Stylish Ashburton win for Hands Down

Press, 28 April 1980, Page 24

Stylish Ashburton win for Hands Down

Bv

G. K. YULE

A trip to Auckland for racing at Alexandra Park next month is under consideration for Hands Down, stylish winner of the Members Handicap at Ashburton on Saturday.

Hands Down has now won] seven races this season andl been placed once from 19 Starts for Mr Bill and Mrs Faye McAughtrie, of Omarama. The authority with which he won on Saturday Suggested that he will have little difficulty bridging the gap to New Zealand Cup class before next November. He paced the 3200 m in 4min 13.55, a new track record, the previous best being 4min 13.8 s by American Chief when he won the 1977 Ashburton Cup. He was privately timed over his last 1600 m in 2min 2sec, with the final 800 m in Imin o.ssec.

A four-year-old gelding by Armbro Del from Snow Chick, Hands Downs was in front after 800 m and from then on he was in complete control. His driver, Peter Jones, chanced a couple of glances over his shoulder in the run home, but at no stage did he have to ask Hands Down for ah effort and he won with great authority by three lengths. Wing Commander, which must have gone close to 2min for his last 1600 m, was making ground near the end, but there was no way he could get close enough to the winner. He just beat! Trevor Hodgen by half a! length for second, with half | a neck to the free-legged Su-l perior Chance, Sail Again]

land Lord Logan. Dainty] IJudy could not foot it with the others in the straight after having every chance and seventh was the best she could manage. The favourite, Cob’s Boy, broke badly at the start and was never in a challenging position. Wing Commander’s stablemate, The Raider, was untroubled to win the Robilliard Handicap. He was given a splendid run by Paul Young and raced clear early in the run home. He was not tested and won by four lengths from Jenny Robyn, which tracked the leaders to the 200 m.

Prince Nugent, on the verge of worthwhile form, paced a useful race for third, ahead of Regal Ryan, with Kheredin and the favourite, Jericho, dead-heat-ing for fifth. Jericho was not suited by the lack of pace oyer the first 2400 m and he did well to finish so close.

The judge (Mr Ray McCoubrey) experienced a difficult day. The photo-fin-ish camera did not work i properly for the first few races and heavy fog blanketed all but the home ; straight for the final event, lithe Somerton Handicap. I The latter race resulted in i a deserved win for the [promising four-year-old, ;Kenton Lad, which should (not be hard to place to ad- 1

Ivantage again in the next few weeks. Kenton Lad, under a stern drive from Robert Cameron, held Follow Up out by a. length, with Daylight Express coming on solidly for third, ahead of Wairenga! and Wickliffe. Wickliffe was slow away from the second line and was one of the tail-enders at the 1600 m. He started to improve from that point and when the field emerged from the fog with less than 400 m left he was vying for the lead. Not surprisingly he began to tire a little at the end of a race run in 3min Ils for the 2400 m. He should go close to winning in his next few starts.

Red Poplar, which met trouble and broke near the 1600 m in his race at Addington the previous night, showed his true form when he won the Hampstead Handicap by almost five lengths from Best Choice and Crafty Key after trotting his last 800 m in Imin 0.65. He has now won four of his six starts and looks capable of further rapid promotion. One of the neatest efforts in the other supporting races was the win of the Nelson-owned three-year-old filly, Hanover Maize, in the Lowcliffe Handicap. She paced the 3200 m in 4min 22.25, time which compares more than favourably with Orfeo’s New Zealand record

for the distance by a three-year-old filly of 4min 20.65. This time was established by Orfeo at Addington Raceway. I Hanover Maize, by Scottish Hanover from Racol, the !dam of Lordy Boy, Scottish Triumph, Hanover Nelson and others, is raced by Mr Jim Gapes, of Nelson, for whom she is trained at Kaiapoi by Bill McDonald. lan Cameron had her in front hot long after the start and she gave a bold display of front-running. She made her race debut at Methven a week earlier when she finished a respectable sixth. Gikama Dee brought her record to two wins in a row when she shaded Newparks by a head in the Willowby Handicap. Gikama Dee, a daughter of the well-per-formed Gramatan, looks to be well above average in ability.

Stormborn finished at a great rate to gain a narrow win over Shabby Tiger and Jovalight in the Coldstream Handicap, a race for which the American-bred Roydon Albatross was an odds-on favourite.

Roydon Albatross scrambled at the start and did quite well for seventh considering he is only a two-year-old to North American time.

He gave the impression that he was not at ease on a grass track.