Career put on hold

Press, 25 January 1988, Page 30

Career put on hold

By

JEFF SCOTT

Brecola’s promising career has been put on hold after her tough staying win in the DB Amberley Cup at the Amberley Trotting Club’s on-course meeting on Saturday. The Midshipman mare took her record to three wins and five seconds in 14 outings with her decisive win at Rangiora, but a bone chip in her nearhind foot has been causing her part-owner, trainer-reinsman, Paul Hampton, some concern.

“She won’t win a lot the _way she is — not at Addington anyway,” said Hampton. “She has done pretty well to date this season, so she can go out for a while now and have the chip removed,” said Hampton, who added he will not be in any great hurry to get Brecola back to racing pitch. Brecola’s toughness stood to her on Saturday after Hampton made two unsuccessful attempts early to wrest the lead from the Dunedin pacemaker, Ar Jays Dream. Deciding to drop into the trail after 600 m (with the others in gap of five lengths), Hampton worked Brecola off the fence when Ar Jays Dream began to tire 700 m out, the latter having surrendered the lead to the favourite, Last Song, which had made a big run to lead after losing 50m early. Brecola quickly asserted her superiority early in the run home and comfortably held out a determined late bid from Dual Sticks, back to the home turn, by a length and a half.

“She is as tough as old boots,” said Hampton. "She has had to go out hard early in most of her races, but is usually running on at the end too.” Mecca Queen, one of the tailenders across the top, ran oh well late for third, three-quarters of a length from Dual Sticks, with Cleff Le Van battling on for fourth. Dunn suspended Charles Nero completed a day of mixed fortunes for his Broadfield trainerreinsman, Robert Dunn, when he narrowly held out Mystic Bromac in the Amberley Three-Year-Old Stakes. Dunn was earlier suspended until February 1 for causing interference behind the first-starter, MacHismo, in the early stages of the Max Bowden Racing and Breeding Mobile Pace. The Lordship three-year-old, which was left parked for much of the running, held out the strong late run of Farmer Del, but was disqualified by the stipendiary stewards for his early misdemeanour. Charles Nero, which last raced in September, was only .6 of a second outside Commissioner’s long-standing three-year-old 2600 m track record on grass at Rangiora with his 3:27.9 clocking.

The Clever Innocence •gelding moved up from the fifth line on the outer at the 1400 m to be parked momentarily some 200 m later. Dunn pressed forward three wide with Charles Nero in the second line from the 700 m and the fifth favourite showed grit to stall off •Mystic Bromac, which led, then trailed, by half a head. Brandy and Dry, three back on the inner from the 1200 m, fought on well late when clear for third, with Avanti, which led at the 1200 m, cut back to fourth.