Sir Tristram quinella at Trentham

Press, 26 January 1988, Page 36

Sir Tristram quinella at Trentham

From

J. J. BOYLE

in Wellington

Lance O’Sullivan brought his winning tally to 51 for the season when he rode Dark Moments to an easy win in the Summer Handicap, first leg of the Wellington Racing Club’s T.A.B. double at Trentham yesterday.

Dark Moments, like O’Sullivan, comes from Matamata, but the pair had never teamed up previously. Dark Moments won by three lengths from the hot favourite, Empire Rose. This made the race a quinella for the top sire Sir Tristram, something that came as no great surprise. But the surprise for many was that Empire Rose should be the "bottom end” of the quinella and for others that Dark Moments should beat her so easily.

Dark Moments will not run in the Wellington Cup on Saturday, something that might prompt a “praise be” from Empire Rose’s connections. She will return home today in the care of the stable foreman, Lance Noble.

Dark Moments is raced on lease from Mr Patrick Hogan, of the Cambridge Stud, by Messrs Marcus Corban, Kevin, Ray and Mike Skinner. Mr Corban is an employee at Cambridge Stud and he was responsible for securing the lease of the mare until after her five-year-old racing (she is now four). Empire Rose’s distant second behind a mare carrying B.skg less did not leave her connections disappointed.

The absence of a true pace did not help the New Zealand Cup winner. Tony Allan had found the trailing spot for Empire Rose behind Dig In, but decided- to press on going to the 800 m where the big chestnut took a short lead.

Dig In rallied on the inside to remain very much in the race to the home turn, but the threat to Empire Rose . came wider and a little later.

Lance O’Sullivan had Dark Moments beautifully poised for her challenge, and he got all the response he wanted, and more, when he selected another gear. Empire Rose’s rider, Tony Allan, was not dejected after the race.

“It was a fair run in a race without pace, and the main thing is that she pulled up okay,” Allan said.

Nymphe Noire was the best of the others, making some ground to finish within half a length of Empire Rose.

Palastone was ridden from the tail of the field and wound up a fair fourth in a gap of a length and a half. Dig In faded to finish fifth.

Lisa Cropp, rider of Regal Advocate, returned to the birdcage bleeding from a facial cut, received when her mount threw his head up at the start. About 40 minutes later Lisa, aged 17, had a change of luck by winning the City of Sydney Handicap on Regal Advocate’s stablemate, Blazing Fury. Blazing Fury won the 1400 m sprint from the front end, clinging tenaciously to a slight and dwindling lead in one of the most spectacular finishes of the day. The seven-year-old Tainui II gelding was pressed close at the end by Conchelle, Fortune Road, and Self Help. But the finish post came soon enough to give Lisa Cropp a win in her first day of race riding at Trentham.

Lisa Cropp is a daughter of Ron Cropp, who trained that splendid ’chaser, Hunterville. She started race riding last autumn, and has now had 26 runs, 20 of them this season. Conchelle saved second by a nose from Fortune Road, and then there was another nose to Self Help, but after an inquiry Self Help was promoted to third ahead of Fortune Road.

Riccarton’s Flowing Silver never got into the act after missing the start.