Frontline expected to extend Coast record

Press, 25 February 1983, Page 27

Frontline expected to extend Coast record

By

J. J. BOYLE

Frontline has an impressive strike rate on the small West Coast courses, and could improve his record in the Morley Handicap at Westport tomorrow.

His last five wins have been on West Coast courses. One of them was in the Morley Handicap at Westport fast season. His only two wins this season, both achieved in style, were in the Reefton Gold Cup and the Kumara Nuggets.

He won the Reefton Cup by six lengths, the historic Kumara race by four under 54kg and if he can find that level of form again top weight of 57kg might not stop the Ashburton-trained six-vear-o]d tomorrow.

Gaelic Bid will be trying for a home town victory, and local support might 'make

him favourite. But Frontline has had the better of their clashes at the distance. Gaelic Bid was unplaced in last year’s Morley Handicap. At his last start he finished fourth in the Reefton Cup. but was close to 10 lengths down the track behind Frontline. Gaelic Bid will meet Frontline 4kg better this time, but will still find it a formidable assignment to turn the tables. Another Story struggled until last week’to find the level of form that characterised her five-year-old racing two years ago. The turning point came at

the Riccarton Turf Club’s meeting, where she won in style over 1600 m at weight-for-age. She might have improved further with that race and in the experienced hands of Ron McCann she could trouble Frontline at the weights. Sovereign's Will should be the improver of the field; he resumed with a fourth behind Another Story on his home track last week in his first start since October. Princess Nardia will come into the boom if the track is soft or heavy, as it was when she won at the Greymouth meeting in January. Alarming, a consistent

stablemate of Frontline, is one of the brighter chances for the Dominion Breweries Handicap, the second leg of the T.A.B. double.

He ran Flying View in the corresponding race at Westport last year, and has continued to race consistently in sprint fields this time up. One of his better recent runs was a second over 1200 m at the Southland meeting on February 12. Ocean Ribbon will be a second form runner for the Jim Lalor stable, and Peligro and Our Silver, through their combined efforts, could give West Coast stables a lively interest in the outcome.