Collett wins fair hand and Guineas

Press, 4 October 1982, Page 40

Collett wins fair hand and Guineas

By

J. J. BOYLE

The successful Gore jockey, Jim Collett, announced his engagement on Saturday to Catherine Anderton, a member of one of Otago’s notable racing families.

He did the occasion proud bv riding Super Dude to victory in the seventieth running of the Dunedin Guineas. He was however, thwarted in his attempt to add the McLean Stakes to his record on Imperial Rose by Pinafore. the mount of Collett's future brother-in-law. Shane Anderton.

Collett, who won the Dunedin Guineas last year on Row of Waves, was mildlysurprised to find Super Dude zestful enough to win by a length and a half on Saturday.

"He felt like a tired horse in his work on Friday." Collett said after the race.

Super Dude had also failed over 1400 m in a minor event on the first day of the Otago meeting, but he was working efficiently on all systems for his triumph over 1600 m on a soft track on Saturday.

The turning point of the race probably came on the turn 800 metres'out when Riccarton's Charles Beaufort w'as forced wide on the track by Courier Flight.

His rider. Les Didham. felt certain that incident lost Charles Beaufort the race. Charles Beaufort rallied bravely to make a bid for the lead, but the demands made on him earlier weighed heavily against him when Collett brought Super Dude forward for his dogged challenge. Still that placed run by Charles Beaufort gave encouraging evidence of the strength of Canterbury three-y,ear-olds. Charles Beaufort is a stablemate of the talented Clansman, an impressive winner of the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton last monthClansman's connections decided to bypass the Dunedin Guineas, because the chestnut is at a disadvantage on soft tracks. Charles Beaufort, however, which had been seventh in the John Grigg Stakes, might well, have brought off a good spring double for Dave Kerr's stable with better luck in the running on Saturday.

Super Dude was third behind Clansman in the John Grigg Stakes. Next for the Riverton-owned and trained son of Super Gray will be the Gore Guineas Trial, and then the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton.

Super Dude cost Mr Lester Morris, a Southland fisherman. J4OOO as a yearling, a private purchase after the horse had been passed in at $2OOO at auction in gillQueen's Pal. the win favourite for the Dunedin Guineas, was a battling third only half a head behind Charles Beaufort. Russell McAra found the run of the race for the robust Palatable filly, and that placed run in only her second start for the season carried the stamp of gameness and quality that should be translated into more rewarding results in feature races for the fillies. Pinafore, winner of the McLean Stakes at odds of 20 to one. was badly injured

when caught up in a fence and still shows signs of the incident. Had she not been a filly her breeder. Mr Chris Dillon, doubts if she would have been nursed along on a long recovery road.

In 50 seconds on Saturday, however, Pinafore displayed qualities of a promising young athlete and whatever she does on the track in future she will have potential as a producer. Pinafore is raced by Mesdames Glen Dillon and Alma Reece-Jones, and is by the highly successful Canterburysire Beaufort Sea from Anita Kay. a winning daughter of Mellav.

Imperial Rose was unchallenged for her second, and might have set Pipafore a' more formidable task if she had drawn close to the inside.

Riccarton stables had two runners. Dark Trophy was a promising third, but Auk Princess, the each-way favourite. never reached a contending position and had onlytwo behind her at the end.