Grylls continues winning streak

Press, 16 January 1986, Page 25

Grylls continues winning streak

Special correspondent Wellington The Te Awamutu jockey, Gary Grylls, can do no wrong and the connections of the stayer, Fort Cheval, are hoping that the trend continues on Saturday week. Yesterday, Grylls brought Fort Cheval home first in the Ammo-Phos Marton cup, a $20,000 handicap, and as a trial for the big twomiler on Saturday week, the effort could not have been better.

In a top-class field, Fort Cheval, from his handy draw, was given the run of the race and he drew out to beat lightweight, Lord Vegas, by three-quarters of a length. Chance for Gold, the favourite, was third, ahead of Milldewe, Selanii, Whitole and Kiwi, all close up. Grylls has now ridden 36 winners this season and over 300 in all, but this summer everything is going right for him. He won a Rotorua Cup on Avitt, the Waikato Cup on Great Estate but then topped all that with a winning ride on Kerry Lane in the Auckland Cup. The Great Northern foal stakes on Miss Emma has been the icing on the cake for a young man who cannot believe his good fortune.

Grylls first rode Fort Cheval when he won at Te Aroha. He rode him into seventh in the Avondale Cup and but for the fact that he was numbered among the Auckland cup ballotted runners, Grylls would have stayed with him at Ellerslie. With doubt about Fort Cheval getting into the cup field, Grylls opted for Kerry Lane. Fort Cheval ran and was fourth for Brian York.

Now, with Kerry Lane a non-runner at Trentham on Saturday week, Grylls is happy to tackle Trentham with Fort Cheval. Fort Cheval has been nothing if not busy this time. He has won a Woodville Cup, and now has won seven of his 33 races for $50,095 in stakes, with yesterday’s win his best prize. Lord Vegas, a six-year-old, carries the colours of a dual cup winner, Good Lord. He is in the Wellington Cup but is one of those in the minimum of 49kg. The connections are keen to earn a cup start, but they have a big queue ahead of them.

Chance for Gold turned in a good even effort to get third. He is in the Wellington Cup, but a run for him has to be confirmed. The efforts of Milldewe and Selanii were sound. Whitole’s effort under his top-weight of 57kg was excellent. He settled toward the rear of the field and made ground for his substitute rider, Greg Childs. Peter Johnson has been listed as the cup rider, but a suspension forced him to miss yesterday’s meeting. However, Whitole’s trainer, Davy Jones, confirmed yesterday that Johnson will ride Whitole in the Wellington Cup.