Good day for favourites at Ashburton

Press, 3 September 1984, Page 30

Good day for favourites at Ashburton

By

ALEX McMILLAN

The supporters of win favourites experienced a remarkable run of success on the first day of the Ashburton County Racing Club’s meeting at Ashburton on Saturday.

The public elect triumphed in seven of the 10 events on the programme, the shortest-priced winner on the day, and definitely one of the most impressive, being the highly regarded Riccarton three-year-old, Canterbury Belle. A well-proportioned chestnut filly by Beaufort Sea out of the Sea Artist mare, Callao Queen, Canterbury Belle never gave her host of supporters any cause for anxiety in the Nottingham Park Stud Maiden No. 2, stretching out effortlessly in third position before cruising up to assume control early in the run home. Chris Johnson did not ask the Dave Kerr-trained runner for any serious effort over the closing stages, yet she was still able to record Imin 13.8 s for the 1200 m on a soft track, a time that was only matched on Saturday by Landofair when he accounted for his open-class sprint rivals in the Woodham Woolstore Handicap. The fact that Canterbury Belle was making her first race-day appearance on Saturday made the performance all the more notable and the sister to the top performer, Kiwi Bride, appears to have a stranglehold on this season’s Wrightsons South Island Filly of the Year title. “She relaxed really well and gave me no worries,”

said Johnson after dismounting, adding that the filly had not demonstrated any signs of her former waywardness at the barrier, a tendency that has been rectified with patient handling in the last few months. Raced by the proprietor of the Inglewood Stud (Kaiapoi), Mr Nick Wigley, and his wife, Carol, Canterbury Belle is an acceptor for tomorrow’s D.B. John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton, and there is a chance that she will contest the $15,000 Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings on September 15. A final decision on a start in the Grigg Stakes will be made this morning when Dave Kerr inspects the filly on his return from the North Island. Canterbury Belle was one of four winners on Saturday sired by the Inglewood Stud stallion, Beafort Sea, the others being Annie Beaufort, La Pomme and General Beaufort. In the Glen almost certainly earned herself favouritism for tomorrow’s P.G.G. Ashburton Cup when she outfinished 12 rivals with contemptuous ease in the 1600 m Star Time Caterers Handicap, the first leg of the T.A.B. double. Settled in fifth position by “Baz” Dowling, In the Glen put the issue beyond doubt in a few strides when manoeuvred into the clear

soon after straightening and was not ridden out to win by almost three lengths from a solid finisher in Steel King, with Spectacular Turn a useful third ahead of Jendra. Paraded in tremendous order by her Riccarton trainer, Garth Jackson, In the Glen was always travelling effortlessly according to Dowling, who will partner the In the Purple mare in tomorrow’s 2220 m feature before returning home to Hamilton. Dowling expressed a desire on Saturday to return to the South Island, however, probably in about a month’s time and perhaps on a permanent basis. “I am getting good books of rides down here and I will be giving serious thought to returning,’’ he said. La Pomme, a 12-length trials winner at Orari recently, was the centre of some confident and welldirected support in the second leg of the double, the 1200 m White Robe Lodge Stud Handicap, despite not having raced for almost five months. The chestnut made a successful race debut from the Balcairn stable of John Parsons at the corresponding meeting last year, and although successful once more from that stable later last season she was generally

very disappointing, suffering from a virus complaint. The mare’s owners, Messrs Bill Burdon and Peter White, decided to place her with Ray Pankhurst this season when he shifted his training operation from Invercargill to Orari seven weeks ago and she confirmed her impressive appearance in the birdcage by comprehensively accounting for her nine rivals.

After trailing to the home turn, La Pomme was kicked out to a commanding lead early in the straight by John Dowling and she was more than two lengths clear of rampart Ranfurly Lass and a disappointing Xerox at the finish, recording Imin 13.95.

A major disappointment was the three-year-old, Black Arrow, which was never travelling comfortably in the soft ground at any stage, finishing a wellbeaten eighth.

His co-trainer and rider, Ron McCann, intends to proceed with plans to run the Licorice Stick colt in tomorrow’s D.B. John Grigg Stakes, hoping that the track will provide firmer footing than that which prevailed on Saturday.

Although both favourites on the win machine, In the

Glen and La Pomme returned their supporters a surprisingly generous T.A.B. double dividend of $17.65. Orb and Red Rolfe were other three-year-olds to clear novice ranks over 1200 m on Saturday.

Orb was one of three winners on Saturday prepared at Washdyke by Pat Corboy (Proud Leigh and General Beaufort were the others) and the Noble Bijou gelding is rated highly by his trainer.

Although inclined to race rather greenly, Orb was never under serious threat in the Nottingham Park Stud Maiden No. 1 and was easing down more than a length clear of Sweet Sue at the finish. His successful partner, Jim Collett, will ride him again tomorrow in the D.B. John Grigg Stakes. The Neil Coulbeck-trained Red Rolfe came from a seemingly hopeless position ater 400 m to register a narrow but thoroughly deserved win in the Nottingham Park Stud Maiden No. 3.

His winning time of lmin 15.5 s was not outstanding, but the finishing burst of the Palatable colt suggested that he would not be difficult to place to advantage in longer distance events later in the season.