RACING SURPRISE OAMARU CUP WIN

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31092, 22 June 1966, Page 4

RACING SURPRISE OAMARU CUP WIN

Glenmorven Too Good For Tundra

Glenmorven, a capable, but unpredictable Kurdistan gelding in D. P. Wilson’s Wingatui stable, caused a minor upset at Oamaru yesterday when he wore down the favourite, Tundra, to win the Oamaru Winter Cup by a neck.

Messrs R. D. Cameron and R. B. P. Gardiner’s six-year-old was at good odds after a moderate patch of form—he had gained four thirds from 10 starts—since winning the Moran Memorial Challenge Cup at the Vincent meeting early in January. Yesterday he was the 5/4 fancy of 10 and paid £lO 14s to win.

The successful Wingatui apprentice, P. J. Silver, settled Glenmorven down near the tail of the field and with half a mile to go he had only Skelteen and Underwood Lass behind him. Steady improvement on the home turn brought him within challenging range of the leading group at the straight entrance. Glenmorven took up the chase after Tundra inside the last furlong and under a vigorous ride, managed to peg her back in the last few strides.

Tundra, which conceded Glenmorven 231 b, was gallant in defeat. She carried the topweight of 9-3 from the fourth line at the half-mile up to the co-leaders, Cranbrook and White Rajah, near the straight entrance and into a clear lead early in the run home. Strong Finish Cobble, in the same line as Tundra but saving ground alongside the fence, finished strongly through the pack for third but a little more than a length back. Cobble outfinished White Rajah, Riccarton’s lone hope, by three-quarters of a length. White Rajah was three wide and pulling hard almost from the start. N. Eastwood managed to ease him behind Beginner’s Luck, which shared the second line with Castle Gregory as they ran down the back, but was forced to move forward to join Cranbrook in front when Beginner’s Luck started to shorten stride on the home turn. White Rajah did well to last for fourth. ’ Skelteen made ground late for fifth. He was a length from White Rajah and beat The Missionary, which shared the third line until the home turn. Castle Gregory was next and Cranbrook ahead of Underwood Lass and Beginner’s Luck. Convincing Win The Oamaru Winter Cup was the first leg of the T.A.B.

double. The second leg, the Grange Handicap, resuted in a convincing victory for the Gore-trained sprinter Just Peter, an eight-year-old Callander gelding prepared by G. W. Robertson for Misses E. and P. A. Henderson. Just Peter, the runner-up to Big Smoke at Wingatui at his previous start, was the eachway favourite and off-course substitute. He paid £3 6s 6d and £1 6s for a win-and-place and £39 6s 6d for £1 with Glenmorven in the double. Just Peter had only Dark Seaman and Sometime behind him half a mile out, but a sharp run carried him into a challenging position near the straight entrance and he ran it out best to beat Balkan Boy by half a length. Balken Boy, which shared the third line with Limbo on the home turn and led just inside the last furlong, was two lengths in front of Sometime, a strong finisher from far back. Dark Seaman, the tailender three furlongs out, made ground for fourth. He was half a length from Sometime and beat Sabell, which shared the second line with Cadmean until the turn and chased Donnaway into the straight, by half a head. Donnaway was sixth in a gap. Then came Limbo, which was clear of Cadmean.