Sale of promising pacer postponed after Ashburton win

Press, 24 February 1986, Page 31

Sale of promising pacer postponed after Ashburton win

By JEFF SCOTT The connections of World of Fame have put the “definitely not for sale in the meantime*’ tag on their promising pacer after he won again in fine style at the Ashburton Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday. Although he did not match Petite Glamour (2min 1.75, 2-year-old mile), Smarty Pants (4min Bs, 3200 m), Laudit (3min 4.85, 240Qm, 3-year-old mobile), and Melvander (4min 14.15, 3200 m trot), and set a fresh track record, World of Fame’s typically game performance in the last was yet another highlight on the programme.

Starting from the outside of the 10m line, World of Fame was planted out three and four deep as he moved round on a strong pace to lead with 1500 m left. He was hotly challenged by Fly Boyden Fly, handy mostly, in the run home, but stuck to his task to win by three-quarters of a length.

He paced the 2400 m (stand) in a useful 3min 7.7 s (well outside Enterprise’s 3min 4.2 s record), however was timed post

to post in 3min 5.95, the first 800 m of that round the field in Imln 0.45, his last 800 m in 59.7 s and his closing 400 m in 29.35.

“We had that one on loan for a week,” quipped Vince Davies, the gelding’s Yaldhurst breeder, part-owner and trainer, after the four-year-old had compensated the camp for being disqualified at Addington for causing interference a round from home on Miracle Mile night It looked as though World of Fame was destined to race in North America after being trialled in 2min 3.45, his last half-mile in 59.65, at Addington on Wednesday when not out for time, but his owners have had a change of heart for the time being. "I’m in the twilight of my lifetime and with this good horse, I’m going to sit back and enjoy him for a bit longer,” said Davies, who races World of Fame with his son Dennis, who took out an amateur licence this term and has produced Gee Dee to win, and Dennis Thompson, who part-owned and trained the fine three-year-old Wychingham Al before his sale to the

United States in December.

The son of World Skipper and Great Circle, which had Steven John all out to beat him at Blenheim three starts back and again in the. Amberley Cup last month, notched his fifth win from 18 starts on Saturday and took his earnings to $17,120. World of Fame, from the same family as the triple New Zealand Cup winner, False Step, is to be given an easy time in the next three days before being readied for the $6OOO Robert McArdle Bloodstock Hororata Cup over 3200 m, back at Ashburton on Saturday week, where he will be handicapped on 10m. • Smarty Pants joined an elite list of racemares when she scored her fourth win in her last five outings, proving too classy with a four and a half lengths win in the Grain and Seed Merchants Handicap. Only the grand racemare, Delightful Lady (4min 5.65), has recorded a faster winning time for 3200 m for one of her sex in New Zealand than Smarty Pants, which paced a highly creditable 4min Bs.

After receiving a good early run from the backmark of 30m, the four-year-old was left. in the open momentarily before taking command as far out as the. 1200 m, and she led her rivals a merry chase from that point Earlier a smart juvenile and Imin 58.9 s three-year-old filly, Smarty Pants was recording her ninth win from 35 starts for the Christchurch owner-trainer, Peter Van der Looy. The El Patron—Smart Doll mare has gone from strength to strength of late, having earlier recorded mile wins in Imin 59.7 s and Imin 58.6 s in recent .weeks.

Timandra, back mostly, ran on late to be best of the others, recording 4min 11.1 s for second, while Coastal Trader (4min 9.65) went his usual honest race, half a length back third, after also running on from back in the field.

The favourite, Flying Count, became badly placed back on the inner over the last 1200 m and was never a chance over the closing stages, finishing 10th.

e Petite Glamour was only 0.2 of a second outside the national mile re-

cord for juvenile fillies held by Lady Alba at 2min 1.55, when she mde an auspicious debut in the R. M. Cameron Mobile Stakes, winning comfortably in a smart 2min 1.75. The half-sister to Jayex and Glamour Chief was purchased in embryo with the dam, Eblouir, in foal to Smooth Fella, for $25,000 by Ivan Harris of Oak Grove Standardbreds, Ohoka, at the national standardbred sales, three years ago. The vendor that day, Mr Jack Ferguson, also had success on Saturday as a part-owner of Melvander, which took the final step to open class trotting ranks in the ninth event Mr Harris races Petite Glamour in partnershp with his father-in-law, Jack Cadogan of Dunedin, and is trained by Mr Harris’s private trainer and studmaster, Paul Black.

The Harris-Black partnership has also won three races this term with the Lordship mare, Midnight Magic, which is racing in foal to Transport Chip.

Further gloss on Petitie Glamour’s performance can be taken by the fact that she had only at-

tended three workouts before Saturday’s race, for two wins and a second.

After getting a good run handy to the pace, she finished too well for Gunship and Catarina, with the two favourites, Coma Berenices and Bionic Chance, wilting to finish next after disputing the pace during the middle stages. “The stopwatch just went too fast for her,” said Ron Dalziel, the . driver of Coma Berenices, who had earlier said he was confident of his .charge going close to the juvenile record for a filly.

@ Laudit confirmed her promising staying potential with a gutsy win in the Newlands Exide Mobile pace. After moving up from the back to be in the open at the 1000 m, then getting cover soon after, the, Lordship—ln or Out filly kept up a game run to wear down Lucky Batch, in the open from the 900 m, and the pacemaking Embark by a length. The Mount Hutt-trained filly was only fractioally outside Josephine Bret’s national record for a three-year-old filly of 3min 4.7 s for the mobile 2400 m.