spring. Prefer was the third ol three winners ridden by John Grylls and she continued a run of success for her trainer. J. A. Gibbs, who has done so well lately with another mare, Sun Song. From all of 200 m out Prefer began to look the winner in the Taumarunui Cup and there was just no stopping her in the run to the post. She was out on her own at the finish by four and a half lengths, a remarkable margin for a race which had al! along seemed so likelv to be closely fought Without Prefer the finish would have been a thriller because March Legend took his second place by no more than half a length from Shaitan and there was the game margin after Shaitan

to Tom's Mate (fourth) and a head only to Bruree 'fifth). March Legend finished doggedly to beat Shaitan, a better-backed stablemate, i which, with 300 m to go , seemed just about as certain I of second place as Prefer i was of winning. But Tom’s Mate, in the hands of someone rather stronger and more experienced than his young apprentice rider, would have beaten them both. Prefer had managed a third and a fourth over 12200 m at the Avondale! (winter meeting and a win ! immediately before this, | lover 2030 m on her homej (track at Matamata. It; i was solid form which | Gibbs had been ex-j pecting from Prefer for more} than a little while but for; all its worth the mare was : only eighth favourite in the 'field of 15. A chestnut just turned i Ifive years, and nothing out!

of the ordinary tn appearance. Prefer is raced by twoi Waharoa partners, Messrs Rd B. Clothier and R. M. j Hedley, who bred her by. Preteiidre from Voyonne, Fair, a mare they bought for $2300 in an after-the-last-race sale at Matamata. Prefer s win gave Gibbs a total of 31 for the season, his best by five over the 1974-75 tally. Gibbs rode a good many winners on the flat then really made a name for himself over fences. After holding a dual trainerjockey licence, he bowed out from race riding with his win on Prettypeen in the Vercoe Steeplechase at Te Rapa about 12 years ago. Since then he has turned out a steady stream of winners, often from a comparatively small team. It takes a lot to beat! class, as Battle Heights I made clear in the second leg; of the T.A.B. double, the Gillick Handicap. In his first race since early January,;

over a distance that was quite fairly regarded as, (much too short and in the very worst conditions. Battle Heights swept to the front .with a late charge past the favourite, Lord Novello. Lord Novello had taken the short way around the, home turn. Battle Heights; went wide, caught the other, horse when they had about; 100 m to go and carried on so well that he scored by a length. All going well, Battle Heights, which is now 10, will be off on September 10 with the Metropolitan Handicap in Sydney his first big assignment. Meanwhile he is to have a sprint at Ellerslie to further prepare him and the Foxbridge Plate at Te Rapa, his ! rider al’, through will be R. C. Lang whose enthusiam i over Battle Heights's latest run outmatched even that of |the gelding’s greatest admi- < rer, the owner-trainer Mr R. I Douglas.