Winter Cup start likely for Fairfield Lad

Press, 23 July 1987, Page 39

Winter Cup start likely for Fairfield Lad

Special correspondent Levin A start in the $50,000 Winter Cup is likely for Fairfield Lad after he scored a notable win in the Lion Brown Winter Cup (1600 m at Levin yesterday. “He is nominated for the Winter Cup and we will have to talk about it,” his trainer, Errol Skelton, said after the success. Fairfield Lad’s win yesterday was Skelton’s second in the race, the first being with Rose Mellay. He said after the race that he had won every major race on the track with the exception of the Ryder Stakes. His other triumphs have included the Bayer Classic with Our Flight and the Levin Cup with Campanile. Fairfield Lad showed an appreciation for the better track conditions when he headed El Valiente by three-quarters of a length. He had disappointed in the Whyte Handicap at Trentham and at Awapuni last week but Skelton said the horse was unsuited for the puggy ground. "When its loose he can

go through it. He prefers the ground with just the sting out of it,” he said. A five-year-old gelding by Honorary Degree from the Sovereign Prince mare, Pearly, Fairfield Lad is raced by Dave Mac Kay, of Levin, in partnership with his father-in-law, Graham Hughes, of Auckland. Fairfield Lad has now won seven of his 29 starts and has also been placed 13 times. Yesterday’s victory was something of a change of luck for his jockey Peter Mercer, who returned from Australia about two months ago. “I have gained placings at just about every meeting I have ridden at but have only had two wins,” he said. The other success was also on Fairfield Lad. Mercer said the horse was not travelling that well in the early stages yesterday. “He couldn’t go with them early and he was pushed down on the inside. It was only when we got out in the better ground that he got going,” he said.

El Valiente had taken the lead early in the run home but Fairfield Lad lodged a strong challenge

and had his measure over the final 100 m. El Valiente, which had raced a little keenly, stuck on strongly for second with Bronze Valley three-quarters of a length back third. El Valiente

and Bronze Valley are also possible Winter Cup contenders. There was a gap of four lengths back to the others headed by the pacemaking, Hanayome, and Call it Quits.