Delark shades Freightmail in main race at Addington

Press, 8 March 1984, Page 31

Delark shades Freightmail in main race at Addington

By

G. K. YULE

Delark added to her splendid record for consistency when she held out a stern late challenge from Freightman in the Spalding Sports Goods Handicap at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington Raceway last evening.

Delark, a member of lan Cameron’s team, has had three seconds and two fourths from her five starts since she won the Nelson Cup in January. She is an acceptor for the Hororata Cup on Saturday, but, according to her trainer, she will be reserved for the Cheviot Cup a week later. Freightman’s run was a splendid one for a three-

year-old. He was in the open early and then followed the winner as she led over the last 1700 m. He put in a spirited last 100 m and went down by only a head in a race in which the last 400 m was run in 295.

Rapid Lustre, which sprinted up wide out on the home turn and avoided much of the skirmishing which marked this section

of the race, was five lengths back third, shading Duplex Hanover, with Winfield Kai making ground to head the others.

The firm favourite, Lady El, broke at the start and again inside the last 200 m, finally finishing tenth. Claire de Lune, which started racing at Motukarara last Thursday, showed the benefit of that run when she took the $5365 first stake in the John Brandon Fillies’ Triple Crown Classic.

She improved to take the lead 1500 m out and drew away in the run home to win by three lengths from her stablemate, Kotare Idyll, with Elkedra battling into third, just ahead of Graymoore. Gio Byrd, having her first start, was a respectable fifth. A filly by Midshipman from Kenton Gold, Claire de Lune is raced by Mr G. J. Ormandy, of Oamaru, for whom she is trained at West Melton by Robert Dunn and Paul Black. She looks as though she will be a leading contender in the big

fillies’ events later in the season.

Globe Tour capped off some consistent racing with an easy win in the Spalding Futura Stakes. He began splendidly from 10m and was soon tracking the pacemaker, Mighty Wood. When the latter began to tire Globe Tour raced to the front and was not extended.

He won by almost five lengths from Lord Alias, with a. slightly longer break to Beau Tarenz, which made ground. Sharvano, checked badly at the start, went remarkably well for a close fourth, just ahead of Guy Armbro, with a gap to the favourite, Not Now, which showed little dash, in marked contrast to wins at his two previous starts. Globe Tour, a colt by Avalon Globe from Royal Tour, is trained near Ashburton by Frank Bebbington, who races him in partnership with Mr Dave Oxnam, of Murchison, the breeder of a former champion trotter in Nigel Craig. As usual he was driven by Lynette Bebbington.