Springtide at sharp edge of fitness

Press, 4 November 1978, Page 20

Springtide at sharp edge of fitness

By

J. J. BOYLE

By J. J. BOYLE Springtide, favourite for the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas today, showed! so much zest for what was 1 planned as an easy exercise' at Riccarion yes’erday that; her trainer Colin Jillings called a halt when it was only half over. The brilliant Karayar filly j took such a strong hold' when taken on to the plough j that she would have been. drained of her energies at the end of two rounds' planned for her. Quick to appraise the situ-; ation. Jillings pulled her out' before she started on another round. Springtide does not have the physique nor the phleg- ■ matic temperament of Uncle { Remus, winner of the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas for the Jillings 1 stable a year ago. But she has the essential elements of; a superior racing performer, |

and her explosive brand of speed will place heavy demands on the talents of the colts and geldings in the j “boys’ ” classic today. Springtide, like Uncle. Remus, will be ridden by i Bobby Vance, who has other: ; strong winning chances in ! feature races today. He has: been engaged for Sir Janies' in the Benson and Hedges' ■ Gold Cup, and will ride' ■ Tudor Quest in the second; 'leg. The Pegasus. Vance has a 100 per cent! ; record to sustain on Sir 'James today. This was a! : successful combination in ‘ the Ashburton Centennial' 'Cup. Tudor Quest won the Desert Gold Stakes and was, runner-up to Braless in the New Zealand One Thousand j Guineas last season. From I close to the tail of the i handicap she represents a! 'threat to the best of the others in the 1000 m scurry 1 jtoday. j The Riccarton trainer

Peter Jones is hoping for his third Welcome Stakes vic- j ■ torv. His hopeful is Little Brown Jug, a colt by Goda;vari (son of Red God),: j which was unlucky when third at the North Canterjbury meeting on Labour I Day. J Jones prepared lonian Sea :I to win the Welcome Stakes .(last year, and also won with 'Dhow in 1971. II The Welcome Stakes, like j Other major races today, will J hold New Zealand-wide ■! interest. : Tai Michelle and Fantan i are form runners for WaikI ato stables, and there will be 'heavy backing for the un- :! beaten southerner. Hunting; iiCall, one of six horses ■ 1 brought north by the sucI I cessful Gore trainer, Rex ‘Cochrane. ■; The Welcome Stakes takes :'on additional interest as the •first leg of today’s T.A.B. ! treble. Other treble races are 'the Guineas and the Jockey 'Club Handicap.