Racing and trotting Duguid came from last for first-leg win

Press, 10 July 1979, Page 28

Racing and trotting Duguid came from last for first-leg win

By

J. J. BOYLE

“He’s not very big. and he’s the horse we throw the kids up on down home, but he’s good on his day.'' the R iverton trainer, M. J. 1 ait, remarked, after his stable runner, Duguid. brilliantly won the Westport Handicap, first leg of the Hororata Racing Club’s T.A.B. double yesterday.

Duguid emerged with all the honours of the 2000 m race. He was last in the field of 12 at the 600 m but got a dream run through the pack and wore down TryTwo to win by three parts of a length. Duguid is owned by Mr lan Hall. a Thornbury farmer who has been in indifferent health, and was not at Riccarton yesterday to see his horse win. Duguid is a five-year-old by the imported Royal Student. He had found success elusive in previous starts this season, but had several placed performances on his

record, and was backed down to fourth favouritism. Tiva, the win favourite, was ridden in a ground-sav-ing position near the middle of the field. The Invercargill-trained Bellborough gelding ran a bit more keenly than Kevin Morton would have liked early on, and could not muste- the finishing speed to go to Try Two up the straight. Tiva finished fourth a length and three-quarters from the third horse, Rustique. The Amberley-trained Try Two took over the pacemaking from Snapdragon early and had most of the others in trouble 400 m out. But he

had no answer for Duguid’s late charge through a wide gap. MIDKNIGHT WINS . Midknight improved a serviceable record on his home track when he swooped late for victory in the Deans Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double. Cracker Day, Ernest and Hi Roona were having a real set-to going into the last 100 m but Midknight charged through a wide gap and left them only with the minor placings. Midknight’s margin was three-quarters of a length. It was his third win on his

home track this season for the stable of Bevan Laming. Laming also races the six-year-old Lord Sasanof gelding in partnership with Mr and Mrs A. M. Edwards and the black was ridden by the trainer’s son, Shane. Cracker Day snatched second by half a head from the favourite Ernest and then there was a nose to Hi Roona, which had tried to do it all in front. The others were beaten off. They were led in by Country Prince but he was in a gap of two and a quarter lengths. Sharebroker, the 2/4 fancy was an undistiguished sixth.