Young trotters provided highlight at Timaru

Press, 23 May 1977, Page 18

Young trotters provided highlight at Timaru

By

G. K. YULE

The depth of class among this season’s crop of three-year-old trotters was further emphasised at Washdyke on Saturday when Power Cut and Cool Cat beat their older rivals in the Stewards’ Handicap. Both horses started from 20m and had at least trebled their handicaps at the end of the first 400 m. They were both so far back that their chances of figuring in the finish looked remote, especially as Pat O’Reilly, with Dart Away, waa setting a pace seldom associated with an event for Cl trotters. Cool Cat was five seconds and a half from the leader with 1800 m let, Power Cut being just a little handier jand trotting boldly. Colin Baynes started to improve with Cool Cat with about 1400 m left and the daughter of Johnny Gee was forced four wide leaving the straight. Power Cut went in- | side her later on and at no stage of the final round was jshe closer than three from the fence. i Fraser Kirk, the driver of Power Cut, made certain that Cool Cat was kept wide

on the home turn and then, he gathered in Wee Laurel,! favoured with a perfect run,! and came on to win by a] length and a quarter after! recording 3min 29.35ec for the 2600 m, time more expected from open class trotters. “He’s such a grand stayer. The strong pace really suited him,” said Bruce Woods, who races and trains Power Cut, a gelding by Winterlight from the Johnny Globe mare, Free Globe, herself a useful winner at the trotting gait. Coo! Cat’s run was an extremely gritty one by a filly and she lost no caste when beaten into second place. i Power Cut and Cool Cat will contest the Conference Handicap at the Canterbury Park meeting next Friday. Among their rivals will be the top-ranked three-year-old trotter, Even Speed, and the race should develop into another intriguing round among this age group. T.A.B. double Colin Baynes, -who owns and trains Cool Cat, had better fortune in the previous race, the Johnny Walker Whisky Free-for-All, when Sly Brewer, one of two C 6 ' horses in the race, ran out a decisive winner. The son of Sly Yankee and Ferndale Star was driven by Derek Jones, who was content to restrain him on the outside

i, three places from the ,! pacemaker, Glenwood, which ,lied over the last 1600 m. 11 Once into the straight Sly ■ Brewer had too much in re- ■ serve and won as he liked ■ by a length and a half from ■- Glenwood. Waitaki Dawn, which broke early, was half , a head away, third, a neck ■ in from of the favourite, ! Sapling, which showed no dash after receiving the run • of the race. Sapling lost a length or ■ two on the home turn when ■ Glenwood turned on the pace and he just battled on ■ fairly. He could be improved ' as a result of the race. i Waylynne went quite well for fifth. t Smokey Lopez finished • last after being checked at ( the start and again at the 1400 m when Nimble Yankee : broke following the closing I of an opening he was striv»ing to reach. ' The pace went on over the 1 last 800 m, run in about 58sec, with the last 400 m in about 29sec. Sly Brewer is an entrant s for " the Canterbury Park - Winter Cup on Friday, but > he will be handicapped on r 20m and Baynes is not ceri tain about starting him. > Musket confirmed the high i opinion held of him by outf classing his rivals in the s Raceway Handicap. He led < for the last 1700 m and, > without being tested, he won ; by seven lengths from the

s'long-shot, Master Terry, i which shaded Kareh’s Pride, a fast finisher from far back, ’ and Frisco Frost. Musket is owned and I trained at Kakanui by Jim 1 Dalgety, who is part-owner , and trainer of Butler Hano- ’ ver, an impressive graduate ; from maiden company earl- , ier in the day. Butler Hano- ! ver is a brother of the good i winner, Spangles Gold, all of them being by Jack Chance, ■ which is located on Dali gety’s property. j Lauder Garrison won at i his last attempt for his Mor- [ ven owner, Jim Hamilton, when, driven by Bob Cleave, 1 he led throughout the First Caroline Handicap, beating j the unlucky Butler Belle, by t a short length. ; Lauder Garrison, along 3 with Master Nick, has been purchased by Central Stan- ’ dardbred Agency, Wellington, and will travel soon to » North America. t Hamish Hunter, whose i team is in great heart at present, gained a splendid t win in the Farewell Handis cap with Lady Pacify, which t paid $23.50 for a win. Lady i Pacify was in mid-field until - late, but came with a determined run wide-out ’to win i going away from Prince Syl- - vania and Colin Kirk. » Colin Kirk shaded the desi perately unlucky, Legacy, 1, which did not work clear i until the race was as good » as over.