Waitangirua wins Stakes at good odds

Press, 27 August 1979, Page 23

Waitangirua wins Stakes at good odds

NZPA Melbourne The former New Zealand horse, Waitangirua, landed some massive betting plunges at Sandown on Saturday when he flashed home t beat Ming Dvnasty and Crepellox in the $25,000 weight-for-age Liston Stakes after his opening odds of 50-to-L Were slashed to 14-to-l. One punter laid a bet of $20,000 to $6OO with the let ding rails bookmaker. Mark Reid. Crepellox started the odds-on favourite, but after being ridden well back in the field by Bob Skelton during the middle stages failed to produce his custo- > tary dash in the straight and was fighting a losing battle with the six-year-old Ming Dynasty when Waitangirua, ridden bv John Stocker, produced a strong finishing burst to win by jhalf-a-length.

Waitangirua cost his trainer. Terry Millard, an unconfirmed 828,000 as a late two-year-old in New Zealand d has now won more than $120,000 in stakes. Last month he won the 880,000 Doomben Cup in Brisbane. Millard said it was likely that the $175,000 weight-for-age Cox Plate (2050 m at Moonee Valley on October 27 would become Wai- ■ tagirua’s main spring mission. Ming Dynasty, the 1977 Caulfield Cup winner, was having his second start in 10 months and surprised his stable foreman, Leon Corstens. with the pace he showed. The jockey, Roy Higgins, said that on the run Ming Dynasty must be given a strong chance in the Cox Plate. The .New Zealand horse.

[Aghios Nikalaos, having his I first Australian start, fin;ished tenth just ahead of thi 'Melbourne Cup winnei [Arwon. Luck Roona. anothe; New Zealand acceptor, was scratched.