Arthur Didham has interest in Slipper

Press, 24 March 1988, Page 48

Arthur Didham has interest in Slipper

By

DABID McCARTHY

Angus Armahasco, the Caulfield trainer who admits ito. being 80 and who is trying to win. his second Golden Slipper in Sydney on Saturday, won’t be the only; veteran trainer taking Jan interest in! his charge, Zedative. Arthur Didham, from Wingatui will also have played a role in i the unbeaten colt’s success in the SAustl.s million classic for two-year-olds j if it comes about. The colt’s sire,! The Judge, trained by Armanasco, in his racing j days, is from. the Bellborough mare Bellitionj which was a good winner (for the Didham family in the 19605. ! Bellitibn won 11 faces up to 2800 m and ..while she never made top company in Australia ; she! made quite an impact on New Zealand racing.) She won first-up at Orari in October (1965 when 1-4 in the betting, and at her second start

rap third, ito Fairfleet arid I Urupukapiika, in the) Desert Gold Stakes) i at i Trenthami before running! third in Natter’s New Zealand Oaks atlßiccartori.' 1 | That autumn Bellition was twice runner-up j ltd, the smart filly, Kalimera; in the Harewood Handi-J cap and theri the Warstep Stakes at the Riccartori Ehster meeting. ;j (Ji )' ! Taken ,'to Australia ! Bellition won another;! nine races, campaigning until a six-year-old.!As! might j bejj fit the daughter of hi Sieg-’ fried mare she won three times at I 2400 m, at i(Caul r fiield, Geelong and Flemington ' and! ; also ij oyer 2800 m on the last named track. (.('( | J( | J J Retired to. stud in Vic? tpria, Bellitibn ! was ! brjed several times with the Champion sire, Showdowri l . Her first foal, Red Rei b)ecca, ran second in the VATC One Thousand Guineas I though, ironically, she never actually won a | race. But! j The Judge and Victoria Peak

were ( top-line ( sons of the mare. !"! ■ I ■ The Judge- was sold through ' the ( Melbourne sale ring in 1977. He won 11 ! races (and over $lOO,OOO i including the VRC j Lightning Stakes (Group One). Retired as a five-year-old (he was (the stallion chosen by Colin Tidy,! a , Sydney bookmaker, to breed with) his unraced (imported mare, i Summoned. (She is by Crowned (Prince, a son of • Raise a Native.! Mr Tidy retained the ( colt which jwps named i Zedative i and which has risen to ■' Golden Slipper favouritism with remarkable speed! ( He wejn! two, races in December then the Blue Diamond; Prelude, and then thri Blue Diamond Stakes proper, on February 27,1 for! a winning stake of ($260,000. -, Zedative’s future will be bright indeed if he can bring pf(f the a Slipper victory, from ; a wide barrier draw. Armanasco

-Hi. k I (I ' rates him better than, his only other Slipper winner, Full On Aces. •.[;!( The Golden Slipper victory itself is not necessarily the j main reason foh Zedative being an attractive stud proposition either. JArmanascb has 1 a remarkable I record with racing J stallions I which ? have gone on to be bugle" stud successes. ( ((j Best (known is; Biscay which won six of his eight starts for the trainer, ;Taiterihamj Biscay’s brother, which is the most prolific , sire ( of winners in |Australip, was also trained By Armanasco! Other wellknown j stud horses ! Armanasco trained include Shifrial, Zvornik and True Version. | 1 ■ I I | , ! ( And what is the secret of the: old; trainer’s success I with stallions? i ( . “I think f’m (kind to them. (I believe a ! stallion will always be a better chance if he has hot been over 1 raced," he I told ■an , interviewer a couple of yeare ago.: I