Racing and trotting Balgove too good in Asburton Flying Stakes
By
G. K. YULE
A much-improved Balgove gave his seven rivals a start of 15 m and recorded a handsome trial for the New Zealand Cup on November 8 when he held off Palestine by a head in the Ashburton Flying Stakes, run at Addington Raceway on Saturday.
The son of Out to Win and Petite Dell led for the last 1900 m and set such a scorching pace that most of the field were sending out signals of distress early in the run home. It was left to Palestine, another at the improving stage, to offer more than token opposition to Balgove, which had won twice earlier in the season. While his winning margin was only a head, Balgove did not look likely to be tested to the full. “He felt better in his pre-i limitary that in any of his! other four starts this! season,” said Robert Cameron, who drove the six-; year-old for Bill and JeffRoberts. of Lawrence. With the cup only five' weeks away and there] appearing to be no true front-runner likely to start in the $75,000 race,! Saturday's event appeared to be used as a testing ground by Cameron. He got Balgove away splendidly and looked fortunate to escape skirmishing, which was caused by the unruly horses coming down or being pushed in towards the rails. First Helen of Tara and then Palestine set the pace, which
ii was by no means a moder- I eiate one. 3 However, Cameron felt ! f that it might ease and he I t sprimed Balgove up to take < i]over from the 1900 m. From! | then on he maintained pres- , I sure Palestine was pulled < j ■ out early in the run home < i with Helen of Tara coming 1 out even wider. t r| Balgove held Palestine out 1 5 ; quite comfortably by a head, ’ , i with three parts of a length ’ ( I back to Helen of Tara. Then ’ J there was a break Of seven 1 ' j lengths to the disappointing 1 ] Stanley Rio, which found it ; ■ impossible to match the tes- 1 • ting pace set by Balgove. i ’ Winning Smoke finished ’ J next, clear of Nimble Yan- - f kee and In or Out. i Beimel's Image broke at ‘ J the start and then raced er- ■ •jratically before being pulled ' • up. It was found that the bit 1 ;|had pulled through his ‘ ! mouth and an outside ring s • l had inconvenienced the 1] horse. t Ross Dynes, the part- < .owner and driver of the< ' horse told the committee • • that the bit had not pre- s t viously caused trouble. He ' i was told to ensure that i there was no repetition. GOOD TIME i Balgove paced the 2600 m r i in the respectable time of 1
3min 20.7 sec. The leaders were timed over their final 2400 m in 3min 3.6 sec, the final 1600 m in 2min 2.4 sec, and the last 800 m in Imin Balgove will have only one more race before the. Cup. That will be in the Hannon Memorial Handicap at Oamaru On October 24. Previously run under invitation conditions, the race will be an ordinary handicap with a front of CB, so Balgove will be handicapped on 20m. “There is no chance of him going to Auckland for racing there later in the month,” said Bill Roberts on Saturday. Terry May, the driver of Palestine, was pleased with his horse’s run. “He’s getting better, but he’d need to, too, with Balgove coming in on the front in the Cup,” he said ruefully. Helen of Tara raced right up to her splendid form of earlier in the season with a clear-cut third. Along with her stablemate, Stanley Rio, she will go north for the Auckland meeting. John and George Noble were most disappointed with Stanley Rio’s effort. His preparation had been interrupted by rain, but even so he was beaten well out.
“He needs a lot more work and is going to take longer than we thought likely to come back,” said John Noble. Waitaki Dawn, one of the more consistent pacers in his class last season, gained his first success for the current term when he outstayed his rivals in the President’s Handicap. He was pushed three wide racing through the straight the last time and Bill Kitto sent him clear at the 900 m. He held off Jascoe, which received the run of the race, by three-quarters of a length, with a similar margin to Kara Kara. Bess Hanover tired to a close forth, just ahead of Almetos, which raced in the open for much of the way. Those who supported Waitaki Dawn had to wait about three-quarters of an hour before an inquiry in which he was involved was resolved. It was found that Waitaki Dawn badly checked the firm favourite, Lordable, after some 200 m, sending that horse to a break. Kitto was found guilty of careless driving and suspended until after October 28.
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Press, 3 October 1977, Page 18
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837Racing and trotting Balgove too good in Asburton Flying Stakes Press, 3 October 1977, Page 18
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