WATKINS HANDICAP AT TRENTHAM

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31198, 24 October 1966, Page 4

WATKINS HANDICAP AT TRENTHAM

W. Townsend Saddles Three Prize-winners (From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. W. W. Townsend had the satisfaction of seeing the three horses he saddled take three of the prizes in the £3OOO Watkins Handicap at Trentham on Saturday.

But he might have felt that it was an achievement of doubtful distinction. The major honours in the first leg of the Wellington Racing Club’s T.A.B. double went to Red Crest. The Townsend representatives, Roganne and Mr Fagan, finished second and fourth.

T ow n s e n d had saddled Red Crest as a favour for the Cambridge trainer, J. W. Winder, who did not come to Trentham but attended the Rotorua meeting where he had other members of his team racing.

The Winder-trained Kowloon beat the Townsendtrained Corbassiere in the main race at Rotorua as well. Had it not been for R. J. Skelton, Red Crest probably would not have been at Trentham on Saturday. Winder wanted to take the horse home after his Wellington Handicap failure on the first day of the meeting, but Skelton persuaded him to pay up in the Watkins Handicap.

The £1950 Red Crest earned for first on Saturday took his earnings beyond £16,000, a lucrative return for the lOOOgns he cost Mr I. A. McMullin, who races the gelding in partnership with the estate of J. F. Rendle. Soft Track Helped Prospects for the last Wellington Cup winner brightened considerably when steads’ drizzle began early on Saturday morning and continued! until just after the Watkins! Handicap. Consequently, Red Crest, a noted performer on soft tracks, was made favourite. He paid £5 18s and £2 6s for a win-and-place and carried 38,031 10s tickets in a double pool of £151,497. Red Crest is one of the notable Waikato entrants for the New Zealand Cup, but no-one on Saturday was able to say svhether he would go to Riccarton.

“They have said nothing to me.” Skelton said after the race. "I haven’t been approached to ride him yet”

Red Crest began as well as any in the Watkins Handicap but Skelton was not going to be caught with another rails run—as he had in the Wellington Handicap the previous week. He kept the favourite in the clear for a time. He had no worries about the pace being true. Aqua Pura, which had pulled his way to the lead a furlong and a half after the start, continued strongly in front down the back. He ran into the last half-mile with a length on Gus and Roman Consul. Red Crest, in a small gap, ran well at the head of the .others.

Gus passed Aqua Pura as soon as they straightened. Roman Consul joined Gus in front nearing the furlong. Almost immediately Red Crest challenged and lasted it

out best to win by three quarters of a length. Roganne carried the topweight of 9-4 from midfield into a challenging position at the furlong. He continued with his run gamely, but found the task of giving Red Crest 171 b and a beating beyond him. Roman Consul battled on for third, two lengths and a half back. He beat Mr Fagan, which was inclined to lug in when making ground early in the run home, by threequarters of a length. Vigour, which struck bother early in the run home, was fifth in a small gap. He just beat the weakening Gus. Tolka and Shut led in the others.

One of the big disappointments of the race was Lucky Rebel. He started to give ground on the inside five furlongs out and eventually finished fifteenth. Kintyre came up to expectations by winning the Awatea Handicap for his Lower

Hutt owner, Mrs D. MacPherson.

The Trentham - trained sprinter’s winning run in the second leg of the main double came after a string of minor placings.

Kintyre, the third favourite of 13, paid £5 Us 6d and £1 19s 6d for a win-and-place and £4O 4s for £1 with Red Crest in the double. There were 12,451 5s tickets on the combination.

W. D. Skelton had Kintyre at the girth of the pacemaker, Bottle Top, from the halfmile to the straight. He mastered his Cambridge rival outside the furlong and responded gamely to a hard ride to win by half a length from Bottle Top’s stablemate, Urupukapuka. A wide draw could have cost Urupukapuka a winning chence. She was nearer last than first when the rush for positions was over, and not much farther forward than midfield in the run to the straight.

Dunraven was third, a length and a half back. He had the inside running in the fourth line to the straight, looked a strong chance when a clear third at the furlong, but could produce nothing extra under C. A. Bowry’s vigorous handling a little closer to home.

Awaroa, running on from midfield, was fourth. He just beat the favourite and offcourse substitute, Rohe Potae. R. J. Skelton set Rohe Potae a near-impossible task when he settled him down near the rear. He came from far back in the last three furlongs without looking likely to trouble the dividend-payers.