Steven Reid to drive Placid Victor

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 31

Steven Reid to drive Placid Victor

BY

JEFF SCOTT

A big responsibility rests on the shoulders of the Pukekohe-based junior reinsman, Steven Reid, when the Lion Brown Inter-Dominions opens at Addington Raceway on Saturday. Reid, aged 23, who accompanied this season’s Franklin Cup winner, Placid Victor, on his long journey south by float over the week-end has been entrusted to drive the Vance Hanover entire during the series. Reid, who has been a stable employee of Placid Victor’s trainer, Sandy Purdon, for the last three years, is in his third season of race driving and

his second full season. He has driven 15 winners to date including eight this season, but has yet to have a winning drive behind Placid Victor from only three race day attempts. "I’ve run a fourth behind him and the only other two times I’ve struck him when Maurice (McKendry, Placid Victor’s regular reinsman) was suspended and the owners put me on. But it was when he was fresh both times and he’s never gone a good one fresh yet, he’s always needed three or four runs to come right,” said Reid. Reid initially worked for Jack and Brian Hughes (of Ben fame) for

18 months, then completed six months with Bob Mitchell.

It was at this stage that Reid became disillusioned with harness racing and gave the game away for three months.

’ “I was then told Sandy was looking for someone and decided to try it again. But he’s been really good to work for and has given me the drives,” said Reid, who joins fellow 23-year-old Brent Mangos (Luxury Liner), Anthony Butt, aged 20 (French Lord), and Peter Ferguson, aged 19 (Cinimod Junior), as the youngest reinsmen to drive in the 1987 series. Placid Victor had been causing his trainer some

concern about his fitness for the series, but after being timed over his last 2200 m in 2:48.6 in his most recent race at Alexandra Park, it was decided to give the 1985 New Zealand Derby and New Zealand Messenger winner his chance again at Addington. “It was hard getting a line on him last time after losing so much ground at the start,” said Reid, "but Sandy thought by bringing him down early, the different surroundings here might help freshen him up,” he said of Placid Victor, which is again being stabled at his regular Christchurch lodgings — Jeff Whittaker’s Wigram Lodge.