Clansman impressive Grigg Stakes winner

Press, 8 September 1982, Page 34

Clansman impressive Grigg Stakes winner

J. J. BOYLE

Clansman gawked and hesitated for a few long strides, then sped through a gap and won the John Grigg Stakes in style at Ashburton yesterday.

In doing so the big Blen-heim-owned chestnut gave his Riccarton trainer, Dave Kerr, a twentieth anniversary present. The Kerr-owned and trained Seaend won the Ashburton club’s feature race for three-year-olds in 1962, then went on to win the Dunedin Guineas. Clansman will not go after that double this spring. “He’s a dry track horse, and he will stay at home until he runs at Rangiora on Labour Day before the Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton,” Dave Kerr said yesterday. Kerr trains Clansman for Mr Don Cameron, who motored from his home in

Blenheim yesterday to see his big Aythorpe colt win brilliantly by a length from Laughing Lover. Mr Cameron bought Clansman for $6750 at a Waikato sale as a yearling, and his Aythorpe colt shapes as if he will be a worthy successor to Nuriootpa and Kaukapakapa, other good winners in the Cameron colours. Mr Cameron's travelling companion on the long road from Blenheim yesterday was Mr George Humphries, a retired Riccarton trainer, who prepared Nuriootpa for much of his racing. "L might have trained this fellow as well only for having a stroke,” Mr Humphries

said yesterday. “He’s a top horse in the making with lots of scope, and if I had been younger and fitter I would have given my right arm to train him.” Clansman’s Irish-bred sire, Aythorpe, was a son of the outstanding racehorse, Ridan.

Ruth's Beau, dam of Clansman, is by Beau Diable from Royal Ruth by Ruthless from Brown Eyes, by Cassock from Ever Ready, by Battle Song. The best winner from this family in the last 30 years has been Abdul, winner of 17 races, including a Cox Plate and the Sandown Guineas. Another versatile family

member was Beau Rouge, whose wins included the Great Northern Hurdles and the Pakuranga Hunt Cup.

Clansman was one of two runners for the Kerr stable yesterday and competed for outright favouritism with his stablemate Charles Beaufort. A slow start was a handicap Charles Beaufort could not overcome; he finished seventh.

Super Dude, the third favourite, gave Southland a lively interest in the. race by battling into third, a length and a quarter behind Laughing Lover.

Fairway Lass did best of the fillies by finishing fourth.