Peter Cook to ride Rastes and Courier Bay at Randwick

Press, 24 April 1987, Page 37

Peter Cook to ride Rastes and Courier Bay at Randwick

NZPA Sydney Peter Cook will endeavour to unfurl the New Zealand flag, in mothballs since Tidal Light’s Canterbury Guineas win over a month ago, at Randwick tomorrow. Cook, only weeks back from a lengthy injuryenforced spell, will ride the New Zealand-trained horses Rastes and Courier Bay in the feature events on the third day of the Australian Jockey Club’s Easter meeting. Rastes will start against boom colt Myocard, the much-improved stayer Major Drive and other hardened campaigners in the sAust3so,ooo ($NZ430,000) Sydney Cup (3200 m while Courier Bay will attempt to overturn a bad run of luck in a small but select field for the sAustlso,ooo ($NZ184,500) All-Aged Stakes (1600 m

Cook returned to race riding last month. He had been out of action for the 10 months beforehand after undergoing surgery on damaged vertebrae in his lower back. One of his first rides, since returning to race riding, was on Rastes in the N. E. Manion Cup (2400 m at Rosehill on April 4. Cook also rode Rastes into third place in the important Cup builder, the Chairman’s Handicap (2600 m at Randwick last Saturday. Though unsuited by the slow early pace, Cook said afterwards Rastes had stuck diligently to his task. The grey gelding’s trainer, Danny Walker, of Tauherenikau, said should the pace be on throughout Saturday’s metric twomiler Rastes had “better than place prospects, even with Myocard in the field.” “His races here have not been run to suit him, especially the Chairman’s,” Walker said. “They don’t seem to run proper staying contests here. “If they keep it honest he has good winning prospects.” Should there be a solid clip thrbughout the Cup, Walker said Myocard and the other unproven stayers in the field would be sorely tested.

Because of that he nominated Silver Award, the horse that edged Rastes into third. behind Major Drive in the Chairman’s, as the toughest to topple. “He’s an out and out stayer much like my chap, who’s never once thrown the towel in.” Walker said he hoped Rastes, in combination with Cook,.could pull off a “face-saving” act for New Zealand tomorrow. Geoff White, the trainer of Courier Bay, skid the small field for the AllAged and the services of Cook "will suit my horse admirably.” He said the horse had recovered well from the superficial skin injuries he incurred when knocked on to the running rail in the George Ryder, his last race a fortnight ago.

"He appears well, but he hasn’t had quite the amount of work I would have liked to put into him before this. "I’d sooner have a another week’s work in him. But he has gone well fresh in the past. He hadn’t raced for three weeks before the Lion Brown Sprint.”

White was unconcerned that Courier Bay would have to come back in a mile. “He’s won two over the distance back home, and I really believe he’s best at the mile now.” White said it would be good “to finally get into the money,” and at the same time redeem New Zealand’s tattered reputation. “It would be nice if he could do that.” New Zealand’s other runner in the All-Aged Stakes, the Margaret Bulltrained Magnitude, must also be rated a chance in the nine-strong field and on a track predicted to be good. The Amalgam gelding, which looks in superb order, could finish only mid-field in the 20-horse field for last week’s Doncaster, raced on an off track New Zealand’s Cup bid is stiffened by the longshot chances of Out Of Sight, a brave fourth under a big weight in the Chairman’s, and the raiders Plume d’Or Veille and Lord Reims.

Paul O’Sullivan, the trainer of Out Of Sight, said the mare had “a good place chance” on the scores of fitness and honesty. She will be ridden . by Lance O’Sullivan. Cliff Fenwick, the trainer of Lord Reims, said his horse was “born a stayer,” and “a chance at the weights.” . The Zamazaan gelding, a last-start winner at Ellerslie, had lightened up as a result of his flight over last Saturday, but had shown resolution in his work since arriving. He will be ridden by Darren Beadman.

Plume d’Or Veilfe, sixth to Lord Reims to his last race, will need to show a major form upsurge to figure in the finish. He will be ridden by Linda Ballantyne, who along with Maree Lyndon (Cbmmerical Balance), will become the first woman to ride in a toajor Australian staying race. Shane Dye will have one of his last race rides before beginning a sixmonth suspension, on Foxseal in the Cup, while veteran Bob Skelton resumes his association with the Melbourne Cup placegetter. Rising Fear.