Master Mood for Slipper Stakes

Press, 10 December 1983, Page 23

Master Mood for Slipper Stakes

By

G. K. YULE

Master Mood showed talent far above average when he sped away from his rivals at the end of 2000 m run in 2min 36.9 s at Addington on November 19. That effort will ensure that he is one of the favourites for the Golden Slipper Stakes at Waimate today. Master Mood, like most of the fancied candidates for the race, has drawn reasonably, which could be a deciding factor now that the Waimate club has increased the distance of the event from 1700 m to 2000 m.

Today’s starting point is an extremely awkward one, favouring those drawing fairly close in.

Master Mood might encounter the sternest opposition from Olympic Medal, a colt in Robin Butt’s team. He attracted attention to his prospects when he won recently at Motukarara, his run suggesting that he could well develop into one of the best if not the best of his age this season. Bill Hick chased Olympic Medal home at Motukarara. confirming some earlier fine efforts at trials and work-outs. He is one of two speedy youngsters in the race from Jack Smolenski’s team. Smolensk! will drive Nardinski, which went well in two races at Addington last month, while Jack Carmichael will be behind Bill

Hick. Nathan Tryax, a winner at Addington last month, has gone well at trials in the meantime and he will be one of the leading contenders. ; Sir Arden and Horton have shown up in their' racing and thej' could be as good as any of the others. •

However, there are one or two with outstanding re- 1 cords at trials and they ' could cause an upset. Maureen's Dream, a filly by Lordship from Dunedin, has won five trials on end against moderate opposition, while Basilica, from Washdyke, is unbeaten in three attempts. She, too. is by Lordship.