PALISADE BRILLIANT IN WIN UNDER TOP WEIGHT

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31002, 7 March 1966, Page 4

PALISADE BRILLIANT IN WIN UNDER TOP WEIGHT

Skilful Riding By R. J. Skelton

Palisade’s brilliant win under 9-6 in the H. R. Chalmers Handicap at Trentham on Saturday probably earned him a start in the Awapuni Gold Cup at the Manawatu Racing Club’s autumn meeting later this month.

Palisade and R. J. Skelton came back to an enthusiastic welcome from a crowd of 9500 after their success in the last of the two-mile races for top stayers on Saturday.

Much of the enthusiasm was shown for Mr A. T. Ottrey’s grand stayer. But there was also a tribute to Skelton, whose record in twomile races ranks with the best in New Zealand. At Trentham alone Skelton has ridden the winners of six twomile races including four Wellington Cups. Skelton rode one of his best races in winning on Palisade on Saturday. Rails Run Palisade started nine wide, but Skelton eased him and took him straight over to the rails. It meant that he was third to last for a good way, but what was more important, tt meant that Palisade was in ■ position he likes best—without other horses on his left.

W. D. Skelton, on Sail I Away, helped to ease the task i for his younger brother on I the favourite. “Bill must have sensed some trouble looming up after we passed the half-mile, and he moved away from the fence. I followed him, got the run right through behind him and felt sure I could put him away in a few strides near the home turn,” Bob Skelton said later.

Pal isade was taken past Sail Away quickly so that he could get back to the rails, and from that point it was only a question whether he would last it out in the face of a later challenge from the second favourite, Grand Filou. Shifted Ground Well inside the final furlong, both R. J. Skelton and Grand Filou’s rider, G. L. Willets, pulled the whips. But both horses ducked in.

I There was nothing for it I but hands and heels riding again, and when this was !done Grand Filou slightly rejdueed Palisade's lead. ! There was some feeling in I the Grand Filou camp that the I Waikato stayer would have I won if he had kept straight under pressure. But this 'opinion was not shared by the rider of the winner. I “I felt we could have gone .another furlong and Palisade would still have kept Grand Filou out,” Skelton said. There was half a length between the winner and run-ner-up, the two horses expected to dominate the finish from the time acceptances were taken. Then there was a length to Sail Away, whose rider probably felt he would have liked to have waited a little longer but was forced to make a move in dodging tiring horses. The others were outclassed. They found the distance beyond them at the pace at which the race was run on a slightly easy track.

It looked as if it would be a ridiculous procession for a time early in the race, but the event came to life when W. Dymond allowed Switch to bowl along and open up a lead of eight lengths in the back straight. Magician and Bandon, the two horses left to carry the field up to Switch, tired of the chase some way out, and finished in the tail-end group. Just Caught Twelve scratchings left a tidy field of 13 to run in the £3OOO Thompson Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double, but the race was not without incident, and it was not a race W. D. Skelton will care to remember. Tara’s Pride came to the front in the straight and appeared to have the £3OOO mile safely won. Then Udare nosed him out in the last stride, and in an inquiry into the race. W. D. Skelton was suspended until 5 p.m. on March 16 for causing interference to My Call, which had finished third, a length and a half behind Tara’s Pride. Udare, a Pride of Kildare gelding from L, W. Ford’s successful Matamata stable, was well ridden by N. D. Riordan. For the greater part of the

race Riordan had Udare in the line behind Tara’s Pride, but he could not have felt confident of overhauling the Stratford miler in time until very late in the race. My Call ran keenly, perhaps a little too keenly, alongside Boodle and in a gap behind the tearaway Maria Mitchell going to the half-mile. When Maria Mitchell dropped back beaten and Boodle also felt the strain. My Call was immeditaely engaged by Tara’s Pride, and there was little between them until about a furlong out. My Call’s head went in the air when Tara’s Pride got alongside and he then gave ground, but his placing under difficulties held out hopes for an early win. Roganne, Plush, and Lionheart led in the others, almost in line. Warfare, a stablemate of Palisade, and the South Island’s only runner, was brought to the outside on the home turn, but made only slight progress under vigorous handling going to the furlong and was not persevered with.