Busuttin team here for assault on C.J.C. programme

Press, 21 April 1984, Page 25

Busuttin team here for assault on C.J.C. programme

By J. J. BOYLE The Canterbury Jockey Club might well consider making the Foxton trainer, Paddy Busuttin, honorary life members. Busuttin arrived at Riccarton before dawn yesterday with a team of 15 for racing at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s three-day meeting, which opens on Monday. It seems likely that he will have runners in all 10 races on Monday’s programme. It will be one of the biggest teams to have ever represented a North Island stable at Riccarton, and the volume of betting off and on course it alone generates would probably be found acceptable by some minor clubs as all-in turnovers. Busuttin had winning ways with him on two earlier assaults on Riccarton this season. He picked up six wins at the New Zealand Cup meeting, and four at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s summer meeting in February. Busuttin will put two runners, Page Boy and Sha-: zaam, into the field for the 3ZB Easter Classic, the feature race, first leg of the T.A.B. double, and the T.A.B. trifecta event on Monday. Page Boy, which won the Members’ Handicap for the stable at the Cup meeting, will be ridden by Gary Phillips, and Greg Elliot has been engaged for Shazaam. Other Busuttin-trained acceptors for Monday are: Yours Faithfully (Opawa handicap), Rapanella (Warstep Stakes), Genera Lee (Templeton Handicap), Kaiaru Prince (Wigram Malden), Pounding (Diners Club Handicap), Rega Lee (The Barry Corbett), AgraS- (Mister Menswear hanp), General Fripon (Merivale handicap), and Lady Gemma and Chatterley Lass (Prebbleton Handi-

Woodville trainer, John Harris, also arrived yesterday with Suttle knight, another candidate for the 3ZB Easter Classic.

Suttle Knight was the Avondale Guineas winner last season. He has two wins including the Pahiatua Cup on his four-year-old record, and he picked up <15,000 by running third in the WellingThe Wingatui horseman, John Dowling, will ride Suttle Knight on Monday. John Harris had planned to bring Cats Delight south for the Opawa Handicap on Monday, but cancelled the trip for the six-year-old after failing to engage a suitable rider. Rose and Thistle was scratched on Thursday from the 3ZB Easter Classic and the Woodville-trained Compromise is another North Islander which will be taken out of the field. Hopes of running the In-vercargill-trained Kopara were dashed when the seven-year-old from Ray Pankhurst’s team limped back after working on the outside of the course proper at Riccarton on Thursday.

He has shown no improvement yesterday. The Riccarton trainer, John Bourne, has engaged Ron McCann to ride Handome Heir in the 3ZB Classic. Handsome Heir is Bris-bane-bound soon, and Bourne would have liked to have freshened the chestnut after his win in the Rangiora Handicap last Monday, but the owners of the inform five-year-old are keen for a start on Monday. Grant Davison, who won on Handsome Heir at Rangiora, will ride Miles Better on Monday—a combination that will be continued if, as planned, the 10-year-old does his winter racing in Queensland. Fields and form for the T.A.B. double are:— Race 7 2.30 T.A.B. TRIFECTA T.A.B. DOUBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA 3ZB EASTER CLASSIC $27,500; 2000 m I 3018 Miles Better 1 58.0 Durable veteran with weight-carrying prowess. Won with 54.5 over 2400 m at Trentham two starts back. G. Davison. 3 2130 The Dimple 12 57.0 Won with 53.5 over 2200 m at Trentham on March 3. Third behind Miles Better on that course a week later. Tangled by soft track at Manawatu last start. 4 3106 Clansmen 4 56.5 Two latest starts were in 1600 m races at Trentham. Win three starts back was in D.B. Galaxy over 2200 m at Wingatui. C. Johnson. 5 1442 Page Boy 2 55.0 Made good fist of this distance when second to Commissionaire in weight-for-age Ormond Gold Cup. Obvious chance on that run. G. Phillips. 6 0026 Noble Boa 17 54.0 Just missed in Hororata Cup this distance this course two starts back. Smaller Rangiora track last week did not show him to same advantage. L. Didham. 7 0762 Charles Beaufort 15 53.5 Outfinished by Handsome Heir over 2080 m at Rangiora, but a good run for his first at middle distance this time around. J. Pankhurst 8 1971 The Wink 11 53.5 Last-start win was over 2200 m at Invercargill. 9 0010 Anticipate 13 53.0 Failed at Rangiora earlier in week. Doubtful starter. 10 1155 Compromise 16 53.0 Last-start fifth over 2200 m at Hastings was good run. Doubtful starter. II 1113 Top Blend 5 53.0 Carried half a kilo more when third behind Handsome Heir and Charles Beaufort at Rangiora. Won Hororata Cup on this course two starts earlier. Respect. J. Oakeshott 12 8138 Julia's Boy 8 52.5 Win at Oamaru three starts back was in more modest company. G. Blair. 13 3540 Shazaam 22 52.5 Best run earlier in autumn was third behind The Dimple, Kapelle Lady over 2200 m at Trentham on March 3. G. Elliot. 14 0021 Handsome Heir 14 52.0 Won handily this distance with 51kg at Rangiora, and could be better for that run. R. McCann.

