Ben Wilkinson out of Wingatui race

Press, 16 September 1987, Page 33

Ben Wilkinson out of Wingatui race

By

J. J. BOYLE

The Riccarton trainer Brydon Mills has had sharply contrasting slices of luck in the last few days.

His talented sprinter Black Heath extended an impressive record on the first day of the Marlborough meeting. But Ben Wilkinson, which was expected to improve the stable record at Wingatui next Saturday, is out of action with injuries received when he was caught up in a gate on Monday. Ben Wilkinson, winner of three races from four

starts, had to be tranquilised and a saw had to be used to clear him from the gate. "Fortunately his injuries were superficial,” Mills said yesterday. “Today he is as bright as a button, but it means he will not race again until the New Zealand Cup meeting.” Black Heath, winner of six races in eight starts for the Mills stable, now has The Stewards at Riccarton as his main mission.

Mills said yesterday he would give the speedster only one race before The Stewards — at the Banks Peninsula meeting on October 31. "I want to get him into The Stewards at a competitive weight, but if we keep racing him in the meantime he could get 57kg which would make it tough for him to cope with the North Island horses,” Mills said. The Mills-trained stayer, Reingard, is still spelling in Australia. It was decided not to chase a third Canberra Cup win or to tilt at the Melbourne Cup. Instead the seven-year-old will be brought back for a programme of middle distance races, perhaps start-

ing in Queensland and later moving into New South Wales. "There are any number of valuable races between the big carnivals over there, and you can pick and choose a programme more easily than you can do here,” Mills said yesterday. Riccarton’s team for Wingatui on Saturday could be reduced further if the track does not offer

good footing. Michael Pitman has Kiwi Alley in the $7OOO feature sprint race but will be studying track reports from Wingatui later in the week. “He won’t run if the track is heavy,” Pitman said yesterday. If he starts the former northerner will be. ridden by Jocelyn Fallen, renewing a combination that was successful in three races last season, the last of them at Riccarton just before the Taipan II geld-

ing was eased out of racing in May. Comparable, a runner for the Pitman stable in the 1600 m maiden at the Otago meeting, was paired with a race rival, Blue Chip, to sprint 600 m in 38.4 s on the No. 7 grass at Riccarton yesterday. St James also appeared on the grass, to idle over 600 m in 43.65. The John Grigg Stakes winner is thriving. “He’s done too well, and it looks as if he will need a race before Rangiora on Labour Day,” St James’s trainer, Peter Jones, said yesterday. Jones said he would be reluctant to run the big fellow under handicap conditions in the C.J.C. Classics Trial at Riccarton

on October 17, but he could see no real alternative. Slick Million was one of the fastest workers in training on the plough yesterday. He hurried in from the 600 m in 375. Reproach, a neat Beaufort Sea — Panic filly in John Bourne’s team, returned 38.45, a time equalled by Ariage and Claire’s Reason.

Man Of Honour, Ruff, and Hurunui returned 53.4 s for their 800 m, quickening for the final 600 m in 38.45. Corrie Doone, looking bright and solid, finished his work with 600 m in 38s. Later his promising stablemate, Spangles, came up with 51.5 s for 800 m and 37s for the final 600 m. Spangles has shown high promise in trials from the Kerr stable and her debut, probably in the Canterbury Belle Stakes

on October 3, will capture much interest. Advocate, winner of five races for the Bourne stable last season, showed signs of encouraging progress for another campaign while running 800 m in 51s, the last 600 m in 38s. Shine In Chine and Banfield got through their 1200 m in 1:20.3, the last 600 m in 38.65. Blovinski was keen to go on with it after running 600 m under a strong hold in 43.45. Ariage and Claire’s Reason returned 38.4 s for their 600 m. The Wingatui-bound More Notes and Palstep recorded 52.5 s for their 800 m and 38.6 s for the final 600 m.