Course Double Worth £39 15s

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30978, 7 February 1966, Page 4

Course Double Worth £39 15s

Ski and Pharasal returned £39 15s for £1 when they won the on-course double at Riccarton on Saturday.

The Christchurchowned, Wingatuitrained Ski beat the favourite, Grand Prix, by inches in the Hornby high-weight but the Dunedinowned, Riccartontrained Pharasal won the Lyttelton Handicap with ease.

The Hornby High-weight was the second race won by Ski since Mr Duncan McFarlane bought him last spring. The five-year-old Sabaean gelding finished resolutely from three places back on the

home turn, and beat Grand Prix, a dominating facourite, by half a head.

Grand Prix was left in front with Totara Lad when Silver Kingdom stopped quickly before the home turn. He made a plucky bid to hold to his lead, and was clear of the others.

Third, in a gap of three lengths, was Full Course, but he might have played a bigger role had C. L. Reeves been able to find more room for him going to the furlong. Totara Lad was a weakening fourth. FAVOURITE’S WIN Pharasal gave the win favourites their own victory for the day when he outsprinted the other three-year-old hacks over seven furlongs in the Lyttelton Handicap. He challenged Barcape for the lead on the home turn, and was soon clear, winning by two lengths from May Wyne, which beat the winner’s stablemate, Time and Tide, by a length. On this run' Pharasal is assured of favouritism in the Tekapo Handicap on the second day of the C.J.C. summer meeting tomorrow. He will not be opposed tomorrow by May Wyne and Time and Tide. Time and Tide’s placing on Saturday was meritorious; he was one of the slowest away, and had to be brought around the field.

Otaio Bank, fourth only a nose back, and Seminole, which was right in line fifth, will meet Pharasal again tomorrow and are place prospects in the smallest field on the card. NOT TESTED Pease improved the solid record of Otago horses at the meeting with an easy win in the Halswell Handicap. Pease was bred by Mr J. M. Samson, who died a few weeks ago, and races for the Samson estate. This was her second win in her last three starts and she stands a good chance of coming through the meeting unbeaten if she runs in the Pareora Handicap instead of the open-class Provincial Handicap tomorrow. M. J. Skelton rode Pease back in the middle of the field, one that strung out after First Time took over the pacemaking. On the home turn Pease was working closer to the front bunch, and she dashed past Patrician, Frolicsome, Stageland, and Summer Lad near the furlong to win running away by three lengths. A neck and a head separated Summer Lad, Patrician and Stageland in the next three positions, and Frolicsome was fifth, also fairly close at hand.

„ PAID £52 Taiman improved the strong record of the visiting horses with an all-the-way win in the Post Handicap.

Taxman had won at Reefton two starts earlier, but his chance was lightly regarded on Saturday and he paid £52 13s 6d and £lO 10s 6d.

Taxman was bred by and has done most of his racing for the North Island owner, Mr A. (Houston, but he is now owned and trained at Birchfield by Mr T. J. McManus.

Oh Sally tracked the winner all the way and tried hard to peg him back in the straight only to miss by a head. So Lovely made a storming run through the field to cut Last Dip out of third in the last few strides.

Two Fined

The jockey, D. N. Hadfield, the rider of Soamara in the Trial Stakes at Riccarton on Saturday, was fined £lO for causing interference to Gingerbread at the two furlongs*. The trainer of No Smoke In the Post Handicap, J. Callahan, was fined £l5 for the late scratching of the horse.