Gaffa fails in trial; Trentham trip ruled out

Press, 10 October 1983, Page 26

Gaffa fails in trial; Trentham trip ruled out

J. J. BOYLE

A start for Gaffa in the Wellington Guineas next Saturday was ruled out after he failed to reach the first four in a 1600 m race trial at Motukarara yesterday. The Wellington Racing Club has offered to meet the

transport costs for a trip to Wellington for Gaffa, but the unbeaten youngster’s owner-trainer, Dave Kerr, delayed a decision until yesterday’s Riccarton Turf Club trials.

“That was not good enough to earn him a trip to Trentham,” Kerr said after Gaffa finished fifth of eight in one of two 1600 m events for all classes yesterday.

Kerr said he was not concerned by Gaffa’s run.

Gaffa’s event was the last of 19 contests and by the time it was decided there had been light rain on the track.

And Kerr said earlier in the day that even if Gaffa

had been taken to Trentham for the guineas, he would have pulled him out of the classic if the track happened to be soft. Gaffa’s rider, Chris Johnson, said the My Friend Paul gelding had handled yesterday’s track to his satisfaction, but had performed in the same lazy way as he does in his training gallops at Riccarton.

It was left to Gaffa’s stablemate, Charles Beaufort, to bring most interest to bear on the finish of the final event on yesterday’sprogramme.

Silver Print, under vigorous handling from John Dowling, won by a head, but Charles Beaufort was cutting into the lead with little apparent effort. Whirl was another neck away, third.

Silver Print ran the 1600 m in 1:40.4, the last 800 m in 49.85. Dreamville won the other 1600 m event for all classes with a sustained run that

carried him out on top by a neck from Hiwinui, which hared away to a wide lead in the middle stages.

Five Over Five was a length further back third. Dreamville’s time for the 1600 m was 1:40.6, and for the last 800 m, also 49.8. Earlier in the afternoon Clansman put in an appearance against the 1200 m sprinters of all classes. To the surprise of no one, Mr Don Cameron’s big chestnut won in style, if only by half a length, from Sutch, which outfinished the pacemaking Sharlanza by a length. Clansman’s winning time was 1:12.2.

Little if any less impressive at 1200 m was the three-year-old Tirana in winning a heat of the event for maidens and winners of up to two races.

Tirana did not have to draw on all his reserves to win by a half neck from the quick front runner, Tommy Steele. He was privately timed to run the 1200 m in

1:11.8, and the official time for the event was 1:12.01. These times were not bettered in any of the other 1200 m contests.

Altogether there were 19 contests and upwards of 160 contestants at yesterday’s fixture.

The Riccarton Turf Club’s hopes of finishing a long programme up to time disappeared when the apprentice, Jackie Oakeshott, was injured after Gay’s Pal burst through the starting gate before one of the events.

Miss Oakeshott was thrown heavily on to the track, and damaged a hip. A rescue mission was delayed while a defect in the ambulance was put to rights, and the start was further held up while a substitute rider was whistled up for Gay’s Pal. The delay did not dim Gay’s Pal’s enthusiasm for the job in hand. This member of Kelvin Quayle’s team won by a nose.