Happy Patron wins easing down

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 30

Happy Patron wins easing down

Special correspondent Dunedin

Happy Patron gave Ricky May an armchair when winning the final of the Speights Pride of the South series at the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting on Saturday evening. Happy Patron was always travelling comfortably in the lead and won easing down by a length and three quarters in 3:32.89 (2:06.80 mile rate) for the 2700 m (mobile). Happy Patron will have one more race this season, the final of the 1 Supremacy Stakes at Ascot Park next Saturday, before he is put aside for a spell by his Wyndham trainer, Brenda McLellan. Happy Patron has earned $56,535 in stakes this season from four wins and five placings in 11 starts for his Wyndham owners, Barry Todd and Judy Davidson. He has won the bulk of that amount since early March after a prospective buyer turned him down because of an arthritic knee.

Firm Offer capped some fine form this season by winning the Winfield Cup in track re-

cord time. She ran the 2700 m in 3:34.25, 2.05 s inside the previous best set by Tussle in the race last year. Saturday night’s race was notable for the failure of Tussle, which was backed down to $l.BO and $1.20.

Tussle was showing signs of a viral complaint when examined by the club’s veterinary surgeon I after the race.

“She never felt any good at any stage,” said Peter Jones, the driver of Tussle. “She was beaten with a round to go.” Tussle began brilliantly from 20m and had to work to get to reach the lead at the 1700 m, where Firm Offer was eighth on the outer.

Worthy Adios headed Tussle at the 1000 m when Firm Offer momentarily, went off stride.

“She got a fright when a tyre burst on another sulky,” said Barry Clark, the driver of Firm Offer.

She was fourth on the outer at the 600 m and came on boldly to score by almost four lengths, in 3:34.35. Clark races and trains Firm Offer in partnership with his father, Tom. He said the mare would not contest the Rowe Cup at Auckland. Firm Offer has won five races this season.

■ Melvander ran on well from eighth on the outside for second, a neck in front of Globe Pride, which led early then trailed.

Melvander broke short of the line and the second, and third placings were subsequently reversed.

Bionic Chance displayed her class when winning a heat of the Cigna Insurance Sires’ .Stakes series.

She was last of eight and some seven lengths from the leader Emcee at the 700 m. She had started from the second line and she was fortunate to avoid trouble after 200 m. Stormy Fella was checked and fell when in the lead and brought down Spangled Chance.

Patrick ; O’Reilly im-

proved Bionic Chance on the inner at the 600 m then took her between horses on the home turn to be close to Emcee entering the straight. Bionic Chance sped past him and won by three lengths in 2:03.50 for the mile, a creditable time in cold conditions.

Her time compares favourably with the track record for a two-year-old of 2:03.1, set last year by Trident.

Dancing Armbro ran a track record for a three-year-old trotter of 4:22.48 when he came strongly from mid-field on the home turn to win the Übix Copiers Handicap. Few three-year-old trotters have raced over the extreme distance at Forbury Park and the previous best time was 4:33.6 set by Ambleside.