Three winners for Parsons stable at Rangiora

Press, 23 October 1984, Page 40

Three winners for Parsons stable at Rangiora

By

J. J. BOYLE

The Balcairn trainer, John Parsons, took accurate aim on three rces including the feature handicap event at the North Canterbury Racing Club’s meeting yesterday. His third winner was Sir Ashley, which landed his first victory at his fourth attempt for the season in the Lion Brown North Canterbury Cup. His other winners, and easy winners they were, were Sky Rocket in the Morwenstow Juvenile and Patelen in the A. P. Boyle Memorial, first leg of the T.A.B. double. Sir Ashley’s win in the first leg of yesterday’s T.A.B. double gave stable followers visions of a rewarding result with Tirana in the second leg, the Sutherlands Distributors 1200. Another of Bruce Smith’s mounts, Tirana was backed down to win favouritism, got to the front briefly in the straight but was passed by Dainty Dish and then, right at the end, was pegged back by Ranfurly Lass. Bruce Smith allowed Sir Ashley to run in relaxed style at the tail of the field in the early stages of the Cup, but took the six-year-old forward steadily at about half way, and had him poised for a bid for the lead before the home turn.

Julie’s Boy, the second favourite, passed the weakening Flying Milley to strike the front, but Sir Ashley swept past to go clear in a few strides on straightening. Julie’s Boy rallied, but Sir Ashley kept him out by three parts of a length. None of the others could reach a challenging position. Macho Man was two lengths back third and a neck better than the top weight, In the Glen.

The favourite, Our Secret Weapon, was shuffled to the tail of the field in the back straight. He rallied again for fifth, but never looked likely to get closer. In winning the Sutherland Distributors 1200 by four easy lengths, Dainty Dish supplied some compensation for the Riccarton studmaster, “Mick” Murfitt, and Mrs Murfitt, for the loss of Super Spy earlier on the programme. Super Spy, a half-brother of Dainty Dish, collapsed and died about 700 m out in the highweight. In the hands of the stable apprentice, Paul Atkinson, Dainty Dish beat the other open sprinters in style. She was fifth at the 600 m, but got to grips quickly with Tirana earlysjin the run home and kicked away to win by four lengths. Dainty Dish, is a five-year-old by the Riccarton Stud’s sire Palatable, whose

sons and daughters were running hot at the week-end. Palatable’s most rewarding winner at the week-end was Queen’s Pal, which beat a good field of metric milers in style at Trentham. Four of the Palatable’s were first home at yesterday’s North Canterbury meeting, but Butternut, which came out on top by a length and a half in the L.R.C. Macfarlane Memorial, was relegated to fourth after objections by Tane Matthews, rider of Samasaan, and Ron McCann, who rode Boots Again, on the ground of interference before the home turn. Samasaan finished second and Boots Again fourth, with Xerox separating them. Samassan was promoted to first, Xerox to second, and Boots Again to third. Butternut’s rider, Jackie Oakeshott, was a late replacement for Ray Hewinson, who would have had to put up overweight. Oakeshott was fined $75 for causing interference to Samasaan and Boots Again. The judicial committee, in determining that penalty, had regard for Oakeshott’s good record, and for the fact that Butternut had shifted ground after changing stride.- ■ Butternut was showing signs of soreness after the race.