Cappello Cup hope?

Press, 18 October 1976, Page 20

Cappello Cup hope?

It is every breeder’s ambi-f tion to produce the winner, of one of the major cup! races. Although success inj the big ones has eluded him so far no one has tried harder in the last two decades ! than the Riccarton owner-; trainer. Colin Austin. It will be fitting and no! more than a just reward for, perseverance of Cappello, narrow but impressive winner of the Chas McDonald Memorial at Orari on Saturday, carries the Austin colours to victory in the New Zealand Cup. Just 20 years ago—Jimmy Flash’s year—Mr Austin had high and justifiable hopes that Cappello’s grandam, Fleur, would carry off the honours in the New Zealand Cup. This daughter of Massowa might have, too, but for being kicked in the: shoulder while parading at! the barrier before the race. Although the shoulder had been fractured she still finished seventh. As a producer Fleur has, passed on her great stamina to her progeny. Caplin, winner of six races and the dam of Cappello, was her first foal and her second live foal was Ribaldo. One of his biggest moments in racing was a close second—he was beaten by a head — to Apollo

[Eleven in the 1973 Auckland,' Cup. i The Austin hopes of an-1 other “big cup” victory were; dashed when Fiore, the!’ second daughter of Fleur,, reared and crashed heavily! just before beginning her pre-h liminary for the 1974 Well-1 ington Cup. In the race (she ran keenly in the open and close to the lead and consequently wil- : ted slightly in the closing stages to finish fifth. “If I had have known her better she would have won,” her replacement rider, Brent; Thomson, told Mr Austin after the race.

Cappello’s New Zealand Cup preparation has not been all plain sailing — a deepseated com kept him in the paddock for a couple of months during the winter — but he is obviously back to the form now which earned him a reputation of being one of Riccarton’s most con-

sistent and promising young stayers early last season. i In Saturday’s race Cappello showed all the tenacity of a true stayer. He had to i make a sweeping run wide 'out to reach a challenging i position on the home turn, iled, was headed by Clarendon Gold inside the last 200 j metres but made a renewed 'bid close to home and nosed I last month’s South Island

.Thoroughbred Breeders’ i Stakes winner out of it in (the last stride. Cappello, whose next race will probably be the Qantas ■ North Canterbury Cup at I Rangiora on Labour Day, was lone of two winners to carry ithe Austin colours on Saturday. Earlier in the day his younger half-brother, Rockford, had beaten the staying maidens hands down in the Temuka Stakes. The Chas McDonald Memorial was the first leg of the T.A.B. double. The second leg, the Gordons Gin Handicap, resulted in a ail-the-way win for Corrandulla.

This Otago-trained veteran ran his sprint rivals off their feet and coasted home by a comfortable two and a half lengths. In a good line-up for the minor placings Crown Lad took second by a neck from Regalitas with the fastfinishing Surge Again only a nose away.

The big disappointments of the race were the favourite, Great Blaze, and the second fancy Grey Way. The former wilted to fifth after leading the chase after Corrandulla to the straight and Grey Way -drifted to midfield fairly early in the contest and failed to improve. He was seventh, one place behind Top Secret.