Take Care shows courage in stakes

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 28

Take Care shows courage in stakes

Take Care, winding up a light but successful season, was a couragous winner of the Queen’s Birthday Stakes, at Ashburton yesterday. “I might start her again on Saturday at the Canterbury Park meeting, then she’ll probably go out for a spell; there’s not much left for her now,” the trainer, Mike de Filippi, said after the El Patron filly’s stylish win. Take Care started racing only three months ago, and finished a luckless second at Hororata. She went on to win at her next start, brilliantly by six lengths, at Rangiora and has added the Fillies Triple Crown Classic in the meantime, yesterday’s triumph being her third from nine career starts.

Take Care joins a small band of only five fillies to to have won the Queen’s Birthday Stakes since the war.

Only Queensway (1965), Newport Maid (1966), Monarrg (1969) and Just A Glow (1974) succeeded before her. Take Care is now the winner of over $lO,OOO in stake

money for her breeder, Mr Eric Mee.

Mr Mee’s three-year-old was one of six horses which had turns in front yesterday. She improved to lead,' momentarily at the 200 m, before Tipperary rushed to the front 1800 m out.

Tipperary’s pacemaking role was short lived also. Winter Chase improved sharply with 1500 m to run and he had Vita Man for company in front from the 1200 m. Vita Man led the field in with Localism showing plenty of speed to vie for the lead on the turn. But it was Take Care which had the last say, finishing strongly wide out over the final 200 m to win going away by half a length. Undercheck rallied well late for second with Twilight Mist keeping up a strong run for third two lengths back. Winter Chase kept on strongly to hold fourth with Localism a solid fifth. Tipperary was next. Vita Man faded to ninth, and another favoured runner, Viewfield Skipper, after

breaking at the start, beat only two home. Chance Fortune took the long way home to make it a double for the meeting, brillantly winning the Bush Inn Handicap, second leg of the Ashburton Trotting Club’s double.

The first-day winner struck all sorts of trouble trying to get racing room, and frustrated for a run. the trainer Jim Ferguson had to pull back to nearly last before setting out on his winning run. Chance Fortune, once clear, came quickly down the wide outside to cut back Truant Lass and Timely Rhythm close to home. The hot facourite Light Lord, pulled hard when sent to the front with a round to go, could not find any extra when tackled in front by Timely Rhythm 200 m out, and finishing fourth, a head back. Chance Fortune has now won six races for his Oamaru owners, Jack Vincent and Gene Lee, four this season.