Top mares back in serious work

Press, 14 September 1988, Page 51

Top mares back in serious work

By

DAVID McCARTHY

The return to serious work by the well-performed mares, Peach Melba and Eye Full, was a feature of a fairly quiet session at Riccarton yesterday.

Both mares went into winter quarters with the New Zealand Cup as their main spring mission and while trainer Mick Murfitt feels he has slipped behind his timetable somewhat the Palatable sisters look to have done plenty of groundwork and in the past have come up fairly quickly. They ran 40.6 on the plough together yesterday, about three seconds outside the best of the session but a respectable effort as they were travelling well within themselves. Dester and Del Da Neil were among Blenheim candidates to work well. Dester (Pitman) and Del Da Neil (Fallen) ran 1200 m in a smart 1:20.4 on the inside grass, home in 40.6 while the stable-

mates Lady Rio (Pitman) with Schomberg (Fallen) ran a slick 600 m in 37.2. They outshone Diarmaro (Fallen) and Fly Baby (Pitman) a secondday candidate for Waterlea which clocked 38. The stablemates Koi Ragi and Biko each with Raewyn Grenfell up, had solo 1200 m assignments on the grass, the former running 1:28.3, home in 43.1 and the latter 1:27.5 (42.3). Their trainer, Peter Jones, has decided to bypass Wingatui with Biko and will wait for Geraldine. The Lalor stable will be represented at Dunedin however and Wakeful Knight (Davison) and Decree Nisi (Stevenson) were given a searching workout on the plough.

They ran 1400 m in 1:33.8, the opening 800 m in 55.3 and the last 600 m in 38.5 with the last 200 m in 12.3. Decree Nisi is still burly and is being given increased work assignments. Grant Davison rides Wakeful Knight on Saturday and also rides at Blenheim on Friday. He takes the mount on News And Views at that meeting the grey being given steady work on the woodfibre track yesterday with Tony Prendergast up. Avlonter worked in grand style on the plough suggesting his Blenheim trip will not be a forlorn one. With trainer Ron McCann up he ran 1200 m in 1:17 the closing 600 m in 39. The fastest gallop on the plough came from

Grandee and Sullom Voe, two members of the Kerr stable. The pair ran 800 m in 51, the closing 600 m in 37 finishing well. Grandee has bloomed in the last few weeks while Sullom Voe, a Shy Rambler filly which was placed at her only outing as a two-year-old last season from Alan Borthwick’s stable, could be a prospect for filly races later. The Cantabrian (Kerr) loped over 800 m in 55, the last 600 m in 41.3 while James Garet (Davison) produced a solo 600 m in 39.7. Swept By, a Wingatui runner, ran 600 m with Shady News in 39.4. Corsicana, looking bright after her Ashburton debut for the season, ran an easy 800 m in 57.2 the last 200 m in 12.9.