Trusty Scot looks the one to beat in $75,000 N.Z. Cup

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 19

Trusty Scot looks the one to beat in $75,000 N.Z. Cup

By

G. K. YULE

A well-timed preparation lias brought Trusty Scot to a high peak of fitness and everything points to him being the one to beat in the $75,000 seventy-fifth New Zealand Cup al Addington Raceway tomorrow.

Trusty Scot, off the scene: for many months because of an injury, burst to the fore-: front of Cup discussions! when, at his race debut fori the season, he won the Ashburton Flying Stakes on October 2. Then followed a third and a seventh at Forbury Park before he humbled his rivals in the Kaikoura Cup last Monday. Trusty Scot led for more than the last 1000 m at K.ti-i koura and won with ease in 3min 5.5 s for the 2400 m. He! was given an easy run at! trials last Thursday and he! revelled in a light work-out i xesterday. His condition cannot be faulted. By Scottish Command, sire of last year’s Cup win-1 ner. Sole Command, Trusty! Scot is the perfect race-1

horse. He can usually be replied on to begin smoothly :and his stamina should be I superior to that of most in I the event. Lord Modul is the enigma of the field. Probably no horse in the country can match him for brilliance, and his stamina is not suspect. But he was drawn the inside barrier position, art awkward starting point for a horse which has often bungled his beginnings from a i stand. Also, the quarter crack! ! which plagued him last seaIson, has recurred and was! responsible for a lack-lustre performance when he fin- ! ished fourth to Graikos in a ! flying mile on October 27.: Since then he has improved I immensely and his trainer,

I Cecil Devine, is hoping for a ! big run from the four-year-old. Twelve months ago Wee Win provided a minor feature of the Cup when he ran on dourly from near the tail of the field at the straight entrance for third to Sole Command and Greg Robinson. He has had a careful preparation for this big test and it is doubtful if Max Thompson has ever had him at such a peak of fitness. Stayling is his forte and the stronger the early pace the better he will go. The New Zealand Messenger, the New Brighton Cup and the Metropolitan Easter !Cup fell to Sapling last season and he was at the top of Cup discussions in the

early spring. He has had only two race starts this season, breaking in both of them.

However, he has obviously had a tremendous amount ot solid work to fit him for the Cup and he looks ready to foot it with the horses considered to be more race-sea-soned. INon-w inner

In or Out, Rockey Tryax, Rondel, Scottish Heath. Bronze Trail, Trevino and Palestine all have winning form to their credit this season, but it might be the non- ; winner, Nimble Yankee, that offers most opposition to the most-fancied quartet. Nimble Yankee’s owner, Mr Colin McLaughlin, of

Mount Hutt, has in recent (years amassed a huge collection of trophies, but a New Zealand Cup is not among them. Nimble Yankee could easily change that if he races with the same vigour that he showed when second in the Kaikoura Cup. He was forced very wide early and came from well back, cutting substantially into the advantage of the winner. And at the end of the race he did not look nearly as tired as did many of the beaten horses. There will be support for Rocky Tryax, which ’ has paced his best races when ion the fresh side. He has not been seen in action since October 14, but that is unlikely to be against him. Scottish Heath has a sound record as a stayer, : while Palestine could be an upset prospect. Northerners are hopeful [that Rondel and Bronze Trail will do them proud. Buih have raced with distinction, [but whether they will be capable of matching Trusty Scot, Lord Module and Wee Win is doubtful, and they have yet to show anything approaching the form of last season credited to Sapling. The Canterbury Junior-Free-for-all will be the second leg of the T.A.B. double, la race in which Sun Seeker, (Miss Pert and Lord Moose I could da best, although there are plenty of others expected to run them close.