Canterbury Belle second in Doomben feature

Press, 27 May 1985, Page 28

Canterbury Belle second in Doomben feature

NZPA Sydney The New Zealand filly, Canterbury Belle, had her chance but was beaten by three lengths in the $lOO,OOO Channel 7 Classic over 2029 m at Doomben, Brisbane, on Saturday. The New Zealander was beautifully placed throughout her first attempt at middle-distance and hit the front in the straight, but she could not match the power of the country wonder, Prince Frolic, and had to be content with leading the rest of the field home. The New Zealand jockey, Grant Cooksley, moved Canterbury Belle up three wide going into the sweeping Dbomben home turn, but no sooner had she claimed the lead on straightening, than Prince Frolic — which had been forced six wide on the bend — stormed clear and went away with his jockey, Mick Dittman, standing in the stirrups with his whip tucked under his arm while his rivals battled in his wake. Canterbury Belle, which opened her Brisbane winter campaign with a second a fortnight ago in the 1600 m Queensland Guineas, was still better than the rest of the field and her effort was a sterling trial for her coming targets. Her trainer, Dave Kerr, must now decide whether to go ahead with plans for the 2200 m Grand Prix next

week and the 2400 m Queensland Derby, or save the filly for the much shorter and richer Elders over 1400 m in a fortnight. Four other New Zealanders were in action at the Brisbane meeting and three of them scored impressive victories, including a good double for the New Zealand trainer, Graeme Rogerson. Rogerson is guided a lot by the blood counts of his charges, and it was as a result of these on Friday night that he backed San Lefair and Rushcutter up after their gruelling midweek efforts in the Prime Minister’s Cup at Southport. Rushcutter, which had done the better of his pair in running third in front of a strong New Zealand contingent, was impressive when he ran out a shortneck victor over the English import, Bastille, in the $15,000 Seven National News Handicap over 2029 m. With the master tactician, Peter Cook, in the saddle again riding a perfectly judged race, Rushcutter laid down his Brisbane Cup credentials by sweeping to the lead in the straight and then cruising to the line. Cook, satisfied 100 m out that he had the race in his keeping, allowed the fastfinishing Bastille to get right up to home on the line, but insisted he was never in danger of losing. San Lefair, which was a disappointing seventh in the Prime Minister’s Cup on Wednesday, put all that behind her to claim the $15,000 State Affair Quality, over 1632 m, by one length. The small field for the race was weakened by the

scratching of one of the big favourites for the “mile,” the former New Zealander, Belliho. Rogerson missed a treble when his lightlyraced four-year-old, Regoli, failed to match his rivals in the opening race on the card, the $12,000 Whitsunday Village Graduation over 1632 m, coming home ninth in the 14-horse field. The Roger Lang-trained filly, La Benatar, was too strong for her rivals in the next race, the $12,000 Peter Meares Graduation, by a half-length. Lang, who had had his problems getting La Benatar acclimatised to her new surroundings, is taking his targets as they come but has got his campaign off to a flying start. While New Zealanders were claiming riches in the north, an expatriate was going out in a blaze of glory down south when the jockey, “Midge” Didham, won his last race ride in Melbourne. Didham, who had had problems lately keeping at a competitive riding weight, had the big Sandown crowd on their feet for a standing ovation when he brought Glen Moriston home a surprisingly easy victor in the feature sprint, the $13,000 Stratford Handicap. Didham, who had to lose I.skg for his only ride of the day, displayed all the skill and judgment gained in 25 years of race riding to score by a length and a half in a finely timed 1400 m effort. Didham told reporters, later: “It was great, really great. Glen Moriston had the race won 800 m from home — I couldn’t believe

how easy it was.” The former New Zealand jockey, who won the 1970 Melbourne Cup on Baghdad Note, will now take up a training career in Melbourne, while his two sons, Paul and John, carry on the family name as apprentice jockeys. (T.A.B. code: BRiS) CHANNEL 7 CLASSIC $100,000; three-year-olds; 2029 m. PRINCE FROLIC 8 54 L. Ditman 1 CANTERBURY BELLE 11 51 G. Cookslev . 2 MR MERRYMAKER 5 54 M. Pelling .... 3 Win: $2.30. Places: $1.05, $2.20, $5.20. Quinella: $4.35. T.A.B. trifecta: $99.75.