Preparations differ

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32459, 20 November 1970, Page 1 (Supplement)

Preparations differ

By

J. J. Boyle

There is more than one way to get a horse ready for racing. Silver Fountain does much of her training on a lead from the car of her 83-year-old Blenheim owner, Mr J. A. Fowler.

Gay Doctor is able to get through a most rigorous racing programme year in and year out because he thrives on a minimum of work between his races.

If metropolitan form has any bearing on the matter both Gay Doctor and Silver Fountain will be strong contenders in the Westland Racing Club’s Haast Pass Handicap at Hokitika tomorrow. Silver Fountain is topweight with 8.10, and Gay Doctor has 21b less in the first leg of the T.A.B. double. Silver Fountain’s three starts at the New Zealand Cup meeting produced a second in the Fendalton Handicap (lOf) won by Artifice and fifths in the Riccarton Handicap and the recordrun Metropolitan Handicap. Gay Doctor improved with

each race at the C.J.C. meeting, his best run being his fourth in the Members' Handicap (7f) last Saturday

Mr and Mrs J. Daly’s Jekyll gelding is capable of a bold mile. He looked un lucky when beaten by Mamie over that distance ir the Anniversary Handicap ai Trentham last Welfingtor Cup day. The Riccarton jockey. G

W. Mein will ride Gay Doctoi tomorrow. A year or two ago a cam paign at Hokitika would have hardly been on Glamis Lad’s “beat" but age has made its inevitable inroads and the immediate sackground of the eight-year .-Id is moderate. Elvin Spark is an interesting newcomer to open class in this field. He won two hack races and was unlucky when third a| his other start at the New Zealand Cup meeting.