Riccarton victory likely in John Grigg Stakes

Press, 6 September 1980, Page 21

Riccarton victory likely in John Grigg Stakes

By

PAUL MEIN

With Syrie Boye under a cloud, the combined efforts of Just A Rebel and Magellan should ensure a victory for Riccarton stables in the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton today. -

Syrie Boy, like Just ai; Rebel;. unbeaten, ■ reared backwards when coming . off i the track at. Wingatui on i Thursday morning, gashing a : foreleg, which required stitching, t and grazing a i hock. ' Just a Rebel was a winner! i

iat each of his three attempts as a two-year-old last sea|son. The Weyand gelding beat Athos and John Peel by four and a half lengths at Rangiora in March, nosed out John Peel at Riccarton seven days later, and went on to win the Champagne

! Stakes convincingly by two ■ lengths.. ; Behind Just a Rebel in the r Champagne Stakes was the highly regarded Timber I Wolf, which at his next i start, beat Amyl at Hastings. Magellan trailed John Peel i and Turf Ruler in the Sec-

ond Haldon Stakes on Homeby Day, but bolted in at his three-year-old debut, beating Bally Brooney, a winner on the first day of the Ashburton meeting, by two and a half lengths. Bally Brooney is also in the lineup today. Mister Bojangles is an interesting runner from John Dowling’s Wingatui stable The Attalas colt, from two starts last, season,' def eater the talented Linda on a firm track in the Plunket Stakes at Invercargill. At his only start this season, Mister " Bojangles finished sixth on a track against his liking on the third day of the Grand National meeting at Riccarton.

John Peel also, has the right credentials for a hometown victory. A busy youngster, the Sovereign Edition colt ended his two-year-old racing on a winning note in the Second Haldon Stakes at Riccarton.

The three-year-old was the best of Syrie Boy’s rivals at his latest start, at Riccarton last month.