Willow Chip Messenger candidate?

Press, 6 October 1988, Page 42

Willow Chip Messenger candidate?

By

JEFF SCOTT

By next February, the Ladbrooks horseman, Colin de Filippi, hopes to have a worthwhile New Zealand Messenger candidate in Willow Chip. The horse furthered a tidy record along the way with a decisive win in the French Bakery Pace at the Canterbury Park Trotting Club’s meeting last evening. Given a good run two and three back on the outer by de Filippi, the promising Transport Chip gelding unleashed an undeniable claim over the last 100 m, winning going away by two lengths. “He’s probably best if he’s saved for one run, but he’s been parked and fought on. He can race anywhere really and is quite a nice horse,” said de Filippi. Willow Chip, a $4OOO National Yearling Sales purchase, was recording his fifth win from 17 starts last evening, and lifted his career earnings to $21,665. De Filippi races the grandson of the 1965 New Brighton Cup winner Chiffon, in part-

nership with his wife, Julie, and John and Ann Seaton. Willow Chip’s dam, Kasha (by Scottish Command) was placed on nine occasions but failed to win. She left an earlier winner in Rimaldi, while Kasha is a sister or half-sister to several useful winners including the dams of Fidalgo (1:58.4), Our Orsini (1:58.6) and Armbroette (1:58.4). This is the same family that produced the 1980 Easter Cup winner, Trivira (1:56.8). Finest Hour, which tried to lead over the last 1750 m, held second gamely from Mistabell, which was parked for a time but received the run of the race on the outer over the last lap. Noble Alm, which trailed three back on the inner, had to be switched wide in the run home and was a luckless fourth, half a head away, with Bay Timer, last mostly, doing well to finish next. Dakota, which led early then trailed, was never clear in the run home, finishing ninth.