Trentham sees Bill Skelton at his best

Press, 8 May 1978, Page 32

Trentham sees Bill Skelton at his best

Special correspondent Wellington David Peake and Bill Skelton were engaged in discussion at the Foxton races last week. The topic of conversation was the mare Lavender Hill.

Peake ventured the opinion that he knew a bit about Lavender Hill, having tasted a fair bit of success on the mare.

Skelton, who had ridden her at Awapunl the week before for the first time, was hardly lost for an answer. He told Peake he had learnt a “fair bit” from that first ride. That run brought a second over 1400 m.

What Skelton learnt seven days earlier he put expertly into practice at Trentham on Saturday. The result was that Lavender Hill took out the thick end of the stake in the $lO,OOO Cuddle Stakes, the feature race of the May meeting. Lavender Hill, however well she appears to be going, is a battler, which will keep fighting on at the one solid pace. When Skelton rode the mare at Awapunl, she was going well enough on the turn, but did not quicken appreciably over the final stages. Skelton, after the race the week before and after his chat with Peake, formulated his plan of campaign. A call late in the week from the mare's trainer, Ray Verner, confirmed the tactics. Skelton was going to kick the mare along over the last 600 m as she might be able to outstay her opponents.

The plan worked to perfection, though it was aided materially by two things, the Trentham track and the fact that th© favourite. My Binnie, had no luck at all.

Lavender Hill, on the turn, was in front as the field fanned across the track and from the stands it looked as though the gritty Foxton mare, Baccalla. would drag her back. A run of

Immense promise came to an end 7am out as Lavender Hill held on.

Yet, as he watched the race film on television later that night, Skelton never saw any danger. He was in front from the barrier rise and never, even in the straight, sighted any opponents:

“But I could hear Peter Kelly getting excited and I tell you what, I never missed a kick in the straight,” Skelton said. Saturday’s running was the twelfth Cuddle Stakes and already Bill Skelton has a record second to none in the race. He won the first running on Min Flfcka in 1967 and Lavender Hill’s win was his fourth in the race. Shelly Burford and Sheralee won under him in 1971 and 1972 respectively. While the grey mare stole the show, there were some good runs behind. Baccalla, after her fine Foxton win, was gallant in defeat. Her last-ditch effort was admirable in every way. Metuenda, after a Foxton failure during the week, was another to relish the conditions. She eame home late for third. Montana Girl was fourth. My Blnnle was gallant. She finished fifth, but, as her rider, Garry Phillips, explained after wards, everything went wrong. She was stopped tn her tracks at least three times and with her weight in the bad ground, she never really got close to get into contention.

One of those checks, near the end of the back straight, brought, for Ken Nightingale, the rider of Red Roma, a three day suspension. Before the Cuddle, Bill Skelton had won the Waterloo on Tumber and he held high hopes of completing a treble when he went out to ride Red Terror in the Wadestown Handicap. All ideas of victory were extinguished after only 200 m,

when Red Terror was the subject of extreme interference. The big chestnut had jumped well into a handy spot and had settled quickly, when Skelton ran out of room.

“It was a bad moment,” he said. “Red Terror’s head was on an opponent’s rump and I had real visions of falling.” Red Terror did not fall and the resultant inquiry ended with a three-day suspension for Phillip Smith.

But as bad aS the interference was to Red Terror, he would have had to be at his very best to beat Master Token. Since he won a non-tote at Levin last November, Master Token, a three-year-old, has become a most useful horse for his Woodville owner-trainer, Bill Kemp. His Wadestown Handicap win was his seventh. He has won four in succession and five of his last six. Apart from the Wadestown he has won the Anzac Metric Mlle at Awapuni, but his best prize so far is the three-year-old race, the Teachers Whisky Stakes at Tauherenlkau.

With placings he has now won $15,385 and he will, next Saturday, shoot for his biggest prize, the $10,900 Captain Cook Stakes, a . race in which he will meet Red Terror.

On Saturday Master Token was given the run of the race by apprentice Stephen Rule and after being no further back than second or third as Luck Roona made most of the pace, he just cleared out in the straight. At three, the Shifnal young, ster looks to have a big future in front of him.

Gavande, also handy in the running, battled on for a good second, just a short head in front of Luck Roona. Madame Mink made ground from midfield to be fourth, in front of Head Planet and Trial Bid.