Tweedie in form

Press, 9 August 1988, Page 36

Tweedie in form

DAVID McCARTHY

By

Alwin Tweedie added a footnote to the turf history books some hours after riding Solaris Star to victory in the Aylesbury Handicap at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s meeting at Riccarton | on Saturday. N Tweedie left the course soon after the race, flew back to Auckland and won two races at Avondale on Saturday evening, on Star World and Huntroyd. It is the first time a jockey has ridden a winner in both islands lon the same day I though such feats are I not uncommon among i the ranks of harness ! racing drivers. I I Tweedie’s decision I to ride at Riccarton came in response to a | plea from Solaris I Star’s trainer, Jim I Didham, with whom he has had a close association over the years. Both come, originally, from Wingatu and started off their respective careers at about the same time. Didham estimates their strike rate for the partnership is “over 80 per cent.” Solaris Star, with a win and two placingsg from his three starts! before Saturday, I carried a good weight! to a close victory I after getting well off! the early pace. He | had a long neck to | spare over Amarnath | with the Riccarton-1 trained Saveur, last early finishing brilliantly along the rails for third after being held up in the straight. Tweedie’s visits to Riccarton have been rare in recent years though he was placed in the One Thousand Guineas in 1985 on | Classic Ace and on I Secured Deposit in the | 1986 Benson And | Hedges Gold Cup. | Solaris Star will run | in the $12,000 Pavroc | Plate on the final day g of the meeting next I Saturday and then I could be set for early g Guineas events. On a the market, for a six-| figure sum, he is g likely to stay in work I until November with! the Two Thousand | Guineas a major ob-g jective. 9