Southern challengers head north

Press, 7 December 1981, Page 28

Southern challengers head north

By

J. J. BOYLE

Brutus and Pennianne, Canterbury-trained hopefuls for the Avondale Cup on Wednesday were flown from Christchurch to Auckland yesterday. Brutus, the Avondale Cup third two years ago will be ridden in this year’s race by the stable apprentice, Tane Matthews. Grant Cooksley has been engaged for Pennianne, whose Riccarton trainer, John Bourne, hopes for continued broken weather in the north. The brilliant Riccartontrained sprinter, Magellan, will be flown north tomorrow with his stablemate,

Ernest. Both will be ridden in their Avondale engagements by Tito Poblete, who must be hoping for fewer harrowing moments then he had when he partnered Little Brown Jug in the Avondale Guineas two years ago. Several Riccarton trained horses with engagements closer to home in the next few weeks were in action at Riccarton Race Club trials at Riccarton yesterday. The veteran, Blue Sage, which is in her last season of racing acted young in winning one of the 1600 m events for all classes. She finished strongly from the middle to beat Dellana

by a long neck and ran the 1600 m in Imin 37.45. Her holiday programme will probably include the Waikouaiti Cup. a race she has already won. The others behind Blue Sage and Dellana were beaten off in yesterday's event. Silver Sari (third) was in a gap nine lengths. The Harris-trained Lampray easily won the 600 m event for two-year-olds. An 800 m qualifying event for two-year-olds was won by Fairway Lass, an Aristoi — Heat Wave filly, which will be raced on lease by a syndicate of golfers from Michael Pitman’s stable.