Parsons-trained runner may again lift Otago prize

Press, 30 September 1983, Page 9

Parsons-trained runner may again lift Otago prize

By

J. J. BOYLE

Nothing much has changed since the Otago Racing Club’s Grandstand Handicap a year ago.

Last year Newmarket, Myra May and Sovereign’s Will were beaten into the minor berths by the John Parsons-trained Good Way. Newmarket, Myra May, and Sovereign’s Will will again be in the line-up for tomorrow’s Grandstand Handicap, but again they might have to bow to a runner for the Parsons stable, this time the six-year-old mare, Startle.

After wins at her last two starts, one of them over the Grandstand Handicap distance (2200 m last Saturday, Startle is shaping like one of the most interesting newcomers to the upper echelon of South Island middle distance performers this spring. She is by Pep, a New' Zealand Derby winner, and descends from Money-Go-Round, which was shaping like a New Zealand Cup prospect in Canterbury until she was sidelined through unsoundness. Last week Startle made easy work of winning on a soft track after dictating much of the pace. The step up to a higher grade could well be balanced by weight relief of 3kg, leaving her with 53.5, or 2.5 kg below the top weight, Myra May.

Tomorrow’s race will be Myra May’s second this season, but she was active until late in the old season, having Jaeen campaigned at the Wellington winter meeting in July. Myra May won the Riverton Cup under 56kg on a heavy track last Easter. Earlier she had finished out of a place in the Invercargill Gold Cup, contested over a heavy track and won by Supremity, the closest to her in the weights tomorrow.

Sovereign’s Will and Newmarket are competent Can-terbury-trained middle distance performers. Newmarket seems to find an extra leg when Wingatui comes up with one of its heaviest tracks, and if tomorrow’s race is to develop into a hard slog over a muddy strip the seven-year-old from Washdyke might outlast them all.

Pidgeon’s Blood, a stablemate of Myra May, should be one of the better chances in the Bob Shepherd Memorial, second leg of the double.

Pidgeon’s Blood, at four years, is the youngest in the line-up, and her solid racing condition should stand her in good stead, even at 1200 m. She was a fading fourth in the 1400 m South Island Thoroughbred Stakes at the Geraldine meeting, but she gets weight relief for this and should pose problems for Seafarer, which takes time to wind up, and for those like Katiki Bay and Copernicus, stablemates making fresh starts. Jbt: 8 Tab: NF Race 1 11.5 WAKARI BRUSH HURDLES HANDICAP, $2400; 2800 m 1 2135 Cast Iron 6 67.0 H. Pateman 2 2741 Magic Paul 2 66.0 P. Dooney 3 3038 Tideway 3 63.0 S. Allen. 4 3 Uncle Buck 5 62.5 5 0164 Noble River 4 61.0 J. Moffat 6 902 Afore Ye 9 60.5 A. Cowan.

Race 5 1.10 SECOND VISITORS’ HANDICAP, $2000; apprentice riders; 1400 m 1 2482 Cloud Dancer 8 56.0 C. Johnson.

Scratched: Donizetti. Race 7 2.25 T.A.B. DOUBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA GRANDSTAND HANDICAP $5OOO, 2200 m. 1 0 Myra May 10 56.0 Autumn form was good, and had well earned win in Riverton Cup. Failed 2000 m at Grand National meeting in only start this season. R. McAra. 2 8738 Supremity 1 55.0 Faded from wide challenging position over 1600 m last week. Respected on her peak middle distance form. Won Invercargill Gold Cup in the wet last season. S. Prince. 3 3845 Flag Lieutenant 3 54.0 Fair run 1600 m last Saturday, and should find this distance closer to his best. A. Robinson. 4 762 Sovereign's Will 4 54.0 Placed run as hurdler at Geraldine should have helped to fit him for his. R. McCann. 5 7609 Newmarket 5 53.5 One-paced stayer, but usually hard to beat when the ground gets heavy on this track. Should be all the better for unplaced run over 1600 m last week. R. Bruce. 6 7711 Startle 8 53.5 Easy winner this distance last Saturday. In stronger field this time, but in the right form to measure up. B. Smith. 7 355 Up The Creek 9 52.5 Only fair run in Geraldine Cup, 2000 m, on Monday, but would not have to improve much to land one of the places here. 8 307 Marotlri 6 52.0

Showed nothing on first day of meeting. P. Richards. 9 9004 Lancaster 7 51.5 Never got close to Startle when fourth last Saturday. R. Montgomery. 10 1740 Mon Anchor 2 51.5 Did not show enough in Geraldine Cup to rate winning chance here. Race 8 2.55 MCLEAN STAKES, $2000; two-year-olds; 800 m

P. Richards. Race 9 3.30 T.A.B. DOUBLE 808 SHEPHERD MEMORIAL $4050, 1200 m. 1 07 Seafarer 2 55.0 Faced latest race on interrupted preparation, and should be stronger chance here. J. Pankhurst. 2 68 El Quondo 5 53.5 Showed speed but no finishing power in his two starts at Grand National meeting. Had his moments on southern courses last season. R. Montgomery. 3 Katiki Bay 3 53.5 First start since May. Won twice at this distance last season, once on a soft track at Tapanui. L. Didham. 4 Barbados 1 53.0 Fresh start. Spelled

last winter soon after winning 1400 m Winton on soft track. M. Crawford. 5 Copernicus 7 53.0 First start since April 4 when she won over 1600 m at Riccarton (Seafarer second) in fast time. P. Richards. 6 3364 Pidgeon’s Blood 6 53.0 Fourth at weight-for-age at Geraldine on Monday and gets relief from scale weight for this. Seasoned and should go close. J. Dowling. 7 Royal Meg 4 53.0 First start since placed run middle distance, Invercargill, March 19. Others preferred at this distance. R. McAra. 8 45 Manila 8 52.0 Rates something of a lightweight chance after two useful runs this season. S. Anderton. Race 10 4.5 T.A.B. QUINELLA KAIKORAI HANDICAP, $2200; 1600 m

