‘Fat’ jockey lost winning ride on Indigod

Press, 2 September 1981, Page 25

‘Fat’ jockey lost winning ride on Indigod

By

J. J. BOYLE

Indigod showed impressive front-running powers to humble his 17 rivals in the Gordons Gin Handicap first leg of the Ashburton County Racing Club’s T.A.B. double yesterday.

He was a chance mount for Ron McCann, who switched from Lady Creosote when the Gore jockey. Jim Collett, found he would not have been able to ride the Riccarton horse below 53kg. Indigod was weighted with 50.5 kg and McCann rode him at 51.25 kg. Collett switched to LadyCreosote. which finished sixth. “He was always going to win.” McCann said after he bought Mr Roger Swolf's five-year-old out on top by four lengths.

Indigod. the first son of Godavari to win in New Zealand — he made the breakthrough a few weeks before Little Brown Jug's first triumph — is trained at Riccarton by Peter Jones and Chris Mol. Jones said yesterday that he would consider pointing Indigod for metric mile events at the Wellington spring meeting. “He’s a top horse when the sting is out of the ground." Jones said yesterday. Indigod was a strong stable hope for the Winter

Cup after he ran a close third in the Brabazon Handicap. He ran last in the Canterbury Jockey Club's $20,000 race, but it was found that he had wrenched muscles in his back. Fortunately he responded quickly to treatment and carried strong stable confidence when he won at odds of eight to one yesterday.

Good Way carried top weight of 57kg into second, a run which will assure him of heavy backing in the Ashburton Cup on Saturday.

He had at least 10 ahead of him half-way through the race, but flashed home to cut the veteran. Sir James, out of second by half a neck.

The 10-year-old. Sir James, was having his first flat race since July 4. but improved his good strike rate on his home course with his third.

Closest behind him at the end was Ernest, another 10-year-old. and he was followed in by All Smiles. Lady Creosote. Flying Ribot, and Firefly.