Atrapar wins trophy event at good odds

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 31

Atrapar wins trophy event at good odds

Special correspondent Auckland

The modest sum . Bill Calder outlaid 20 years ago for a broodmare was recalled when Atrapar won the Bay of Plenty Racing Club’s feature race on Saturday and took his stake earnings past $200,000. Atrapar, which Calder owns and trains at Levin, caused a minor upset, winning the $60,000 Owens Japan-New Zealand International Trophy at odds of better than 231. The favourite, Dare, finished a close fourth.

Ridden by Earl Harrison, Atrapar scored by a head from Cosmetique with another Central Districts runner, Chance For Gold, a neck away, third. Dare was a head back.

Atrapar is a six-year-old gelding (not entire as the official Racing Calendar still has him) by Adios II from Mexiiquenna, by Quetzal from Shankhill. Calder, in a private deal, bought Shankill with a foal at foot by Golden Abbey and on the understanding she was in foal to Quetzal. “I paid a hundred and

fifty quid for the lot,” said Calder yesterday. "Yes, it was back in the pounds days.”

"But she proved empty so I asked them to send her back to Quetzal, which they did, and I got Mexiquenna, which won seven, including a Summer Cup at Awapuni.” Atrapar is Mexiquenna’s fourth foal and clearly the best, with a record of 11 wins, 25 minor platings and $219,317 in stakes. Ironically, his Tauranga win was preceded by one of his worst performances, placing-wise, a fourteenth out of 18 in the 2200 m Hawke’s Bay Cup a week earlier. Calder excused him. “He drew 17, was trapped wide all the way and they ran a track record,” he said.

Atrapar was given an easy time between races in an attempt to freshen him for the shorter distance at Tauranga. He was worked lightly on the Calder property and visited the Levin track only once. Solveig set a stiff early pace in the Japan-New Zealand International,

reaching the half-way mark, the 800 m, in 46 sec.The last 800 took a fraction over 49 sec.

The way the race was run probably suited Atrapar, whose last couple of starts had been in middle distances, and Chance for Gold as well.

As recently as last Wednesday Chance for Gold won a 2000 m in less than 2 minutes at Otaki. This was a remarkable lead-up to a 1600. Atrapar is likely to have two further races this season, in the $25,000 Jarden Mile at Awapuni on May 7 and the $20,000 Waikato Travel Centre Stakes, a weight-for-age 1600 m race at Te Rapa on May 17. Calder campaigned Atrapar in Brisbane last winter but said he was “just about sure” he would not return this year. There were just not the 1600 m races.

Dare had every chance on Saturday. The race was only her eighth and she was not a bit disgraced going under to the likes of Atrapar, Cosmetique and Chance for Gold.