Purple Pearl keeps Balmerino out in Guineas

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33966, 6 October 1975, Page 9

Purple Pearl keeps Balmerino out in Guineas

i Press” Special Service) | AUCKLAND. It was being argued long after! ithe Great Northern Guineas was; * run at Ellerslie on Saturday ‘whether Balmerino. allowed a bitj [more galloping room, would have won. He would have finished closer but it could never be said! with certainty that he would have beaten Purple Pearl. Purple Pearl got home by a i length and a quarter from Bal- [ merino, whose rider. M. R.: Campbell, waited unavailinglyj for run on the inside of the other horse. There was a little more than a length in it at the post, with Thunderchief a length ; and a half away, third, and just [ in front of Happy Union and Bold Ben. From back in the field. Purple i Pearl improved nearing the home I turn and burst to the front early 'in the straight. Once there his I rider. W. Robinson, took him close up against the inside, quite [clearly with no intention of shifting. Balmerino. one of the last few j iaround the home turn. made] ground quickly after clearing the ■ false rail, some 400 m out. But j [Campbell, the next moment, was in a desperate position, being! 'unable, and in any case too late.’ [to shift course and just about [on the heels of the leader. [ Purple Pearl if weakening.! might have rolled out to allow ; Balmerino the opening. Instead, ) he kept, on strongly and straight I right to the finish. Robinson who won the Guineas > last year on Boulder Block, said I his mount this time had a good! run all the way. He kept looking; Ifor Balmerino which he knew'

would be coming with a good finish, but felt pretty confident of winning from half-way down the home straight. GAMBLED Campbell admitted that he gambled on the leaders leaving the inside once in the straight as he was entitled to with the false rail being used. “I knew he ißaimerinoi would be giving them a start,” he said. “And 1 was definitely not going to try and go around them.” At the same time. Campbell said. Balmerino was never travelling as well as he had done in some races previously, perhaps because of the ground being not quite as firm as he

(Would have liked or because of (the cracking early pace. The time for the 1600 m was Imin 38.4 sec with all the speed ( in the first half. Nippv Jim carted them through the first 1800 m in 48.2 sec so there was a [very real slackening from there I to the finish. Purple Pearl is a strong, dark brown colt, by In The Purple from Nissan, representing the j first crop of his Hastings-based (sire. At $3OOO be was the cheapest of the In The Purple stock ‘sold at the 1974 Trentbam yearning sales and clearly a bnrgaui for his Auckland owner. Mr M Marinovich I After breeding his own horses and training them. too. with very ’considerable success. Mr Marino-

! yich sold almost all his racing; ’ interests eight or nine years ago. > With Purple Pearl and Good Gift., both trained by J. L. Jenkins at Takanini. he has made an auspicious return. Although he restricts his team 'to seven or eight horses Jenkins is hardly , ever without a good one. Perhaps the only other run [ner he has had in the Guineas iat Ellerslie was Captain Jason. ! the runner up two years ago Purple Pearl, always ready fot [anything, has not been the* easiest horse to train and just lasi week he alarmed his connections when he became lame after pull ; ing a shoe. Through it all Jen- i [kins has handled him with patience and understanding. The big disappointment regard-’ ing Saturday’s race was Dive Bomber's being unable to start. Dive Bomber’s trainer. L. L.. Collett, said the colt had been' plated on Friday morning but I became sore a few hours after ' wards when the plates had to he I removed. He was too sore on 'Saturday to be considered fit to ! run.