Fairway Lass is sidelined by injury

Press, 6 February 1982, Page 18

Fairway Lass is sidelined by injury

By

J. J. BOYLE

Fairway Lass, a promising two-year-old in Michael Pitman’s Riccarton stable, has been sidelined by injury.

She was sore after she galloped on- Thursday and was scratched yesterday for the Diners Club International Handicap at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting today. The trouble spot in a foreleg was X-rayed yesterday and the nature of the injury should be known today.

The withdrawal of Fairway Lass will consolidate Just A Honey’s position as favourite for the Diners Club Handicap today. Just A Honey, an Imperial Seal filly owned by Mr David Clarkson, a steward of the Canterbury Jockey • Club, goes into today’s race with a record of one second and two fourths from four starts.

Mr Clarkson is also partowner of Just A Rebel, a form runner in the Lion Breweries Handicap, first leg of today’s T.A.B. double. Just A Rebel has a record of three wins, one second and a.fifth from five starts on his home course, where he is prepared by Dave Kerr.

Two of those wins were on < his unbeaten two-year-old record two seasons ago, the third at the Canterbury. Jockey Club’s Christmas’’ meeting this season.

Since his latest win he has raced twice for a second to Firefly in the Waikouaiti Cup and a third in the Kumara Nuggets. On that form, and on the quality of his over-all record, Just A Rebel appears to be one of the brighter chances in. the lower half of the

handicap in today’s 2000 m | race. He has 52kg, and is 2.5 kg j

below the Invercargilltrained Kopara. a five-year-old with promising southern form.

Kopara will be ridden by Jim Pankhurst, who was Powley’s successful partner in the George Adams Handicap at Trentham last week.

Pankhurst’s mount in the Jim Beam Handicap, second leg of the T.A.B. double, will be Napiat, a hard-wearing sprinter from Southland. Another southern sprint hope is The Fluter, whose three starts this season have yielded two wins and a third.

The Fluter is by Beaufort Sea, whose stock have a formidable record in sprints on South Island courses.

Another likely representative for Beaufort Sea in today’s Jim Beam field is Paddy Beaufort,..a last-start

winner at Kurow, and also a winner at Riccarton in December.

Today’s T.A.B. treble will be on the Marque Vue, Darfield, and Canterbury Hotel Handicaps. The Invercargill-trained Red Diploma and Valana, a five-year-old from the Matthews stable at Waikanae. should trouble Canterbury’s best in the Marque Vue Handicap. The Wingatui-trained Lucan’s Double should be one of the better chances in the Darfield Stakes and his rider, Leslie Didham. will have an even more extensive interest in the Canterbury Hotel Handicap. In partnership with his father, Arthur, he trains Jeweller and Noble Jewel, both four-year-olds by Noble Bijou, and has taken the mount on Noble Jewel.