Eastern Joy produces minor Awapuni upset

Press, 18 March 1985, Page 44

Eastern Joy produces minor Awapuni upset

Special correspondent Wellington Eastern Joy scored a minor upset when she won Saturday’s running of the Trumps Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni. The success was a surprise, not only because of the filly’s fine late run, but because of the total demolition of the three hotpots, Solveig, Avana and Princess Dram. Solveig, which was the favourite, could only finish ninth, Avana, the third favourite, was somewhat closer in geting sixth, and second favourite, Princess Dram, was the best place, finishing fifth. Eastern Joy was the fourth favourite. Pass A Glance, the fifth favourite, was just eighth. The finish was a fairly close one. Inside the 200 m Princess Dram was second just behind Gay Kitty, That filly looked in for a surprise win. Out in front, David Walsh had rated her so well that a boil-over looked on. Late, and quickly, Eastern Joy descended upon her opponents, followed closely by the likes of Celerina and Beatrice Lovette, real outsiders. Eastern Joy won by a half length. Gay Kitty held second, a half neck in front of Celerina, and Beatrice Lovette and Princess Dram were close up. Eastern Joy’s win did little to settle the Wrightson “Filly of the Year” series. The Eulogy was the eighth in the series of 10 and for Eastern Joy the six points were her first. Solveig leads with 21 over Sobay (17.5) and Avana (15.5). Two races remain, the Manwatu Breeders’ on Saturday, a race of 2000 metres, and then the Great Northern Oaks. Both Avana and Solveig seem certain to be better placed over more ground, at least that’s what the connections hope. Neither filly was able to produce any extra in the straight. Avana was out three wide and probably did well to get sixth. Solveig was given every chance, but failed to see the trip out. The Oaks winner pulled

up without discomfort, after the race. The trainer, Trevor McKee, was quite happy with the mare’s condition. He hopes that the distance was the reason for the filly’s poor showing. It now puts the Sydney trip under a cloud, although no final decision will be made until after the Manwatu Breeders’. Princess Dram, in the meantime, will turn her attention to the $20,000 Radio IZH Galilee Stakes, a race for fillies and mares, at Te Awamutu next week. Plans for Eastern Joy remain uncertain. Neither trainer, Dave O’Sullivan, or partner, son Paul, were at Awapuni. Dave was in charge of the team at Paeroa, while Paul is in Sydney with the filly, Ma Chiquita. Present though were the filly’s owners, Eric and Peggy Pinker. Mr Pinker, the current Bay of Plenty president and former president of the N.Z.R.F.U., has been actively involved in racing for some time and Eastern Joy may be the best he has raced though he has bred some “good ones,” the most notable being Irish Zephyr, so successful last season in Sydney. At the national sale of 1983, Mr Pinker went to $30,000 to secure Eastern Joy. Eastern Joy has now won five of her 12 races, three this term and with four placings as well, she has won $36,065. The filly was offered as part of the late Tim Rogers Grangewilliam draft. She is by Okawa’s Three Legs, the current leading New Zealand sire, out of Daitrelic (Diatome—Dentrelic), an imported mare, whose family include the highclass French sprinter-miler, Dandy Lute. A sister, Joseette Nicole, has been placed twice in two races for W. R. C. Steward, Keith Taylor, from the Rayner stable, while a half-sister, by Standaan, went to Trevor McKee at the January sale for $llO,OOO when offered as part of the Ainsley Downs Stud draft.

In the twilight of her fine career, Cariere beat a top-class-field to win Saturday’s $21,000 8.8. A. (Awapuni) Gold Cup. The race is unlikely to be her last, but the ownertrainer, Jim Morris, of Rodmor Stud near Cambridge, toyed with newsman after the win. The mare will run in the $llO,OOO Television New Zealand Stakes, a weight-for-age event on April 13 over the same distance as this week-end’s race. Her future after that? “I’ll just have to keep you fellows guessing for another race,” Mr Morris quipped. Under a determined ride from the Matamata apprentice, Shane Dye, Cariere, from her third line race position, outfinished The Filbert by a long head, with Commissionaire a long neck away third. Aptitude, which made the pace, was fourth ahead of Page Boy and Rose and Thistle. The first three home were also the first three in the Trentham Stakes last January and since Commissionaire has won the Cambridge International and The Filbert the Air New Zealand Stakes. Cariere’s best win came in the Avondale Cup last December, and at five, the mare has won 13 of her 45 races and $195,425. The success certainly continues a purple patch for Mr Morris, who produced Ibidem to beat a good field of sprinters in the Racing Personalities Stakes at Taufanga last week. It wasn’t that easy for Mr Morris to get Cariere ready for Saturday’s Gold Cup. The mare jarred up badly when seventh last time in the Air New Zealand Stakes. He had to take her back home and then freshen her before coming to Awapuni. The result was certainly worth while and it capped off a fine day for Dye, an 18-year-old apprentice who has been riding for just over two years. He is apprenticed to the Sullivans at Matamata and with 78. wins last season he was the leading apprentice in the country and fourth over all in the jockeys’ list.

His first full season and a couple of months in 1982-83 brought his winning rides to exactly 100 at the end of last season. This season he has added another 36 and his term has included a trip to Australia. Dye is due to come out of his time in July of 1985, but he does have the option of signing on for another term with the Sullivans if he so desires. He has yet to make a final decision about that. Saturday was his third visit to Awapuni. His first, last year, brought success on the English mare, La Grigia. This is his third. His second also produced success, but nothing to rival both the features, first the Eulogy on Eastern Joy and then the Gold Cup. It wasn’t easy work by any stretch of the imagination. Dye had to battle to get Cariere up for both The Filbert and Commissionaire pressed hard. The Filbert looked to be winning just short of the line, but he started to pull up off his own account. He’s a horse that doesn’t react kindly to use of the whip. Commissionaire tried hard to win his third Gold Cup on end. He was ridden a little further off the pace than usual, but in the finish gave his all and did well to get up in the photo for first. The horse will not be going to Ellerslie so weight-for-age racing this season might be over for him. The trainer, Noel Eales, has a couple of options for him, the $20,000 Kubota Cup here next Saturday or the Hawke’s Bay ■ Cup next month. Aptitude fought hard for her fourth placings and there were good efforts as well from Page Boy and Rose and Thistle, which heads away to Sydney in a week’s time. On that flight as well will be Imaprince, the Wellington Cup winner and the last of nine to finish. On a good track the Gold Cup was hardly a race for him, but he looked pretty bright all the same.