Another cup success for John Peel

Press, 26 October 1982, Page 34

Another cup success for John Peel

By

W. R. CARSTON

John Peel justified solid backing and enhanced his prospects for the New Zealand Cup next month with a stylish victory in the North Canterbury Cup for the second consecutive year at Rangiora yesterday. This latest success was John Peel's second on end — he had won the Geraldine Cup at his previous start — and his eighth altogether in the colours of his Ashburton owners, Miss Andrea Peddie and her father, Tom. John Peel, which is trained at Ashburton by Jim Lalor, will have one further race before the “big one” at Riccarton. That will be the Banks Peninsula Cup at Motukarara next Saturday.

Danny Frve, who also partnered John Peel in his successful bid at Orari, had

the Sovereign Edition five-year-old in close touch with the pace all the way yesterday. He had him on the outer of Kelly Robe and on the inner of Orfair in the line behind the co-leaders Weinmeister and Sovereign’s Will as they ran down the back and he sent the favourite after Quay Princess on the home turn after the Blen-heim-trained mare had tried to slip the field 800 m out.

John Peel closed on Quay Princess quickly as they approached the straight and was a clear leader beginning the run home. He kept clear of all challengers in the last 150 m and beat Double Jay, a strong finisher from midfield which spoilt his chance by ducking in in the run home, by a length and a quarter. Quay Princess, in cramped

quarters on the inside in the last 50m lasted for third. She was three parts of a length behind Double Jay and a similar distance in advance of Just A Rebel, which arrived late on the scene after getting far back in the early running. Weinmeister weakened to fifth and Third Degree improved several places late in the contest the lead in the others. A few heavy showers before the first leg and several others later in the day made the track conditions perfect for the talented Washdyke sprinter, Soaring High, and ■he duly obliged by carrying a small army of backers through in the second leg. the Wade Sports 1200. In winning this one in the colours of the wife of his trainer, Pat Corboy, Soaring High put his eighth victory

on record. In addition to having the footing he likes best Soaring High, with the Riccarton apprentice, Ruth Cooper, up, had the advantage of a 4.5 kg allowance on his carded weight of 57kg.

Cooper allowed Soaring High to track the pacemaking Lover Boy till the home turn, sent him clear as they made the straight, and although Double March made a belated dab close to the end the favourite had no trouble keeping him out by half a length. Double March, which had only Black Gull and the riderless Little Dan behind him on the home turn, nosed Frontiniac out of second and Ocean Ribbon, in the same line as Frontiniac on the home turd, battled into fourth, two lengths back. Lover Boy led in the others.