Sir James dies from heart attack

Press, 26 February 1983, Page 22

Sir James dies from heart attack

By

J. J. BOYLE

Sir James (above), a talented, versatile, durable performer for Miss Andrea Peddie, of Ashburton, died following a heart attack on Thursday evening. He won his first race at Ashburton as a four-year-old in 1976 and six years later he scored what proved to be his final victory on the same course. Jim Lalor, of Ashburton, trained Sir James for much of his career, but the Mellay gelding won his first race from the Wingatui stable of Tony Prendergast and Miss Peddie guided him through a five-year-old programme that yielded eight wins. Probably his most spectacular success came in the Ashburton Centennial Cup in 1978. He was the mount of the Takanini horseman, Bobby Vance, and appeared

to have daunting traffic problems in a packed field close to home, yet he won by six lengths. That same season he was a good second to Bahrain in the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Benson and Hedges Handicap. Success eluded Sir James in a brief career as a hurdler, but he was placed in that role. Waronui, a younger brother of Sir James, showed high class form as a three-year-old until his untimely death. Mellay Vite, an elder sister produced the brilliant race mare, Powley, which met her end tragically the day before Sir James won his last race in March of last year.

Powley died on a stormy crossing of Cook Straight after racing at the Wellington autumn meeting almost a year ago.