Shipmate carries on

Press, 19 December 1985, Page 43

Shipmate carries on

By ALEX McMILLAN

Memories of the former Riccarton galloper, Shipmate, a talented performer in the 19605, will have been revived for many Canterbury racing enthusiasts in the last few days. The Des Grice-trained Shipmate recorded an impressive win in a Cl event at the Waimate Trotting Club’s meeting at Oamaru on Saturday, while the former Riccarton trainer, Ken Thomson, produced a two-year-old with the same racing name to score a home track win at the Otaki Maori Racing Club’s meeting at Otaki yesterday. The standardbred Shipmate was bred by Des Grice’s late father, Ben, and is the first foal produced by the Card Shark mare, Ruling Miss. Ironically, the thoroughbred Shipmate is also the first foal of his dam, being by the French sire, Sir Godfrey, out of a

Sovereign Prince mare, Silver Nap. Both scored their wins with enough authority to suggest that more successes could be in store, but still have some way to go to match the deeds of the Shipmate of the 19605. Bred by Dunedin businessman, Mr Arthur Smith, Shipmate was foaled in 1961 and was educated and raced from the stable of a Riccarton trainer, the late Jim Tomkinson.

The gelding showed enough promise for Tomkinson to embark him on a two-year-old campaign, one that was to prove most successful.

The son of Messmate and Hush Money was given five starts at two and headed home the field on four occasions.

Ridden by Arthur Stokes, who was to partner the gelding in all seven of his career wins, Shipmate

scored at his very first start, in the Irwell Handicap at Riccarton. The Plunket Nursery at Trentham, the Champagne Stakes at Riccarton, and the Richmond Handicap at Riccarton, were other events in which he triumphed in his debut season. His Richmond Handicap win was notable for the fact that he lumped 9st 71b.

Shipmate was unable to add to his winning record as a three-year-old, his best effort in the two race day outings being a third behind Royal Burgh in the John Grigg Stakes at Ashburton when favourite.

Shipmate recorded his other three wins in his four-year-old season, capturing sprint events at Ashburton, Wingatui and Oamaru. His Ashburton win was undoubtedly the most impressive as the brown posted a very smart Imin 11.8 s for the sixfurlong journey.