Convincing win by Clansman

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 34

Convincing win by Clansman

By

W. R. CARSTON

Clansman continued his preparation for the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton next Saturday with a convincing victory against those of his own age in the Canterbury Building Society Mlle at Rangiora yesterday. This latest success, the Aythorpe colt’s third from his last four starts, brought some compensation to his Blenheim owner, Mr Don Cameron, for a last-start failure in the Wellington Guineas and convinced his Riccarton trainer, Dave Kerr, that the talented three-year-old is close to his best again. Those who witnessed Clansman’s success yesterday would find it hard to imagine him being below peak fitness. But his trainer feels he is a bit soft yet and will need another race before

the classic. That will be a' handicap event at Motukarara next Saturday.

All Robinson had Clansman handily positioned from the start yesterday. He ran into the last 600 m at the quarters of the pacemaker, Lampray and dashed into a clear lead before they made the straight. Clansman coasted home by two and a half lengths from Dainty Dish, which had received the run of the race behind Lampray till the home turn. Upper Cut, which shared the fourth line with Charles Beaufort till the home turn, finished strongly to cut Laughing Lover out of third by a neck but was two lengths from Dainty Dish. Charles Beaufort was a weakening fifth and Auchentoshan came from far back to lead in the others.