Weight battle worthwhile

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 35

Weight battle worthwhile

By

DAVID McCarthy

Personal milestones were the order of the day in the early events at the Geraldine Racing Club’s meeting yesterday.

The Riccarton rider, Geoff Lee, posted his first win in nearly a decade when Zaphir just beat Trudeau in the Anderson and Rooney Welter. Lee, who served his time at Riccarton with the late John Barr and then Lyndon Barr, rode successfuly for a number of years before retiring and shifting to the North Island as a farm worker in 1980.

Lee returned to Christchurch 1 recently and decided to try race riding again. He renewed his licence on August 1.

Lee, aged 36, has battled weight problems to return, but found it all worth while as Zaphir overcame some traffic problems mid-race to win by a short head. Zaphir, a winner at Ashburton in June when ridden by Grant Davison, who rode Trudeau yesterday, is trained by Mark Bailey at Riccarton. Bailey bought the gelding out of the Rex Cochrane stable earlier this year.

First win experience A Christchurch businessman, Bernard Connelly, and Wayne Harrison, his Auckland partner in the Straight Strike gelding, Super Strike, were both experiencing the thrill of winning for the first time when Super Strike responded to the urgings of Davison to win the Beres Macale Memorial Maiden. Connelly, who has had interests in seven racehorses previously, recently bought a half share in Super Strike from Mr Harrison and the horse was racing in their colours for the first time yesterday. Super Strike was previously trained by Pearl Thorpe in the North Island and after showing promise with placed performances as a two-year-old disappointed in a very light campaign last season before coming south to Garth Jackson. Jackson has cause to remember 2000 m maiden events at Orari as it was there his grand stayer, Samasaan, had his first win, in the equivalent event, four years ago.

That same season Butternut, a subsequent Moonee Valley Gold Cup winner and fifth in the Melbourne Cup, also cleared maidens at a middle distance at Orari. Super Strike may not be in that company, but he should not be hard to place in coming weeks. He rather belies his breeding, being by the speed sire, Straight Strike. Mr Harrison, an Auckland importer, is likely to send a Straight Strike filly, Danielle’s Girl, south to the Jackson stable for three-year-old races lafer in the spring. Danielle’s Girl ran second to Sizzles at Ellerslie last February. Apprentice successful Jocelyn Fallen, a Riccarton apprentice, gained her first win for the season on Kijana, which was having his first start from the stable of Stephen Woodsford in the Publicans Handicap. Kijana, formerly trained by Kevin Miller, dashed straight to the lead and was never headed. It was Fallen’s sixth winning ride, meaning she loses her 4.5 kg claim.