Canterbury target for Westminster

Press, 24 September 1987, Page 42

Canterbury target for Westminster

Special correspondent Auckland Westminster, an impressive winner at Te Aroha on Tuesday, has the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Two Thousand Guineas, in November, as his main target this year. The horse’s trainer, Alan Jones, agreed today that the Winstone Guineas, a Group 2 1600 metres event at Ellerslie on October 10, seemed a natural next race for Westminster but said that the Riccarton race was one he had in mind for

him all along. Westminster ran up a remarkable 10 lengths winning margin over 1200 metres at Te Aroha, to all appearances in no way extended. But Jones believes the horse, with his relaxed style and way of going, will become a stayer. From three starts Westminster claims two wins and a second placing. “He had been lame off and on,” the trainer said yesterday. “Part of the trouble was a deepseated stone, bruise. He

also had pulled chest muscles.” After being spelled following his second race Westminster was brought back in time to make an early spring start but that plan was scotched by the long period of wet weather and unfavourable tracks. He had been ready to race for a month when Jones, no doubt wandering whether the ground would ever firm again, gave him another brief let up shortly before Te Aroha.