First championship win for Victoria

Press, 23 June 1981, Page 22

First championship win for Victoria

AAP Brisbane The champion Victorian four-vear-old. Gammalite. became the youngest horse to win- the Craven Filter Championship when on Saturday evening he powered his way to a race-record win at Albion Park. In a sustained display of front running Gammalite gave Victoria its first win in the championship since 1970 and completed an outstanding season,' for his dairyfarmer owner-trainer. Les O'Connor, and driver Bruce Clarke, a milkman. Mr O'Connor. from Glenormiston, near Terang, has guided Gammalite to be

Australia's second-highest stakes winner. this season behind: the Perth champion, San'Simeon.; ' ; ; , Ardstraw, which trailed the leader all the way charged at Gammalite in the straight, but the four-year-old had four metres to spare at the line. Wayne. Honan, driver of Ardstraw, dispelled any grounds for a protest by saying: "Ardstraw didmt get close enough to the winner. ’ The Honan stable also received third prize money when the ’ smart mare, Amber Lobell, rattled home for third.

Gammalite's win was- his

38th in 66 starts and took his earnings to $305,708. ■ . : ; - Garnmdlite was thej unlucky runner up in last year's Queensland Derby and connections -were determined- to avenge that defeat by returning the horse to Brisbane. "He is an ’ even belter horse racing left handed. You didn't, see the best of him tonight,”-Mr .O'Connor said. * Gammalite ran the 2530mJ in 3min 16.25, a fast mile’ rate of 2min 4.65. i Frosty Imp. enjoyed the run of the race blit was, under pressure from -the 400 m. V Paleface Adios, having his; last race start' was a gallant sixth. G . ' .j