Cracker forward to resume

Press, 19 June 1986, Page 28

Cracker forward to resume

By

JEFF SCOTT

Cracker, which showed much promise last term winning two of his three starts for the West Melton trainer, Robin Butt, looked forward to resume at Addington Raceway in the coming weeks with an encouraging win at the Peninsula Owners and Breeders’ trials at Motukarara yesterday. Now rising five, the Noodlum gelding looked to have retained most of his trotting ability by racing keenly in midfield then moving up in the open with 800 m to run. Cracker was still travelling well at the finish, half a length to the good of the Blenheim candidate, Flameaway, in the Cl and 2 trotters’ heat, completing the 2600 m in 3:34.5. Sunset Song, an early breaker, ran on for third. The Plat du Jour juvenile, Yannick, also looked fit to resume by leading for most of the way in the Two-Year-Old Pace over 2200 m, comfortably holding out the solid-finishing Probable Bromac by a length in 2:59, with Hayley Belle, which trailed, third. Time honours for the

day over 2600 m went to the Great Evander mare, Nancy Nova, which came clear easily for her Springston part ownertrainer, Jeff Wheeler, in a CO heat to win by three lengths in 3:30. She ran her closing 400 m in 30s to beat the Blenheim entrant, Spangled Patron. Other CO pacing winners over 2600 m were: Times Right (3:42.4), Star Lobell (3:32.2), Darter (3:35.5), Charlum (3:37.3) and Falcon Hanover (3:39.2), while Lucky Tesp (3:41.7) was an easy winner of the CO trot heat. Crackerash looked forward for the Addington meeting on Saturday week by finishing best from a handy place on the outer in the C2-C4 heat, winning by half a length from another stout finisher in Penta, which tracked the winner throughout. Rocky Spot, which dashed round to lead early in the run home, was cut back to third a head away, with Lordado making ground late to finish next. The winner recorded a leisurely 3:36.2 for the 2600 m, the closing 400 m in 30.25.

On Target (3:36.8) and Sinclair Lord (3:37) held on for wins in the Cl pacer heats.

World Class, a six-year-old World Bank gelding from Yankee Pride in John Vincent’s Marshland team, driven by Maria Perriton, was the fastest pacer to qualify over 2400 m, winning by three lengths in 3:15.4 from Toby’s Dream (3f Noble Lord-Sefton Lass), which returned 3:16.

Other pacers to qualify over 2400 m were: Nata Knight (2c Nat LobellTwelfth Knight) 3:18; Doc’s Fire (3f Doc’s TuckOur West) 3:18.9; Hard Hitter (2c Lordship-Mar-quise) 3:16.3; and David Mac Faber (3g Boyden Hanover-Doris Bromac) 3:16.4; while Centre Stage (4g Nat Lobell-Casual Time) qualified over 2600 m in 3:34.2. Three trotters made the grade in the same heat with Windwhistle (5g Out to Win-Auchen Fleur) getting up to win by a neck in 3:22.7 from Scorpio’s Pride (3g Game PrideWendy Sueday) in 3:22.8 with a gap to Primula (3f Game Pride-Picotee) in 3:23.8.