Red Siren Put General Gilbert To The Test

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

Red Siren Put General Gilbert To The Test

The sight of two of New Zealand’s best jockeys, G. F. Hughes and R. J. Skelton, bringing all their skill into play in an interesting twosided finish between General Gilbert and Red Siren marked the £l5OO Midsummer Handicap at Riccarton on Saturday.

Hughes’s mount, General Gilbert, lasted to beat the fasterfinishing Red Siren by half a neck. They left the others beaten off behind them in the final furlong.

General Gilbert showed there was value in West Coast form with his win in the first leg of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s T.A.B. double. Fast Gallop General Gilbert had to run the mile and a quarter in 2min 3 4-ssec to record this, his third victory in his last four starts. Hughes probably won the race for him when he shot him away to a clear lead outside the furlong. Red Siren finished at a great rate from the middle, but the advantage gained by Hughes for General Gilbert in securing the trailing run from the mile meant much at the end.

General Gilbert, a winner at Kumara and Reefton last month —he won a second race at Reefton only to lose it on a protest —is raced in partnership by Mr W. R. Woodham and the Riccarton trainer, J. L. Barr.

He started nine wide, but Hughes took him to the front straight away to get over to the inside, then eased him to get the trailing run behind Charlborough. Charlborough dropped back beaten before the home turn, but Hughes was able to hold General Gilbert up for his chail-

lenge behind Golden Vanity and Early Dawn until after they straightened up. Cameness Near the end of a fast-run race General Gilbert was shortening stride slightly, but he showed resolution in the face of Red Siren’s late challenge and never looked likely to go under. Red Siren, the 2/1 favourite, ran right up to his solid form in the south last month, and

looked much superior to any of the others. Baal Hanan, a second runner for Gore stables, and The Missionary, which comes from Woodlands, were the next best. Baal Hanan came from the middle and The Missionary from the tail-end group to peg back Golden Vanity close to home. Golden Vanity pulled hard at the girth of the pacemaking Charlborough, and had nothing left for the last furlong and a half.

Standout, the win favourite, was sixth a head behind Golden Vanity. He was slow to accelerate, and was ridden at the back with Misjudge until they were near the half-mile. He made ground from the home turn, but not fast enough to arouse any hopes. Misjudge, which tried to loop the field at the same time as Standout, was seventh a length in advance of Chatsgay.