Princess Dan wins her second ‘Classic’

Press, 7 May 1984, Page 36

Princess Dan wins her second ‘Classic’

From

W. R CARSTON

Blenheim As far as Bill Fugle was concerned this current racing season had not been one of his most lucrative. But things took a turn for the better at Blenheim on Saturday when Princess Dan won her second Radio Marlborough Classic in the colours of her Feilding ownertrainer and his wife, Doreen.

The five-year-old daughter of Mr Dan and Pavo Star is fast earning herself a reputation as something of a Waterlea specialist. This latest victory was the eighth of her career and her third on the Marlborough Racing Club’s course.

Princess Dan’s first success at Blenheim was as a two-year-old. She returned there the following season, at the height of an outstanding patch of form, to win her first Radio Marlborough Classic. That victory, her fourth on the trot, was preceded by winning runs at Rangiora and the 1982 C.J.C. Easter meeting. Two years ago, Bill Fugle, a retired service station proprietor and farmer, had high hopes of saddling his first Marlborough Cup winner. But that was not to be, for the

day after her first Radio Marlborough Classic victory Princess Dan was lame and she did not get another start at the meeting. Perhaps Bill Fugle’s longheld ambition will be realised on Wednesday, and if it is Princess Dan will have advanced her stakes earnings beyond the $50,000 mark. The 54659 she earned for first on Saturday took her stakes tally to $47,750.

Princess Dan’s success on Saturday marked another triumph in the race-riding record of Sharon Reid. The 17-year-old Riccarton apprentice, who only resumed race-riding at the Otago Hunt meeting last Friday after a month’s holiday, had not previously ridden the Fugle-trained mare but handled her with good judgment and skill. “I told her that the mare could not sprint so her only hope of winning was to take her to the front 600 m from home and put the pressure on the others to try and peg her back,” said Fugle after the race. Reid carried out those instructions to the letter. She secured a perfect trail for princess Dan behind the joint pacemakers, Flying Milley and Dha, till they

reached the end of the back straight, then took her forward past the tiring leaders 600 m out Although Gaelic Bid finished fast from midfield and was cutting into her lead close to the end, he failed by a neck to peg her back.

Four Crowns, last-equal with Errol Flynn for much of the race, made ground for third but never looked like getting to grips with the first two. He outfinished the favourite, Page Boy, by three and a half lengths.

Page Boy raised the hopes of his backers when he made a promising run from the rear group to be a clear third beginning the run home but was under heavy pressure within a few strides. Double You Em and King’s Royal, which both appeared to have their chances, were the best of the others. As a combination Extra Glance and Grant Elliot do not have many moments of glory but the six-year-old Wandering Eyes mare came up with one of her best runs on Saturday and carried off the thick end of the stake in the open sprint, the Double Brown Handicap.

This was Extra Glance’s third win this season for her Levin trainer, Kevin Elliot,

who races her in partnership with her Cambridge breeder, Peter Hannon, and two committee men of the Levin Racing Club, Alister Shaw and Gordon Ryder. Young Elliot, who is apprenticed to his father, gave Extra Glance the run of the race behind the co-leaders, Magellan and Cadmium, to the straight. He found racing room on the inner for the mare early in the run home and she ran the 1410 m out strongly to win by a length from Beach Bird, a strong finisher from the pack. It was probably fortuitous for both winner and runnerup that Cadmium, only half a neck away, third, was severely checked as they began the run home. Magellan, with which he had disputed the pace, veered out as they came out of the turn and bumped the top weight, almost taking his legs from under him.

Double March and Whirokino, the two tailenders till the home turn, led in the others.

The win favourite, Purple Crown, faded quickly from the 600 m and finished last in a long gap. There was no official explanation for this weak showing.