Difficult decision for Jim Collett

Press, 4 August 1981, Page 23

Difficult decision for Jim Collett

Some time in the not too distant future the successful Gore-based horseman. Jim Collett, could be faced with making the difficult decision of choosing between two of his most promising mounts. It was obvious after Collett had got River Lad home to a narrow but plucky victory in the Cashmere Plate at Riccarton on Saturday that the last thing he wanted to contemplate was the possibility he might be unable to continue his association with the talented Invercargilltrained colt during his sprint campaign.

Although not committed Collett has already told Row of Wave’s Riccarton trainer, Peter Jones, that he would like to continue his association with that highly promis-

ing three-year-old and other members of the Jones's team this season. A long-range plan by Jones to campaign at least half a dozen members of his team in Brisbane during the autumn next year with Collett going along to do the riding could provide the incentive to sway the Southland jockey. But just at present that still leaves Collett in the unenviable position of deciding between divided loyalties and where his best interests lie. There seems nothing surer than that the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton next month and the Dunedin Guineas will be on the spring programmes of both River Lad and Row of Waves.

“I was hoping the situation would not arise where the two would clash but I suppose that's inevitable.” said Collett after Saturday’s race. •'But it’s a bridge I’ll just have to cross when I come to it.” Collett will get the chance to further assess River Lad’s future prospects when he rides him again on the final day of the Grand National meeting next Saturday. Saturday’s success by River Lad was his third in the colours of his Invercargill trainer, Ray Pankhurst, who is a partner in the ownership of the colt with Mr Don Stewart, a retired farmer, and his wife, and Mr Wes Vercoe, an invercargill car dealer.