Daria’s Fun brilliant in trial

Press, 29 January 1988, Page 22

Daria’s Fun brilliant in trial

Special correspondent Otaki Daria's Fun left no doubts about her fitness for the Fosters Wellington Cup tomorrow with a brilliant final gallop at Otaki yesterday morning. Daria’s Fun was one of three Wellington Cup runners to gallop at Otaki. The others were Frosty Heir and Blazing Voodoo, while the New Zealand Oaks contenders Spyglass and Zamaliza also would up their preparations. All the gallops were on the plough, which provided fast

Daria’s Fun, with her trainer, Susan Ellis, in the saddle, worked quietly over a round and a half before speeding up ,to run 1000 m in 1:2.2. She;,quickened from the 800 m to run that distance in 47.4 s and the final 600 m in 36.35. Ellis is pleased with the way the mare has progressed since her victory in the Trentham Stakes last week-end and considers she is as fit as at any stage of her current preparation. Daria’s Fun will be contesting her third 3200 m

race within three months but is showing no signs of tiredness. In fact she looked very fresh and perky after yesterday’s gallop. "She has just kept thriving and getting stronger,” Ellis said. Daria’s Fun raced well back in the field last Saturday but her trainer is hoping that she will be much handier in the cup. “I’m hoping she will be able to track Empire Rose,” she said. She considers Daria’s Fun, will be able to outstay Empire Rose if

she is handy enough on the turn. A concern is the lack of an obvious pacemaker in the field. A slowly-run race can often cause problems back in the field, as was the case in the Melbourne Cup, when Daria’s Fun was knocked out of contention early. She showed her appreciation of a solid pace when second in the Auckland Cup. She will be reunited this week-end with Garry Stewart, who has ridden her for much of the season and won tne Jag-

uar Cup on her. He had to miss the Auckland Cup ride because she did not have enough weight, and also missed the first day of the Wellington meeting But he has always been engaged for the cup and has recovered from the fall he suffered at Pukekohe last week-end. The South Island galloper Frosty Heir also caught they eye yesterday when she raced away from the maiden Hilda Ryrie at the end of 1200 m in a smart 1:13. She came from the 1000 m in 1:0.4, the final 600 m in 37.5.