Blue Day and Panagor popular for Southland

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 9

Blue Day and Panagor popular for Southland

Blue Day and Panagor, a confidently supported pair running for Southland stables, carried off the T.A.B. double at Ashburton yesterday.

Blue Day finished dog- 1 gedly from the third line fori i a neck victory over Robannal] in the Ashburton County; Handicap, first leg of the;; double. Warlight was only another'; neck back third, fading only: slightly after being respon-i. sible for the pacemaking. I This was Blue Day’s first’ win beyond 1600 metres fori her Invercargill owners, Mr| and Mrs W. A. H. Thomp-i son. but she had been a, fairly consistent place-getter. Next for Blue Day will be; the Waikato Stud Handicap at the Otago Racing Club’s meeting on March 27. This race carries free stud services to some well-per-formed stallions owned by the American millionaire, Mr Nelson Bunker Hunt. Blue Day is trained at Gore by E. A. (Ted) Winsloe. Blue Day was ridden at half a kilo overweight yesterday by the Riccarton jockey, Kevin Morton, who is having his best season yet. Like the Wellington Chalmers Stakes winner Royal

Dell, Blue Day was sired by the imported Royal Ridge. Her dam, Lovely Day, is a Kurdistan mare from a nonStud book Southland family ; that has come up with a good many winners.

Panagor won easily enough with a performance right in character for this fast Copenhagen II gelding from Ray Pankhurst’s Invercargill stable. Jim Pankhurst had Panagor in front almost straightaway, and after they shook off the attentions of Corrandulla near the home turn there was no other challenge. Panagor won by a length [ and a half from Strad; he ;had hurried over the 120 j metres in 1.10.2, the fastest’ [ever on the course for that! [distance or six furlongs. ’ I Strad, a gamely-finishing [second, a length ahead of [High Lake, was ridden by the top jockey. Bob Skelton.