All-the-way win for Silver Stream

Press, 20 October 1987, Page 38

All-the-way win for Silver Stream

By

ALEX McMILLAN

in Greymouth Silver Stream credited the Halswell horseman, Dale Soal, with his first driving success when scoring an all-the-way win in the Greymouth Motels Handicap Pace at Victoria Park last evening. Soal, aged 24, raced the Don Ross-trained six-year-old son of Noodlum to perfection in front and found a generous response from the gelding in the run home to hold out a determined challenge from Asian Affair by a length, with a similar margin back to Top Abbe. The dominating favourite for the race, the first starter, Sholtanui, was set an impossible task, being caught three wide for the first 1000 m before being shuffled back towards the rear of the field round from home. The halfbrother to Wilbur Win wound up a well-beaten tenth.

Soal, who prepares a team of seven, worked for Steve Little, Ray McNally, Sam Ballantyne and Peter Jones before branching out on his own, yet was having only his nineteenth race drive last night. Karina Lee shows class The promising trotter, Karina Lee, returned a fine performance to win the French Bakery Handicap at Victoria Park last evening. Installed as a hot favourite for the Cl 2600 m event Karina Lee was a little slow to get under way but received a run three wide (with cover) from the 1000 m to be within striking range of the leaders approaching the 400 m.

However, supporters of the $2.40 chance were given cause for anxiety when the mare’s driver, Ricky May, was forced to angle his charge extremely wide on the home turn to avoid the breaking Edisknab.

Once balanced the Some Evander five-year-old produced a grand burst of speed and gathered in the leaders easily over the last 100 m, winning by half a length from early leader, Ten Four, with Barcelona and Some Fire close up. Karina Lee, which has now won two races from just 15 attempts for her Westport trainer, Brian Woodcock, will race again on the second night of the meeting tomorrow evening to attempt to secure the one further win necessary to qualify her for the intermediate trotters’ events at next month’s New Zealand cup carnival.