Long wait ends for apprentice

Press, 3 October 1983, Page 32

Long wait ends for apprentice

Special correspondent Dunedin

Double Gem’s win in the Kaikorai Handicap at Wingatui on Saturday ended a long wait for Steven Turner, the Wingatui apprentice. Double Gem was Turner’s first winner and came after 51 mounts over the last nine months.

Turner, aged 17, who is apprenticed to Hector Anderton, Sen., rated Double Gem well in front and she never looked like being headed.

John Parsons, the Balcairn trainer, kept up his good strike rate for the season when Sandeeno won the Second Visitor’s Handicap. Sandeeno’s win was the ninth this season for Parsons, who has also been successful with Tirana

(twice), La Pomme, Sir Ashley (twice), Startle (twice), and Graikos. Sandeeno joined the Parsons stable last month after changing hands for $l5OO at the South Island sale. He is now raced by John McCormick and Peter Kerr, of Christchurch. Myra May surprised her trainer and part-owner, Don Collett, with her win the Grandstand Handicap. “I thought she would need the run. She had a month off work since she last raced,” said Collett after Myra May ran on solidly from close to the pace to win by two lengths. Newmarket, which disputed the pace with Startle from the 1000 m fought on for second, and the favourite, Flag Lieutenant, faded to third after looking likely early in the run home.