Murfitt horses had lucky escapes

Press, 13 May 1986, Page 28

Murfitt horses had lucky escapes

By

J. J. BOYLE

Dainty Dish and Big Chance, form runners for the Murfitt stable at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting tomorrow, were lucky to escape serious injury in an accident on Saturday evening. The float in which they were travelling home from the Amberley meeting was involved in a collision near the Christchurch airport. Mr Mick Murfitt’s float was badly damaged, but injuries to the occupants were remarkably light. Dainty Dish lost some skin off her legs, but she was otherwise unharmed, and will be fit to run in the Canterbury Handicap, first leg of the T.A.B. double tomorrow.

Dainty Dish found 1200 m too short for her at the Amberley meeting, but her performance to pick up ground for third to Danseuse Royale and Jonny Alone held much promise for her chances over 1600 m tomorrow.

Dainty Dish and other members of the Murfitt team will be ridden tomorrow by Chris Johnson. Of special interest will be the reappearance of Eye Full, a spectacular winner at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Easter meeting. Eye Full was left by lengths at the start of the class 4 1600 m race, yet won running away by two lengths. Eye Full has the challenge of the outside barrier position in the First Christchurch Midweek Mail Handicap tomorrow and her clash with Moana Isle, Darren Lass and other form runners will capture much attention. The Murfitt stable will supply the likely favourite in Peach Melba for the Ilam Handicap, the two-year-old race on tomorrow’s programme. Peach Melba, a two-year-old sister of Dainty Dish and Eye Full, made a successful race debut at the Hororata meeting on April 26. She is the only winner in the field for the Ilam Handicap, but Leveldeen and Mannequin Parade, which filled the minor berths behind her at the

Hororata meeting, are in the lineup again tomorrow. The impressive strike rate of sons and daughters of the Riccarton Stud sire Palatable this season, is of

Race 8 3.15 CANTERBURY HANDICAP $6500; 1600 m. 1 1665 Our Secret Weapon 15 . G. Davison 57.0 Class horse of field which should be ready to show further improvement after three starts in a fresh campaign. 2 0211 Cappiemore 10 55.5 Last two consecutive victories have been over hurdles but has good turn of pace on flat and in present form could not be dismissed lightly. 3 2630 Duaprove 8 55.0 Beat two home in Amberley Cup at Rangiora on Saturday. Useful at best but usually over longer journeys than 1600 m. 4 3611 Danseuse Royale 9 54.0 Speedy mare which has managed 1200 m successfully at her last two starts. This looks harder but hard to bypass in her present form. 5 0067 His Latest 2 S. Anderton 53.5 Solidly backed in Amberley Cup on Saturday but failed to come up to expectations. Sure to be at improving stage but would still be preferred over more ground. 6 3803 Dainty Dish 3 C. Johnson 53.0 Solid finisher for third in open sprint at Rangiora last Saturday. Inclined to get back early in her races but could be running on better than more at end on this roomier track. 7 3006 Tiger Bow 6 D. Morel 53.0 Began this campaign with bold third fresh-up at Rangiora in March but form meantime has not been up to same standard. 8 3324 Beau Bandy 7 P. Richards 52.0 Consistent performer which has been battling hard to improve on minor placings over the longer journeys. Might find this distance more to his liking. 9 8000 Buffy Beaufort 4 R. Bruce 52.5 Useful at her best but form this time up not encouraging. Last but one to finish in Amberley Cup on Saturday. 10 0286 Blyme 14. J. Dowling 52.0 Best run for some time was second behind Ten Winks in Caltex Gold Cup at Nelson last month. Last of six in sprint at Rangiora last Saturday. 11 8080 Amathusia 11 51.0 Showed useful form in the lower North Island earlier in the autumn but has been battling to contribute to her record meantime. 12 8000 Hide The Loot 1 S. Reid 51.0 Showed nothing when making fresh start among the sprinters at the Hororata meeting on this course last month. Should be improved by that run but could need another yet. 13 0650 Adios King 12 50.0 Looked very good at times when coming up through the grades but has yet to make his mark at this level. 14 0908 Hotu Hui Lad 13 J. Woledgeso.o Has been out of form too long to be regarded among the better chances. 15 5668 Young Nick 5 J. Cameron 50.0 Placed twice at this distance in the lower grades at last Grand National meeting but making fresh start here after being off the scene since September. Race 9 3.50 MAY HANDICAP $5500; 2000 m. 1 2511 Double Lang 15 59.5 Impressive winner of Amberley Cup last Saturday. No easy task this time with 59.5 kg but is ultra consistent and sure to be around about it at the finish. 2 1622 Noble Ella 4 P. Richards 57.0 Continued solid patch of form with second to Double Lang at Wingatui on Anzac Day. Sure to be among the top fancies for this one. 3 Graikos 12 ' 55.5 Useful at best but has difficult assignment here in his first race for more than a year.

particular interest to Mr Jim Shannon, an Australian visitor to Christchurch this week. Mr Shannon represents Mr Nelson Bunker Hunt, the American breeder of

Palatable, in the Southern Hemisphere, and on his present visit to Christchurch he has made approaches on behalf of an Australian client interested in Peach Melba

4 1255 Able Tim 18 55.0 Has shaped reasonably since graduating to this grade and must rate chance on strength of his Amberley Cup fifth last Saturday. 5 8080 Amathusia 8 55.0 Latest form well below best but could be better suited at this distance If reserved for this event instead of the metric-mlle. 6 4703 Chokebore 1 C. Johnson 55.0 Minor placings have been his lot this season but must be considered on strength of his last-start third behind Double Lang and Noble Ella at Wingatui on Anzac Day. 7 Sandeeno 16 55.0 Best noted for his efforts in the wet but hard to fancy here in first race since last July. 8 1102 Vail of Tralee 20 G. Davison 55.0 Continued solid patch of form and showed high promise at this level when runner-up to Double Lang in Amberley Cup last Saturday. 9 2638 Vendee 17 55.0 Has shaped well at times since graduating to this grade but battling to improve on minor placings. 10 7790 Giveaway 14 54.5 Former northerner which has shown little to raise enthusiasm since joining the Pitman stable at Riccarton. 11 2466 Lady Glenshiel 2 . . . . A. Robinson 54.5. Has shaped well at times in the lower grades but has yet to make her mark at this level. 12 1311 Moana Isle 6 54.0 Continued sound record moving with decisive victory against the class-three stayers at Rangiora last Saturday. Also an acceptor in Race four. 13 0700 Applicate 7 53.5 Won twice in the lower grades earlier in season but this will be first race since December. 14 1508 Palvet 10 J. Cameron 53.5 Has failed to improve record since winning lower grade sprint at Reefton in January. Most recent failure was in open sprint at Hororata meeting on this course last month. 15 2452 Bundi Royal 5 53.0 Kept up run of useful placed form In the lower grades with distant second behind Moana Isle at Rangiora last Saturday. 16 9609 Double Mystery 19 53.0 Sure to be looking elsewhere for the winner on the strength of his form this season. 17 0098 Durack 3 52.5 Most recent in a sequence of failures this time up was among the open stayers at the Hororata meeting on this course last month. 18 9099 Our Rob 11 J. Wo!edges2.s Another making a fresh start after being off the scene since December. 19 5094 Pantloss 13 52.0 Fourth of seven in ciass-three stayers event at Rangiora last Saturday. 20 0067 Queen Of Queens 9 51.0

Showed much promise early in the lower grades here but form since going north has been disappointing. Emergencies: Queen of Queens, Moana Isle.