West Coast honour likely for Cappiemore

Press, 22 July 1988, Page 28

West Coast honour likely for Cappiemore

Special correspondent Greymouth The durable Atarau galloper, Cappiemore, now in his sixth season of racing, seems poised to win the 1988 West Coast “Horse of the Year” title, an honour he would have been under consideration for in nearly all of his seasons of racing. Indeed, it was largely through the deeds of Cappiemore — when racing as a three-year-old in 1983 — that his partowner and trainer, Kevin

Doolan, was named West Coast “Personality of the Year” for the 1982-83 season. The announcement of the 1988 West Coast “Horse of the Year” and the West Coast “Racing Personality of the Year” will be made at a function to be held at the Southland Hotel tomorrow evening. To win the 1988 title Cappiemore must be judged by the selection panel to have performed better than the higher

stake-earning horses, Moderation, Pericolini and Coconut Ice, the latter being owned by a New Zealand-wide ' syndicate which includes one Greymouth member. Moderation has been placed in some top quality fields this season, and has won two races, pushing his stakes earnings to more than $31,500. Probably the strongest rival for Cappiemore is Pericolini. Apart from his win in the Great Easter Handicap at Riccarton on

April 6 Pericolini won the 1988 Hokitika Cup, plus two other races at Riccarton. Pericolini would be a worthy winner, but his career so far has possibly lacked the colour and character that makes Cappiemore such a focal point of West Coast galloping interest. This season Cappiemore has campaigned in all classes of racing, and enjoyed success in open class flat racing, hurdling and steeplechasing, a quite remarkable record.