7 0475 Dean Swift 10 C. Roberts. 60.5 8 0844 Boulder City 7 60.0 R. Collett. 9 759 Goldie Step 1 60.0 10 Marque Vue 8 60.0 Race 2 11.40 FIRST COUNTY MAIDEN, $1800; 1400m i 5 Adorable 6 55.0 2 8 Air Lord 17 55.0 4 00 Dairne 14 55.0 L. Didham 5 3332 Double Gin 11 55.0 6 4 Hau Tonga 1 55.0 S. Allen. 7 0 Lady Thorlong 2 55.0 8 554 Lady Rockburn 5 55.0 J. Dowling 9 8 Major Lee 8 55.0 10 805 Silver Gaivic 3 55.0 A. Robinson. 11 Solar Pulse 9 55.0 S. Prince. 12 73 Toddy Malone 15 55.0 R. Montgomery. 13 0 Autumn Honey 12 53.0 14 5090 Hoto Hui Lad 7 53.0 T. Matthews. 15 6 My Guard 10 53.0 16 3 Retreat 16 53.0 A. Tait. .. Scratched: Chiasso, Salutation. Race 3 12.10 SECOND COUNTY MAIDEN. $1800; 1400m 1 70 Again and Again 8 55.0 R. Montgomery 2 93 Anna's Turn 14 55.0 J. Moffat. 3 002 Counter Blast 5 55.0 R. Bruce. 4 323 De Toscana 11 55.0 A. Robinson. 5 0709 Grenoble 13 55.0 J. Dowling 6 0 Honey Galore 4 55.0 S. Prince. 7 855 Kuriheka Lad 10 55.0 8 0 McAngus 17 55.0 J. Pankhurst. 9 2 Primula 2 55.0 D. Skerrett. 10 05 Seven Seas 1 55.0 G. Davison 12 00 Totara Gold 16 55.0 13 Autumn Rust 12 53.0 14 Ledanwat 3 53:0 15 008 Midnight Sovereign 6 53.0 16 0 Rhett’s Mate 15 53.0 T. Matthews. Scratched: Tina Kumai, Super Micron. Race 4 12.40 FIRST VISITORS HANDICAP, $2000, apprentice riders, 1400m 1 7693 Vrinsk 4 56.0 S. Reid. 2 Black Pete 8 55.5 C. Roberts. 3 1 Graikos 3 55.5 T. Matthews. 4 03 Pinafore 10 55.5 D. Muir 5 081 Silver Shilling 5 55.5 6 004 Abelard 2 55.5 H. Thomas. 7 Exceptionnei Miss 9 55.5 R. Montgomery 8 High Flyer 11 55.0 9 2 Red Consul 6 55.0 R. Bruce 10 0077 Gay Mark 1 54.5 S. Turner. 11 0806 Mountain Raider 7 54.0

2 76 Allez Bijou 10 55.5 3 S. Anderton. 0099 Culdass 3 55.5 4 R. Montgomery 9310 Individualist 9 55.5 5 045 Sandeeno 2 55.5 6 D. Skerrett. 40 Student Grant 5 55.5 7 T. Matthews. 15 Cairngom 4 55.0 8 0659 Half A Carat 11 55.0 9 S. Reid 08 Estaner 6 54.5 10 H. Thomas. 8 Midnight Caper 7 54.5 B. Smith. Scratched: Sereb. Race 6 1.45 DUNEDIN GUINEAS AND J.B. REID CUP, $7800; three-year-olds; 1600m 1 2156 All Trebles 10 55.5 2 R. McCann. 28 Ballway 9 55.5 3 L. Didham. 3862 Decieboy 6 55.5 5 J. Pankhurst. 56 First Prince 5 55.5 6 S. Anderton. 11 Gaffa 13 55.5 7 8 4761 General Beaufort 8 04 Halcyon Days 7 55.5 55.5 9 R. McAra. 181 Hills Peak 2 55.5 10 H. Goscomb 206 His Latest 1 55.5 11 431 Marche Noir 4 55.5 12 13 C. Johnson. 3506 Our Secret Weapon 3 A. Robinson. 0142 Pronto King 11 55.5 55.5 14 J. Dowling. 121 Tirana 12 55.5

1 Ebony Stick 2 B. Smith. 54.0 2 King of Light 9 54.0 3 Kyolic 10 A. Robinson 54.0 4 Ruamar 6 A. Tait. 54.0 5 Thundering Double 7 J. Moffat. 54.0 6 Fair Nicolai 4 J. Dowling. 52.0 7 Nickaletta 1 52.0 8 Saffron Queen 8 T. Matthews. 52.0 9 Smooth Water 5 M. Crawford. 52.0 10 Windsor Lily 3 52.0

1 28 Lucan’s Double 12 57.0 C. Johnson. 2 59 Glenanton 9 56.5 A. Robinson. 3 617 River Glow 2 56.5 P. McKay. 4 1531 Vaguely Royal 2 G. Davison. 56.5 5 2 Dulcia 7 55.5 J. Pankhurst. 6 Holy Water 5 55.5 M. Crawford. 7 4 Top Row 11 55.5 8 0562 Double Gem 13 54.5 S. Turner. 9 9 Egyptian Princess 3 54.0 10 53 Regal Cloud 1 54.0 R. Montgomery 11 054 Tanglrula 10 54.0 J. Dowling 12 4309 Ashmac 8 53.5 13 08 Him Pronto 14 53.5 S. Allen. 14 085 Scorcher 4 53.5 R. McAra.