Passable finishes best to shade Ostrava

Press, 4 December 1978, Page 18

Passable finishes best to shade Ostrava

Passable, travelling like an almost certain place-getter until he was knocked down in the New Zealand Derby Stakes a fortnight earlier, broke through for a deserved win in the Three-year-old Stakes at Addington on Saturday. After being four back mostly, Jack Smolensk! sprinted Mr Max Harvey’s gelding up towards the pacemaker, Ostrava, on the home turn. They were together practically all the ■way up the straight, with neither flinching under stem drives. Passable did slightly the better to win .by half a neck.

Plfilippa Frost added interest to the finish byfighting on boldly once pulled out inside the last 150 m and she was only a neck away, well clear of! Rapid Man and Avalon. Passable’s win was his i first since being purchased!

in the spring by Mr Harvey. He is to race about Canterbury and later will probably contest the Great Northern Derby. Wickliffe confirmed a bold run at trials last Wednesday by overcoming a slowish start and wearing down the favourite, Royal Lopez, in the Festival Stakes. An 18 to 1 chance, Wickliffe won by half a length, with Royal Lopez beating Wise Hanover quite comfortably for second. Wise Hanover might have finished closer had he worked clear earlier.

Bodene Lad battled on for fourth, ahead of Armbro Star, which was all at sea in the conditions.

Raced by Bill Irving. of ; Kurow, Wickliffe is trained by Derek Jones, whose son, Peter, was the driver. He is! a colt by the Hal Tryaxl horse, Tactile, from Mitzi, the dam of a useful winner in Hey Pronto. He is a member of the same family

I as the New Zealand Cup I winner, Trusty Scot. Wickliffe is in the Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate next Saturday. Mack Dougal, at a false price of $9.25, started the night on a high note when he held out Haughty Romeo and Rebecca’s Pride in the S. J. Moore Stakes in a time of 2min I.Bs for the mile. Much interest centred on the first appearance of the season of Main Star, one of last term’s top three-year-olds. He was never a chance ■ and finished eighth when looking in need of racing. He should not be long striking form. Patrick O’Reilly, jun.. drove Sorraia and Santoza to win the races for trotters. Sorraia was handy all the way and got up to shade Relinquish by half a head in a keen finish to the North: Beach Handicap. Lightning Tuft, Classic Padero and

Lady Castleton were close up. Santoza, one of three 10-year-olds in the field, made most of the pace and held out Hano Direct by a nose in the Rawhiti Handicap. Santoza had not been successful since he won the same race 12 months earlier. Brenda Bell held third some distance back, just ahead of Alias Armbro. Pointer Hanover and Waipounamu. Winfield Lord, in the hands of Ricky May, led for most of the December Handicap and won handily from Kotare Venture and Radiant Ruler. Charles Twinkle showed speed to win the Members’; Stakes in 3min 24.9 s for the; 2600 m. Captain Forever did; well for second after! covering much extra ground.! with the surprise favourite,: Profiteer, battling on for third, after pacemaking.