Memorable ‘first’ for Waverley owner

Press, 3 August 1981, Page 22

Memorable ‘first’ for Waverley owner

By

J. J. BOYLE

Abe's Order, the first foal of a gift mare, ran out one of the easiest Winter Cup winners in the last 30 years at Riccarton on Saturday. He came storming home three lengths on top to give his Waverley breeder, Mr Mark Lupton, a memorable first day's racing on the course.

“I still find it hard to believe," Mr Lupton, a 27-year-old farmer, said after the birdcage ceremonies. Mr Lupton received Abe's Order's dam. Showy Countess, as a gift from Mr A. B. Blake, and took fresh interest when his chestnut’s close relation, Mr Ay Bee. won his way to top-flight company in 1980.

Mr Lupton sold three shares at $4OO a share to

friends in his home district, but his partners, Messrs Phillip and Robin Casey, and Mr Kevin Roughan, were not at Riccarton with him to share his triumph on Saturday. “Still I'm sure they’ll be jumping up and down after that win,” Mark Lupton said on Saturday.

Abe’s Order, in the hands of the 17-year-old “Baz” Dowling, won the Winter Cup by three lengths from Taramoa, and Firpo came strongly and late to nose the Brabazon Handicap winner, Master Grey, out of third.

Abe's Order is trained at Bulls by Mervyn Andrews and Brent Lewis.

Andrews was in the top flight of New Zealand jumping riders 30 years and met with spectacular success at

the 1950 Grand National meeting. He won a great treble — the Jumpers’ Flat, Grand National Hurdles, and Sydenham Hurdles — on Gay Fellow, the Grand National Steeplechase on Dawn March, and the Beaufort on Roman Ned.

Next for Abe’s Order will probably be the Amalgamated Packaging Handicap (2000 m on the final day of the meeting next Saturday.

taramoa, owned in Canterbury by Mrs Mary Dailey, and trained al Gore by Ted Winsloe, filled second at fairly generous odds. He had just missed in the Brabazon Handicap a week earlier. Firpo, fourth a week earlier, cut the Brabazon Handicap

winner, Master Grey, out of third in the last stride.

Acadia, the Winter Cup favourite, was one of the newcomers on the Riccarton circuit. She could not find enough to meet the demands of 1600 m on a rain-affected track. She was a fading eighth after making a brief challenge. Antoinette, the second favourite, failed to meet the challenge posed by deeper ground, and was a well-beaten eleventh.