15 2427 Kopara 7 52.0 Unlikely runner. 16 7004 Suttle Knight 21 52.0 Form fell away since his third in Wellington Cup, but last-start fourth over 2200 m at Hastings gave promise of something better. J. Dowling. 17 6115 Country Manners 20 . 51.5 Moderate run at Oamaru last time, and this company much stronger. 18 4331 Kade 9 51.5 Earned a start here by winning over 2110 m at Beaumont. Gets sharp weight relief. Not the worst. R. Montgomery. 19 7005 Noble Jewel 6 51.5 Dead-heated for first in this race a year ago. Has not won this season, but had interrupted programme. Respected at the weights. J. Hawes. 20 9485 Pamdora 18 51.0 Fair race behind Handsome Heir at Rangiora, but would have to find sharp improvement to win this. 21 9444 Notusho 3 49.0 Had rocky rails run at Rangiora. Sped home after getting clear late. 22 7080 Shardak 10 49.0 Looking elsewhere. S. Waddell. Scratched: Rose and Thistle.

Race 9 3.50 TAB. DOUBLE TAB. QUINELLA MERIVALE HANDICAP $3250; 1600 m 1 6376 In The Glen 9 57.0 More like her best distance. Two most recent runs were at 1200 m. 2 1121 Native Satin 15 57.0 Last win was over 2200 m at Wingatui. Consistency respected even if this distance short of her best. C. Johnson. 3 2472 General Fripon 6 56.5 Won this distance at Egmont and Carterton meetings in summer. From the Busuttin stable, which has good record on this course. G. Phillips. 4 2854 Machiavelli 2 55.5 Last-start fourth was over middle distance at Westland on February 27. R. McCann. 5 9430 Silver Print 18 54.5 Petered out after pacemaking over 2000 m at Rangiora last Monday. Does not have class performers to contend with here. B. Smith. 6 5729 Black Gull 10 54.0 Failed to run on 2000 m at Rangiora. J. Dowling. 7 0 Miracle Mouse 21 54.0 First start since

August J. Hawes. 8 5547 North Range 22 540 Weak finisher over 2110 m at Beaumont, but showed good early-season form over shorter trips in south. G. Davison. 9 5362 Rebel Star 8 54.0 Runner-up to Beach Bird over 1400 m on this course on March 23. Could go close. P. Richards. 10 1643 Selkirk 5 54.0 Latest run was over 1400 m at Invercargill. Finished about IV9 lengths from winner. 11 0180 Stead 1 54.0 Latest win was at this distance at Riccarton Turf Club on February 16. H. Thomas. 12 7363 Sutch 15 54.0 Has been running sound races but unable to top off efforts over more ground. 13 6009 Aguirre 18 53.5 Has nothing to commend him. 14 6750 Alvaro King 4 53.5 Would have to improve out of sight on latest run. J. Oakeshott. 16 0570 Double March 16 53.5 Fresh start. Hard to fancy. L. Didham. 17 4600 Raise a Lark 20 53.5 Win here would be whopping surprise. 18 0090 Scotch Dream 14 53.5 Has some talent in the wet, but usually struggles when tracks firm up. 19 7811 Lucifer Lad 11 53.0 Won in style at Riccarton and Hororata, each time at this distance. D. Wadley. 20 8242 Beau Magnum 3 52.5 Swamped for finishing speed by Lucifer Lad at Rangiora. 21 0070 Concordia 17 52.5 Has lots to find yet to rate a second thought for this. 22 0236 Blyme 12 52.0 Fair run at Rangiora last time, and might improve on bigger track here. Emergencies: Concordia, Aguirre, Raise a Lark. Scratched: Amacola.