So Called and Big Skipper shape well

Press, 6 November 1978, Page 19

So Called and Big Skipper shape well

From ALLAN BROWN | Melbourne’ Except that Vive Veiours did so well under the totally unsuitable weight-for-age conditions of the L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes, no Melbourne Cup trials at the week-end were belter than those of So Called and Big Skipper — neither horse went to the races. Big Skipper ran 1400 m on the Flemington inside grass in a dashing Imin 30s, ridden by E. J. Didham, on Saturday and So Called, ridden by B. P. Thomson, rounded off a 2000 metres on the inside of the course proper yesterday with 800 m in 47.755. The trainer, A. E. Didham, too long in racing to enthuse unduly over anything, was clearly delighted with Big Skipper’s work as was his son, E. .1. Didham, so unlucky to have lost the cup mount. Didham senior, is hopeful with good cause, for he has managed the horse so well,! that he has Big Skipper at; his peak at the right time. So Called is the one Did ham considers will be the hardest, to beat in the cup. i His keen interest in the | other horse was evident i when he stayed behind j awhile after working Big I Skipper lightly on the sand ■at Flemington yesterday to I see So Called gallop. I So Called exercised for 15 j minutes or more before i going at speed and looked in \ great shape. He galloped , with Minuetto, ridden by a ■ light boy, and although just I in front at the finish could have done better. ! “He loafed when he head-1 j ed the other horse,” Thom-1 I son explained “he had more left.” Thomson confirmed his (earlier oomion that So ■ [ Called will run out the I 3200 m of the Cup as ably as any. “I cannot see,” he said. “How any of those which finished behind me (on Family of Man) in the Mackinnon Stakes can beat him.” Of the cup horses behind i Family of Man the closest were Arwon, Panamint. Lef- , roy, Vive Velours and Tak-

| san in a tight bunch clear of Valadero which headed in the other couple. Arwon, Panamint, Lefroy and Vive Velours all seemed to run on pretty well without being too greatly pressed when La Mer and Family of Man drew clear. The handicaps of the four horses in the cup compared with the weights they carried under the standard scale on Saturday are inter-, esting. Arwon is down B.skg tomorrow from 58.5 kg to 50.5 kg, Panamint down 2.5 kg, Lefroy 2.5 kg and Vive Velours 9kg from 57kg to 48kg. Much was expected of Dandaleith, in the Hotham Handicap on Saturday and it was disppointing when the New Zealand gelding, equal favourite, could finish only tenth of the 17 starters. Whatever the reason and it was perhaps the consequence of his having had a 1600 m in his previous race a week before, Dandaleith went much too keenly up

f I near the pace before weaken--1 ing. His young rider. T. Aut-I ' ridge, said the horse was I "beaten before the turn.'’] ■ The owner-trainer. A. P. ’ Pringle said, Dandaleith blew 1 heavily afterwards but he could offer no real ex- - planation for his going so! |, poorly. / Fifty kilometres away at.' I Mornington, Big Gamble, has . escaped much of the attendtion given to the other Mel>[bourne Cup horses. i 1 Unfortunately, all has not t been well with the horse. > According to the owner Mr H. Tapper, Big Gamble ref ceived very severe bruising i during the flight from Auckt land. His blood count was > for several days well below I normal and has only now ' begun to improve. Big Gamble went strongly 1 today over about 2400 m at - Mornington ridden by B t Compton, he worked Well i enough but “blew up” afteri wards as though he had hneeded the run.