Mellseur convincing winner

Press, 2 January 1979, Page 12

Mellseur convincing winner

Special correspondent Dunedin Mellseur, who began racing at Waikouaiti 12 months ago, returned to the course Ito win the Waikouaiti Cup convincingly yesterday. It was Mellseiir’s seventh win in 20 starts for her breeders, Messrs Fred Anscombe, of Clyde, and Epic Smart, of Wingatui, who! have her in the Wingatui stable of Hector Anderton; junior.

Mellseur had to be passed fit by a veterinarian to start in yesterday’s $7OOO race. She escaped from her attendant when being unloaded at the course and galloped an estimated 1600 m to the beach, clearing two cattle stops in the process. She was accompanied in her escapade by her stablemate, Tugreys, which made, a promising start to his career when second in the. Templeton Plate yesterday! . Mellseur’s dam, Queen'

Mellay, was retired to stud after breaking down in the 1973 Waikouaiti Cup and iMellseur is her first foal. Michael Mein, who has now ridden three of the last four Waikouaiti Cup winners, settled Mellseur in seventh place and brought her through on the inside when [the gaps came in the [straight. Joss came from mid-field for second and Selector sustained a big. run from the taif of the field on the home turn for third. Padlock ran on for fourth ahead of Najeeb and Sir James,, which made ground from the back. Masterlea went from class 5 to class 1 in one fell swoop when he overcame a rocky run to win the Blue Riband, second leg of yesterday’s T.A.B. double. “He got a bad run, it was unreal. He was in trouble everywhere he went,” remarked the. jockey, Graham Heaton, to Masterlea’s Wingatui trainer, Jim Brown, when he returned to scale. Masterlea was buffeted in the early running and wound up at the tail of the field. Aramis, which had been handy, got to the lead 150 m out but Masterlea came fast to beat him by a neck. Aramis gave David Walsh

i a difficult ride, pulling hard early and hanging in the run home. Masterlea represents the first venture into ownership for Messrs Charlie Beverage, of Wingatui, Larry Salmon, of Dunedin, and Don Cameron, three of the eight-man syndicate who race the Tre-lay-Mislea gelding.