Skills of master craftsman on show

Press, 8 December 1987, Page 45

Skills of master craftsman on show

By

DAVID McCARTHY

The skills which have made Arthur Didham a master craftsman among racing trainers were never more in evidence than after II Comandante’s game win in the Timaru Motors Sierra Handicap at Phar Lap Raceway yesterday.

It was the five-year-old’s first start since November 1986 and in that period he has had only two serious fast gallops, both in trial events at Wingatui, the latest of which was last Saturday. “Other than that he has done all his work at jumper’s pace. He also did eight weeks with Brenda Harland at the beach before we started on him about 10 weeks ago,” the successful rider, Leslie Didham, who trains in partnership with his father, said. 11 Comandante stood on a shoe in his box on Werribee Cup day last year and then injured a tendon. Sent back to New Zealand by his owner, Sydney-based Mr Albert Meo, n Comandante spent some months in the North Island at the stables of Joe Bromby spelling. He was a very smart performer here as a three-year-old winning the Southland Guineas and the Bernadino Mile at Wingatui, the final of the South Island Three-Year-Old Championship. The senior Didham took him to Australia on a big cups

mission, but his sights are likely to be a little lower than that in the next month or so. “We would like to have a try at the Invercargill Gold Cup but he’ll need a race or two before then and we’ll have to see how he stands up. You can’t make too many plans with a leg like he’s got,” Didham said. Noble Boa, the first horse Mr Meo gave the stable to train, won two Invercargill Cups and over 3100,000. The partnership began by chance after Mr Meo had paid $2500 for Noble Boa as a yearling, the colt having been prepared for the sales by the Didhams. He joined Malcolm Smith’s stable but struck problems and was ultimately returned to his Hampden breeders for a • spell before going back into training. Les Didham then contacted Mr Meo to see if they could try the horse and he consented. He has also raced Briny Girl from the stable. Il Comandante settled off the pace in the small field before being allowed

to bowl up to the pacemaker and favourite, Kaoru Heights, with 700 m to run. He issued a more serious challenge at the

turn and just beat the dead-heaters, Kaoru Heights and Main Course, the latter running home well down the out-

side. Polacca, which battled the last piece, beat only Real Pronto to the line.