Poblete rides T.A.B. double at Timaru

Press, 20 September 1982, Page 24

Poblete rides T.A.B. double at Timaru

By

J. J. BOYLE

■■A working gallop.” That was how Poblete described Magellan’s win in the Timaru Racing Club’s 6000 at Washdyke on Saturday.

The Chilean jockey, who has now partnered Magellan for a hat-trick of wins, held the Riccarton powerhouse galloper in high regard before their latest triumphs, which included the Brabazon Handicap and the Winter Cup at Riccarton. He also has a special affection for Firpo, on which he won the Simon Hocking Handicap, second leg of Saturday’s T.A.B. double. Riding the winner of a T A B. double was no new experience for Poblete in New Zealand. He achieved that distinction on Little Brown Jug and Slv Wink at Wingatui in

Februarv. 1980. . Poblete has now won five races on Firpo. and it was Firpo which gave him his first winning ride in NewZealand. at the Hororata meeting in May. 1979. soon after his arrival from Chile. Firpo failed to win last season, but he has come back strongly as a nine-year-old this term. “A rising 10-year-old acting like a four-year-old." Firpo’s Riccarton trainer Tom Lalor remarked after he led the star of his stable back for the weigh-in on Saturday. In the last four of his 18 wins Firpo has carried the colours of Tom's wife, Mrs

Greta Lalor, who bought the horse in August of last year from Mr Cliff Marsh, of Greymouth. Firpo will now be prepared for the New Zealand Cup, and one of his lead-up races will probably be at Rangiora on Labour Day. Helen Preston, the Riccarton trainer of Magellan, is considering taking the five-vear-old to Trentham for the Wellington spring meeting, where a suitable race could be the historic Pearce Handicap (1600 m Later there will be rewarding opportunities for him at the New Zealand Cup meeting. Indigod, a determined fin-

isher. but a distant second behind Magellan on Saturday. will also have his spring programme directed towards the New Zealand Cup meeting. Sporting Show, however, a good third behind the Riccarton two on Saturday, could be seen out at Wingatui next Saturday. Sporting Show finished at a great rate over 1200 m on Saturday, and his ownertrainer, Gordon Thomson, is hoping for a dry track for Show Gate's eldest son w-hen he puts him into a 1600 m race at the Otago spring meeting.