Palace Guard earns Canterbury trip

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 31

Palace Guard earns Canterbury trip

Special correspondent Invercargill

Palace Guard earned a trip to Canterbury for the Hawkins 2000 Handicap at the Hororata Racing Club’s meeting next Saturday when he mastered Ocean Guard in the Stewarts Wool Company Handicap at the Birchwood Hunt Club’s meeting on Saturday. The trainer, Richard Collett, said he would like to get an even better line on Palace Guard against slightly stiffer Canterbury opposition before mapping out an early winter programme for his capable Imperial Guard six-year-old.

Palace Guard was eighth against a good field on the third day of the Canterbury Easter carnival.

Collett schooled Palace Guard on the morning of Saturday’s race “to keep his mind on the job.” He is confident this will help the gelding to race better and more genuinely. Ali Robinson gave Palace Guard a good run three back on the inner and pulled him out to track Ocean Guard around from the 650 m. Palace Guard and Ocean Guard were level pegging at the straight entrance, but Robinson was confident that Palace Guard’s 4kg pull in the weights would tell in the heavy ground over the closing stages. Ocean Guard tried grimly, but Palace Guard was a shade strong over the last 100 m. Duaprove, which was crowded at the 750 m, was best of the others.

The Waimate trainer, Bert Cousins, now has the Wellington winter meeting in mind for Master Bijou, a dashing winner of the Gardner Memorial Steeples.

Master Bijou, a brilliant winner at the Riverton Easter carnival, looks one of the brightest chasing hopes on the southern scene. “Scrooge” Robertson, his rider, said his pace on the flat stands so much to him and he is adept in heavy ground.

Robertson said he is a safe, if “big” jumper. Cousins trains Master Bijou for Mrs Irene McHardy, of Balclutha. Samsmiuncle was a good earlier winner for Mrs McHardy, whose daughter, Alexis, trains at Winton.