Smith confident of quinella

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 37

Smith confident of quinella

From ALLAN BROWN

Melbourne

The way last year's Melbourne Cup winner, Just A Dash, went in training at Flemington yesterday prompted his ever-optimistic trainer, Tommy Smith, to say in all earnestness that he now would “quinella” the big race next Tuesday. Smith of course, has Kingston Town in the Cup and, besides Just A Dash, is hopeful of supervising the sadr dling of Brewery Boy, Lancelotto and Port Carling for the event. ’ The latest work of Just A Dash, over 2000 m, 10m out on Flemington’s course proper, was certainly eyecatching. The gelding not only went fast but had the measure, easily of Veloso, a three-year-old of much more than ordinary performance. The two horses, Just A Dash, ridden by John Collinson, a Smith stable em-

ployee; and Veloso, by Ron Quinton, began from the 2000 m together and kept on terms until some 600 or 700 metres from the finish where the older horse began to draw away. Just a dash was out on his own by a dozen lengths or more at the finish, returning 2min 16s for the 2000 m, 49s for the last 800 m and 36.25 s for the 600 m.

Collinson, once an apprentice in Smith’s Randwick stable, was out of racing for a time, but is now a “work” rider for the Sydney trainer. He could not hide his enthusiasm over the performance of Just A Dash.

“Just brilliant boss," was Collinson’s almost breathless reply to Smith’s routine question — “Well, how did he “go?” when Just A Dash came back into the centre of the track to cool off.

Just A Dash, now a five-year-old, has not won since the Melbourne Cup last year, but he has had no more than

five races.

After the Cup last year Just A Dash was immediately let up, then brought back for two Sydney races in the autumn, the Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm in which he finished third, and the Rawson Stakes, at Rosehill, in which he beat all but Allez Bijou in a fast 2000 m. Since back from a further lay-off through the winter, Just A Dash has had three starts for a fourth in the Underwood Stakes, a second in the Herbert-Power Handicap and then fourteenth of 18 in the Caulfield Cup. Nobody seems concerned over the failure of Just A Dash in the Caulfield Cup, form in that race is best ignored most agree, with the race being run in rain and on a wet, shifty track. Events at Moonee Valley last week-end lent weight to that opinion — Wellington Road, placed behind Just A Dash at Caulfield, was up to

a second placing behind Triumphal March in the Moonee Valley Cup. | Quinton and the trainer, Neville Begg, were greatly disappointed yesterday in Veloso. The horse, Quinton said, seemed to “get lost and star gaze.” Begg said he could find nothing wrong with Veloso. He would be going ahead with the colt’s V.R.C. Derby preparation but a Melbourne Cup start was highly unlikely. Most Melbourne Cup horses were at Flemington yesterday. One of them Kingston Town, was kept to light exercise but Queen’s Road and My Sir Avon, besides Just A Dash, were a couple who went at-speed. The 2000 m in 2min 16.25 s by Queen's Road, the last 600 m in 38s, looked thoroughly good work and My Sir Avon drew himself attention when dashing home to round off 2000 m with 600 metres in 365. 7. .