Million Joys has dashing success

Press, 19 February 1986, Page 43

Million Joys has dashing success

Special correspondent Dunedin Million Joys, which was passed in for $5OO when offered for sale as a three-year-old 18 months ago, gained a dashing win in the $22,500 Dunedin Gold Cup at Wingatui yesterday. The win continued a great run of success this season for the jockey, Chris Johnson. The 21-year-old Riccarton rider has now ridden 50 winners, his best ever total in five seasons of riding. His tally includes the Wellington and New Zealand Cups on Samasaan, the Invercargill Gold Cup on Sea Swift,, the Kumara Gold Nuggets on In the Glen, and the

Kurow Centennial Cup on Sea Swift. Million Joys is trained at Riccarton by Mike Pitman, who is also enjoying a most successful season, having won the Hazlett Stakes at Wingatui with Pokare and 18 other races. Million Joys entered the Pitman stable after she had been passed in for $5OO as an untried three-year-old at the 1984 South Island sale. She had been offered by her Methven breeder, Eddy O’Shea, who then went into racing partnership with Sandy Davidson, of Ashburton, Grant Hudson, of Christchurch, and Kevin Jennings, of Christchurch. Million Joys began racing 14 months ago at Wingatui and the daughter of Blue Vermillion and Grey Jan has now won six races. The $14,250 she

received yesterday took her earnings to $32,510 from 27 starts. Million Joys is the first foal of Grey Jan, by Grey William from Jans Joy, by Rejoicing. Pitman has shown an affinity with the stock of Blue Vermillion, winning 16 races with progeny of the Luthier horse. Mighty Million won seven and Famillion, three. Pitman has a high opinion of Famillion, which is back in work after being put aside to strengthen. “I don’t gallop them much. They are fairly highly strung,” said Pitman when asked if he had a special approach to training stock of Blue Vermillion.

Million Joys will race next at Trentham, where her mission will be the Chalmers Handicap (2400 m on March 8. She is eligible for a class 2 race on the second day of the Wellington meeting. Million Joys settled back in the field and improved on the inside on the home turn. She kept up a strong run to win by

two and a half lengths from Duaprove, which raced in the middle and improved wide entering the straight.

Noble Boa made a late dab from the rear for third, shading Noble Ella, which came from well back. She was subsequently relegated to sixth for causing a check in the run home to Blovinski, which was promoted from fifth to fourth.

Blovinski, the favourite, was considered a “certainty beaten” by his jockey, Grant Davison. He was also squeezed and clipped the heel of another runner at the 800 metres when in the middle of the field.