Trainers share premiership

Press, 2 August 1977, Page 22

Trainers share premiership

Special correspondent Wellington

I The Te Awamutu trainers, .Graeme and Bill Sanders. | and Awapuni’s Garth Ivil I have shared the major (honours in the 1976-77 train|ers* premiership. Ivil had been in front for I the latter part of the season iand it was only in the last race for the season, Taumarunui last Saturday, that the Sanders gained the tying success with Sanderward. I Since the 1972-73 season i Graeme and Bill Sanders I have topped the trainers' | premiership. In 1972-73 with (63. and the following seaisons with 67, 76, 81. This season they had 64 winners. i Ivil, on the other hand.: had not topped the list butj had been consistently in the leading half dozen in the' last five years. He was runner-up to the Sanders in 1974-75 and fourth, with 58 winners, last | season. Third place also resulted in a tie. The Takanini trainer, Ray Verner, and Rex Cochrane, from Gore, ended with 55 winners apiece. Dave O’Sullivan took fifth with 54 wins and Brian Dea- j con, from Hawera, was sixth! with 43.

Though he did not ride a winner at the last four meetings available to him. | David Peake was still, in the (end, a comfortable winner of (the race for the jockeys’ premiership. beating Bill (Skelton by four, 86 to 82. | Peake took the lead at the( I right time and, in a purple! (patch in the middle of last i month, put the title beyond I Skelton’s reach when in the first three weeks on July he I rode 12 winners, while Skel-i ton failed to score. A win at Te Rapa and a brace at Riccarton last Fri-1 day ended the draught, fori Skelton, but by then it was] too late. For Peake it was his fourth title. He won first in 1971-72 with 85 winners and the following year shared the honours with Noel Harris, each riding 91. Peake’s other title came in 1974-75 when he had his best season of 92 winners. In the other two seasons

.since his first title, Pe?’-> has finished second, to E I Skelton, and tw o seasoi . back, to Bob Skelton. Bill Skelton's last wmmn ride of the season, on Scotc. William in the Brabazon a Riccarton. was his 1850 U. 'riding success. He has seven titles anr (has now finished second tet ! times. He topped 80 for the sixth time in a season, bui on two of those occasions had only finished second. ; Brent’ Thomson was t (clear third with 75 winners ■ with Bob Skelton next oi 69. The top apprentice fo ; the season was the Hastin(rider. Chris McNab, with 51