Triumph for Washdyke stable, Riccarton jockey

Press, 26 July 1976, Page 18

Triumph for Washdyke stable, Riccarton jockey

After a long run of outs Elcano has again found the form he might build on to become a worthy successor to the hard-wearing Strad as colour-bearer for Mr and Mrs Ivan Simmons, of Makikihi, and the Washdyke stable of Maurice Jones. When he won the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s Claremont Handicap Elcano bridged a gap back to April 28, 1975, when he won the corresponding race at Westport. By a coincidence Strad won the second leg of the double on that programme, but his connections could not have then predicted that Elcano would be a future colourbearer for them. Elcano was then raced by Mr Pat Hartnett, of Richmond. but was offered for sale on the death of Mr Hartnett later last year, and at $2500 became the property of Mr and Mrs Simmons. A cheaper lot at that sale, also to enter the Jones stable, was the two-year-old filly Colada, winner of four of her five races last autumn for Mr Allan Waugh, of Timaru. Maurice Jones found Saturday’s meeting more memorable by also landing the second leg of the double with the four-year-old Royal View. FIRST WIN Like Elcano, Royal View had also failed to win earlier in the season, though he had not been as extensively campaigned as his older stablemate. Both of Jones’s winners were ridden by the veteran jockey, Graeme Mein, whose feat did something to make for a Riccarton influence on the meeting. Riccarton’s four-legged representatives at the meeting failed all along the line. The closest any of them came to victory was Jet Setter, which ran Elcano to a head but had taken a likely-looking lead up

the straight Both of Mein’s winning mounts on Saturday h®'' 6 high-ranking pedigree influences. Elcano is one of few South Island campaigners sired by the Taranaki-based champion, Copenhagen 11, and his dam. La Farae, is a daughter of the great Le Filou. Royal View is by Grey Way’s sire, Grey William, from Loch View, a daughter of the highly successful Balloch.

In the absence of Zamia and Fiery Filou, the Wingatui three-year-old Candyboy became a pronounced favourite. He finished'fifth, coming from the tail-end group for that position. Jim Pankhurst, trainer-jockey of Candyboy, said he had been forced to ease the favourite after being squeezed for room early. At about the same time

Graeme Mein was allowing Elcano to dnft from towards the outside to give him time to get balanced and this com bination was in the same tailend group as Candyboy after 200 m. Candybov might have reached a place with a challenge from a position close: to the lead, but he would probably have found Elcar.u hard to handle in any citcuro stances.