Win gives May compensation

Press, 26 April 1988, Page 45

Win gives May compensation

By

JEFF SCOTT

Ricky May, the 1985 New. J Zealand ! (Drivers’ Championship I winner, was compensated for missing selection in this yealr’s series Iwhen he drolve I Application! to win the first leg of .thte T.A.B. double at the New Brighton) Trotting Clubs meeting! yesterday. Ironically May, brought about the defeat of the hod favourite, I Starwin Boy, driven by Jack Smolensk!, who ghirted last minute inclusion for this year’s: series ahead of May on a countbalck. Both reinsmen had driven an equal number of winners when the selection was made.! May* eased Application back (to last in ' the! 10hohse! field early in the New i Brighton Trotting

Club Supporters Free-For-All, then moved him around to take the lead off Starwiri . Boy I with 1400 m left. . The Methyen horseman had the favourite bottled up in the trail during the run home, | yvith Bionic Raider (in the open) also going well enough to keep Starwin Boy hemmed in. ‘ I J ( May had no need to ask Application for a supreme effort for the Lordship entire to vii by threequarters of a length from the strong-f mshing Southlander, De Cafe, which was held uj early in the run home. Application, a promising four-y ;br-old stayer trained at [Methven by Brian Sa.unders. who races him with his-sister, Janet, was recording his sixth win from 23, starts

for ( earnings of $38,(|45. He was last successful at Qamaru in October, tut had! been the runner-up to IRostriever Hanover in the |DB Superstar Final at Addington in September. Starwin Boy finished third full of running, three-quarters of a length away, with Master Vance (finishing solidly next, j • Application paced the mobile , 2600 m in 3:19 14, (quickening over his ast 1800 m in 58.55. Just outside )record i Debbie’s Chance was , .32! of) a second outside (Michelle Bromac’s I national 2000 m mobile record for three-year old pacing, fillies in the second leg of the T.A.B. double;, the Imperial Hotel ! 2000. •

The top South Island filly was not unduly pushed to record 2:30.32, pacing hpr closing 800 m in 57.75. Her winning margin of a long neck flattered the runner-up, Blythbank Del, which trailed the winner over the last 14)0m. Debbie’s Chance, the national two-year-old fillies recorb holder over 2000 m and NZ’s fastest three-year-jold filly miler, gained a good early run and swept to the lead after 600 ijnetres. The Jersey Hanover filly, checked out of the Great Northern Oaks in her previous race, remains a leading hope for the DB (Export Fillies’ Final at Aldington on Saturday week, and the Nevele R.| Stud New Zealand Oaks| a week later. Cameron, a former World driving champion with over (800 career wins behind him. including 43

this term, has yet to win the Oaks, or a DB Fillies’ Final. i.

\ Debbie’s Chance was recording her sixth win from 22 starts yesterday and took her earnings to almost $40,000.

(Cameron’s win was tempered slightly when he was fined $lOO for an unauthorised change of gjea!r. The filly raced with a boring pole on her nearside. ( Suvarno, three wide with cover over the last 1300 m, fought on strongly for! third, three-quarters of i a length away. Cool Charm Girl, which was three back on the fence'to The home turn, but denied racing room for most of the run home,, finished fourth, a further threequarters of a length away. The second favourite, Young Eden, was caught Wide for a time, and battled on from midfield for an improver's sixth.