Master Mood in fine form at Addington trials

Press, 17 September 1987, Page 55

Master Mood in fine form at Addington trials

By

ALEX McMILLAN

Master Mood furthered his preparation for the Ashburton Flying Stakes on Saturday week with an impressive front-running win at the Addington trials yesterday.

The son of Noodlum bW safely for Kevin Williams and assumed the pacemaking role after 500 m in the C 7 and faster pacers* free-for-all over 2800 m. The pace was only moderate through the middle stages of the trial but sharpened up appreciably over the last 800 m. Master Mood recording 59.2 s for that section, his final 400 m in 27.75. His over-all time was 3min 30.35. Aran Blaze, a candidate for the Methven Cup on Saturday, made ground solidly to run the winner to half a length, with the early leader, Andronlcus, a close up third ahead of Laser Lad and Gina Rosa. The latter, a race rival for Aran Blaze on Satur-

day, did remarkably well to finish as close. The daughter of Plat du Jour was very slow to get under way for Jack Smolensk! and was privately timed over her final 800 m in 58.04 s and last 400 m in a sizzling 27.295. Flameaway, which requires a scratching to gain a start in the Milburn Farm Handicap Trot on Saturday, held out the open class trotter, Tobago, to tvin the C 4 and faster trotters’ heat over 2600 m in a sedate 3min 40.65, running her last 800 m in 60.2 s and 400 m in 29.25. Tobago, which began slowly but safely from the backmark of 20m for Kerry O’Reilly, produced a determined burst over the concluding stages to finish just a neck from the winner, with Dancing

Armbro and Milford Ace almost in line.

The two-year-olds, Grampian and Kenzo, both likely to travel north next week to contest the $21,000 Morrinsville Juvenile Stakes at Cambridge, trialled satisfactorily behind the mobile in the CO pacers’ heat over 2600 m.

Kenzo, in the hands of Greg Hope, was never in contention, but Stewart Sutherland gave Grampian, a Noodlum youngster, a sterner task, sending him forward wide to sit outside the leaders with a round to go, before easing him out of the race at the 800 m. This was a compulsory action as no two-year-old is allowed to complete a race or trial over more than 2100 m until January.