Mayo Mellay gives north lively interest in Galaxy

Press, 9 April 1980, Page 25

Mayo Mellay gives north lively interest in Galaxy

By

J. J. BOYLE

Mayo Mellay is capable of offering strong North Island competition to the South Island’s best in the D.B. Galaxy Stakes at Riccarton today, but by every method of reckoning Yipp’s Secret has to be regarded as the* likely winner.

Mayo Mellay, runner-up in the Chalmers at Trentham two starts back, performed with much credit in illustrious company on his first campaign at Riccarton in the spring of 1976. He was runner-up to the speedster, Vice Regal, in the Two Thousand Guineas and was third behind the great Show Gate and Silver Lad in the Canterbury Gold Cup. Mayo Mellay was on the tracks at Riccarton yesterday l

looking muscular and bright:/ David Walsh will ride the sturdy bay if it is thought the ground is too soft to suit the Ivil-trained Save. Yipp’s Secret was also at Riccarton yesterday. , Along with Mellseur, Yipp’s Secret has flown the flag with great credit for the south in the last year or so, and there could be no more popular winner if today she i repeats her success of last ' year.

Yipp’s Secret, the winner i of five races from 11 starts this season, will have her usual rider, Jim Collett, to- : day. Collett’s hopes of winning the Templeton Handicap, first 1 leg of the T.A.B. double, rest ' with Ay Em. He rode Master Grey into 1 fourth in the Great Easter , Handicap, but had been en- ( gaged before the meeting for . Ay Em in today’s race, and 1 Michael Casey will now part- ;

ner the Wingatui sprinter. In their, present form both Master Grey and Ay Em should reach the money in today’s race. The Shirley Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double, looks wide open, and Main Chance, Latchmi, Kisses For Me, Taieri Special, Colpat, and Puketitiro do not exhaust the list of possibiles in a field that appears to lack a future star.