Aramis-Brutus return small quinella

Press, 24 October 1978, Page 22

Aramis-Brutus return small quinella

Aramis just kept the courageous Brutus out to triumph in the North Canterbury Racing Club’s Canterbury Stakes at Rangiora yesterday. Brutus, trying for a rewarding week-end double, would have probably won instead of having to settle for a nose defeat had he fared better in the barrier draw. He started nine wide and ran too keenly for his own good early. And by the time Maurice Thornley settled him Aramis. which had drawn No. 1, was running along in relaxed style in the lead. David Walsh kicked Aramis out to a likely-look-ing lead on straightening up, but Brutus closed gamely on him near the end, and their struggle through the last few metres had everyone st rrec up and almost everyone uncertain as to the outcome. Aramis and Brutus returned a quinella dividend of 52.Z5. Aramis was the second favourite, but his win for Mr and Mrs Russell Boyd was popular after his stroke of bad luck at Wingatui earlier in the spring. *ramis was the first home in the Dunedin Guineas, but lost first to Lejano after an inquiry into int«‘rfer‘»''”'e in the classic. He again shifted ground in the * mb- esterday but not appreciably.

Aramis is trained for Mr, and Mrs Boyd by Peter: Jones, of Riccarton. A win for Brutus would* have completed a rewarding week-end double by the; Balios colt, also a family! . ano stable double. i Brutus’s two-year-old : brother Et Tu, won the pre- : vious race, the Morwenstow Stakes by a neck from Scotch Mist, another mem1 ber of Ray Harris’s team. i Et Tu was purchased pri- ■ vately by Mrs Harris for; 1 S4OOo last autumn just before! Brutus won a two-year-old; ; race at Trentham. Mrs Harris now races Et' Tu in partnership with Mrs; ! M. P. Bowden and Messrs W. M. Rumbold and R. McK. Russell. The youngster was ridden yesterday by the stable apprentice, Stephen Woodsford, who only returned to New Zeland on the eve of the meeting after spending a holiday in Australia, where his family lives. One of the most impressive performances in the Morwenstow Stakes came from the second favourite, Little Brown Jug. He was forced wide for a good way, when he got closer to the rail in the straight he was ;unable to get into the clear from behind the winner and runner-up. Little Brown Jug, like ' -is ' tramed by Peter Jones, who prepared lonian o " the J C. We'jcome Stakes last year, and

must have some confidence winning this year’s race w n nis attractive Godavari colt.