Tuapeka Knight’s barrier draw worries trainer

Press, 7 May 1987, Page 45

Tuapeka Knight’s barrier draw worries trainer

By

JEFF SCOTT

The East Eyreton trainer, Brian O’Meara, was in something of a dilemma yesterday in spite of his brilliant juvenile, Tuapeka Knight, maintaining his unbeaten record in public at the Addington trials. The problem is Tuapeka Knight’s awkward barrier draw in the $17,500 Robert McArdle Bloodstock Pace at the New Zealand Metropolitan meeting tomorrow evening. The Smooth Fella colt is scheduled to start from the inside of the second row in the standing-start 2000 m event, a draw which has O’Meara in two minds whether to start the prepost favourite.

“You have to be careful with a horse worth as much money as he is — I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to him from down there and he had to miss the big races coming up in Auckland,” said O’Meara of Tuapeka Knight, which has won his five races to date and taken a 1:58.27 miles record.

Tuapeka Knight has the $137,500 Cigna Insurance Sires’ Stakes Final coming up in two weeks from Saturday and the $lOO,OOO-plus Benson and

Hedges Two-Year-Old Championship in Auckland next month. If he wins both these Group One features, he will earn . an extra $150,000 National yearling sales bonus for his connections.

The Horseplayers’ Syndicate purchased Tuapeka Knight from the Dunedin horseman, Kevin Court, for a substantial six-figure sum earlier this season, and will earn $lOO,OOO of the bonus if he completes the Auckland double, while the sales vendor, the Tuapeka Stud at Lawrence, will take a $50,000 slice of the payout.

The talented colt has also been the subject of some huge offers lately. However, his syndicate of owners intends keeping him as a stud horse when his outstanding race career comes to an end. O’Meara could be tempted to miss tomorrow night’s race and take Tuapeka Knight to Timaru in eight days for the Timaru Nursery Stakes (in which he will be handicapped off 10m) as his final lead-up race for Auckland, but will wait until tomorrow before making a final decision.

The former Southland trainer intends returning to his East Eyreton quarters with his star two-year-old between the two Auckland features.

“I left Trident up there after winning the Sires’ Stakes when he was a two-year-old, but he was only half the horse by the time the Two-Year-Old Championship came round,” said O’Meara. O’Meara will remain at East Eyreton on a permanent basis unless he can find a property to suit in the Auckland area at some later date.

In yesterday’s 2000 m trial, Tuapeka Knight was quickly into stride for his regular reinsman, John Hay, pacing his first quarter from a stand in 35s and his second 400 m in 31.95. Steadied in the middle stages, the halfbrother to Maureen’s Dream ran his closing

800 m in 60s and his final 400 m in a slick 28.4 s to win without being extended by a length and a half.

He returned 2:42.4 for the full distance with the Gore-trained Congo Minbar, a member of Robin Swain’s team, finishing solidly for second, shading Superiority, which was handy in the open mostly. Mac’s Fella, a three-year-old son of Smooth Fella and Idle Along in David Butt’s West Melton team, was the most impressive of the maidens on trial. He led through-. out to win by 10 lengths in 3:28.2, quickening over his last 400 m in a sharp 28.75. Results.—

CO Pacers, 2600m.—Delcarno it R. Butt 1, Leggy Lee It 2, Coastguard It 3, 10 ran. Mighty Summit fourth. len, % len, 2>4 len. Time: 3:29.7 (last 800 m in 63.3, 400 m in 31.3).

CO and faster trotters, 2600m.—Princess Philippa It B. Court 1, Canny Dream 30 2, Lumber’s Pride It 3. Six ran. Argentina fourth. Nk, len, y 2 hd. Time: 3:42:2 (last 800 m in 63.8, 400 m in. 30.9). CO Pacers, 2600 m—Spring Meadow It R. Butt 1, Scottish Sailor It 2, Liqueur It. 3. 10 ran. Moorfield Timer fourth. nk, IVi len, y 2 len. Time: 3:27.2 (last 800 m in 63.2, 400 m in 31.9). Cl and 2 Pacers, 2600 m—- . Trace It T. McMillan 1, Alias Bebe 20 2, Springsteel It 3. Seven ran. Little Starlet fourth. % len, % len, nose. Time: 3:28.7 (last 800 m in 1:1.5, 400 m in 31.1). CO Pacers, 2600 m.—Pe-rsonality-Pete It J. Dalgety 1, Entrancing It 2, Bemborough It 3. 10 ran. Trying fourth. Len, len, hd. Time: 3:33.5 (last 800 m in 59, 400 m in 29). CO Pacers, 2600 m—Mac’s Fella It D. Butt 1, Arclight It 2, Hilton Valley It 3. 10 ran. Top Rate fourth. 10 len, len, 4 len. Time: 3:28.2 (last 800 m in 61, 400 m in 28.7). C 3 and faster Pacers, 2600 m—Kotare Pewter it R. Negus 1, Thomlea 20 2, Lorfay 40 3. Also in finishing order: Supreme Chance, Mystery Light. Len, % len, nk. Time: 3:37.3 (last 800 m in 60.7, 400 m in 28.1). Two-Year-Old Pacers, 2000m.—Tuapeka Knight It J. Hay I, Congo Minbar It 2, Superiority It 3. Six ran. Woodchip fourth. 1y 2 len, len, 3 len. Time: 2:42.4 (last 800 m in 60, 400 m in 28.4).