Rich autumn races for Riccarton’s top performers

Press, 12 February 1986, Page 46

Rich autumn races for Riccarton’s top performers

Bj

J. J. BOYLE

Canterbury Belle, Samasaan, and Noble Note, three outstanding winners for Riccarton stables, will do their autumn racing far from their home base. Samasaan, the winner of the formidable New Zealand-Wellington Cups double this season, rejoined the stable of Garth Jackson yesterday after a week’s freshener, and if he pleases his trainer in the next week or two he will be prepared for the Sydney Cup on April 5. There are no suitable lead-up races for Samasaan in the South Island, and Jackson is looking to the weight-for-age Tancred Stakes on March 22 as Samasaan’s first Australian race. The $500,000 Tancred Stakes is also likely to be on the programme for Canterbury Belle, but the star of the Dave Kerr team has an important assignment closer to home before then. She will be flown to Auckland tomorrow and will be quartered at the Takanini stable of Brian

Deacon leading up to the Air New Zealand Stakes next week.

Canterbury Belle’s travelling companion will be the promising three-year-old stayer, The Thief, winner of her last two races from the Dave Kerr stable.

Canterbury Belle appeared on the plough at Riccarton yesterday to sprint 1400 m in Imin 29.85, the last 800 m in 49.45, the final 600 m in 36.85. Connections of Canterbury Belle waved away a start in the Otago Racing Club’s White Robe Lodge Handicap this week to allow the four-year-old a little more time to settle in at Takanini after her trip north. Kerr has the Auckland Racing Club’s Royal Stakes as the next race on The Thief’s programme, and if the Brigand filly runs well she could also be Sydney-bound. “There are plenty of chances in Sydney for a filly that can stay,’’ Kerr said. “The further the better for her — she’s a real stayer, but if she does not

go to Sydney this autumn she might be in Australia next season, when she should be stronger and better.”

Yesterday The Thief ran 1600 m on the outside of the course proper, finishing with an unhurried 53.4 s for the last 800 m.

Noble Note, top weight in the White Robe Lodge Handicap at Wingatui on Saturday, was restricted to 43.8 s for 600 m on the bark track.

His trainer, John Bourne, said yesterday that a start at Wingatui would depend on the likely state of the footing for Saturday.

“If there is no rain before Saturday he could get jarred up and affect his programme for Trentham next month.’’ Bourne said Noble Note will probably do his Easter racing at Ellerslie, with the Castlemaine Easter Stakes the main mission.

Noble Note adapted well to right-handed racing when he was campaigned in Brisbane in 1984. He won twice at Eagle Farm.

Pokare and Million Joys, runners for Michael Pitman’s stable in the White Robe Lodge Handicap, galloped 1200 m on the plough with their stablemate, Kitango, yesterday. They returned Imin 20s, quickening for the final 600 m in 37.85.

Pokare and Million Joys contributed to a successful holiday programme by members of the Pitman stable.

Pokare dead-heated for first in the Hazlett Stakes at Wingatui and at his latest start was a creditable third over 1200 m on his home track.