Colfix beats unlucky favourite at Rangiora

Press, 1 April 1980, Page 24

Colfix beats unlucky favourite at Rangiora

By

J. J. BOYLE

The successful apprentice, Gary Blair, showed Colfix s powei sas a front runner to advantage in winning the Rangiora Handicap, first leg of the North Canterbury Racing Club s T.A.B. double yesterday.

Blair slipped Colfix away to a lead of three lengths near the home turn. He did so just as Kevin Morton on Her Greatest was looking

for a way out from behind the tiring Longsin. The favourite finished at a great rate when she got into the

clear, cutting deeply into Colfix’s lead, but too late to pull an army of backers through. Colfix failed on her Nelson campaign but she was back on her favourite course yesterday. She won her first race at Rangiora. Last year she beat the sprinters at the corresponding meeting.

f. She is a six-year-old J daughter of Keekerok and ’ i the Red Mars mare. Red Mit, land is-raced by Mrs J. D. >! Butters and Messrs M. P. and J “Slim” Gillman.

Colfix and Her Greatest left a straggling procession behind them yesterday. There was a gap of two

lengths and a quarter to First Metric, half a length to Latchmi and close to two. lengths to Dolmar. ■’ Blue Sage, Her Greatest’s best-backed rival, dropped away quickly from an inside trailing position, beating only Or Boy. The American-born' Danny

iFrye, having only his eighth race ride, broke through forhis first win when he got In the Clear home first in the Kaiapoi Handicap, second ! leg of the T.A.B. double. The 16-year-old North Canterbury apprentice moved In the Clear from third to peg back Sharebroker up the straight, and the lightweight saw it out by three parts of a length from the second, Spy Force, which arrived late with a rush. ■ ■ In the Clear is a six-year-old son of Taipan II trained at Riccarton by. Ivan Thomas for Dr W. Luey. . He failed in his only start at' the Wellington autumn

meeting, but took the step up to class one with a good run yesterday. Spy Force’s big run from far back for second boded well for his chances in sprint races at Riccarton at Easter.

Sharebroker was extending a long list of minor placings when third yesterday. He was a neck better than Tom Bowling, which was in a great battle for the lead in the middle stages. Grey Way, the third favourite, was never a real contender. He slipped leaving the starting gate and never got closer than the middle. He finished seventh.