Sir Castleton takes honours at Addington

Press, 19 August 1985, Page 31

Sir Castleton takes honours at Addington

By

G. K. YULE

Sir Castleton upstaged all of the horses which competed at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington Raceway on Saturday when he overcame serious checks to win the Angus Meats Handicap in a spine-tingling finish with Simon Katz and Mister Morn. Sir Castleton made one of his best beginnings from 10m, but everything went wrong after about 100 m, at which point he was moving through the field in fifth or sixth position. Rona’s Pride broke badly and Sir Castleton could not avoid her as she dropped back through the field. The odds-on favourite bounded for a stride as he avoided crashing into the back of her sulky. But Rona’s Pride was uncontrollable and she crashed into Sir Castleton as he tried to move past her. This cost the favourite so much ground that the majority of those who had backed him down to a $1.75 win dividend would have cheerfully sold their tickets at a huge discount.The checks Sir Castleton received would have been sufficient to cause most horses to lose interest in racing afterwards. But Sir Castleton is made of sterner stuff and he seemed more determined than ever to get into the race.

Even with 1200 m to go his chances looked hopeless when he was about 10 lengths off the back of the main bunch. He gradually reduced his leeway, but racing to the straight others went inside him as he tried to improve after spotting the leader, Loyal Step, about 10 lengths starting the final 400 m. Out wider and wider went Sir Castleton until he was right at the top of the track. Even 100 m out he must have been at least six lengths from Simon Katz and Mister Morn, but he kept fighting magnificently and to the delight of the crowd he got up in the last stride for a nose victory, one few on the course thought had been achieved so far apart were the principals to the finish. “We’ve spent a fair bit of time lately giving him barrier practice and when he began so well I was just thinking I’d be able to give him an easy race. There was just no chance of him avoiding the breaking horse,” said his driver, Doody Townley.

While his time for the 2000 m was only 2min 37.8 s on a cold night, it did not show the merit of his run. He trotted his second 400 m section in 28s, and then came 28.2 s for the final section after being forced off the track.

Raced by the estate of his former trainer, Mr Mawson MacPherson, and prepared by Wayne Smart, Sir Castleton has now had 103 starts for 42 wins, 14 at Addington, 21 seconds and 10 thirds for $292,167 in stakes.

All going well Sir Castleton will be back in action on the second night of the meeting next Saturday when he will be handicapped on 35m over 2600 m. Simon Katz and Mister Morn both trotted sound races to fill other dividendbearing placings. The second favourite, Captain Carthew, broke for no reason after about 100 m and galloped fiercely for 300 m, finally finishing tenth. Premiership confirmed that 1985-86 could be his season when he fought on best to shade Borana and Likely Lord, with Our Mana dashing into fourth after being last at the straight entrance in the Gainsborough Lodge Handicap. Premiership sat in the open for much of the early part of the race and Anthony Butt had to move earlier than he wanted when Norton could not keep up inside the final 600 m. Premiership looked to be struggling at the straight entrance, but he gradually gained momentum and responded gamely to beat Borana by half a neck, with the pacemaker, Likely Lord,

a similar distance back. Our Mana shaped like an early winner when he fought boldly into fourth, just ahead of Spry Joker and Mighty Me, which could not work clear in the straight and finished under restraint.

Premiership has been lightly raced for 12 wins and some $73,000 in stakes from 41 starts.

His stablemate, Hands Down, was second favourite for the event, but he dropped out to a close seventh after racing in the open from the 1200 m.