Apprentice brings in three winners

Press, 28 November 1988, Page 37

Apprentice brings in three winners

By

DAVID McCarthy

The Ashburton apprentice Rayleen Fraser, aged 17, had a memorable day at Omoto on Saturday, winning three races. Two were for the visiting Tauherenikau trainer Don Fuge on Cherub and Just Award and the other for her employer, Jim Lalor, whom she joined on the eve of the New Zealand cup meeting earlier this month. Miss Fraser, who walks at about 46kg, was employed in the lower North Island and on a southern trip last season had been in winning form at the Reefton meeting. Her first winner on Saturday, Cherub, came from a long way off the pace to win the Stewart Steel Maiden. Bred and owned by Mr Fuge, who has been a regular patron of the West Coast circuit since bringing Stormy Knight down about six years ago, Cherub had been all at sea at her only previous start at Hokitika last week. "She couldn’t handle the bends. Gary (Williams) thought there was nothing wrong with the run and would have been keen to ride her today but we thought she would benefit from an apprentice claim,” said Fuge after the race. Williams rode the stablemate Mount Up, the favourite, which received a rocky run well off the pace, being checked twice. Fuge, whose bet on Cherub was for a place, first became interested in the sporting aspect of Westland life through hunting and fishing but is now a regular patron of the race meetings, having seven horses on the pre-

sent trip. Cherub and Just Award brought him a welcome change of luck after disappointing results at Hokitika last week. Fraser’s third win was on the well backed Silver Song, which had caught the eye at trials in Canterbury recently. The speedy grey raced greenly but soon reached the front from a wide draw and won in impressive fashion. She is trained by Lalor for the Blenheim racing enthusiasts Mr Kelly Thompson, president of the Marlborough Racing club, John Hart and Brian Newman while Lalor also retains a share. Silver Song is one of two horses Lalor leased from Clearwood Stud for the partnership. A four-year-old, she is by Standaan, which was recently repatriated to Ireland after standing at stud here for several seasons, from an Irish-bred mare. Another owner who gained a quick return for his racing investment was Mr “Snow” Fraser of Hokitika and his wife, Bev, who leased Mistella for the Westland circuit. The sister to The Bishop belies her breeding by having a marked preference for firm tracks. Trained by Michael Pitman, Mistella finished fourth at Hokitika and relished the firm conditions on Saturday, holding out the unlucky Fury. There is a substantial right of purchase on Mistella whose sire, Musical Phantasy, now stands at Paritai Stud near Amberley. Fury was lost for early speed and was still well back with 600 m to run, producing a top effort to run second. The Pitman stable apprentice, Jocelyn Fallen, was seen in good light,

guiding Mikel’s Magic to victory in the Roseal Maiden. Mikel’s Magic outfinished Mister Fantastic whose dam, Thunderstar, was a past winner of the race. Mikel’s Magic is raced by Michael -Kerr and his brother, Brian, and is more widely travelled than most Canterbury maidens. His trainer, Neil Coulbeck, bought the horse as a youngster from his breeder Eric Brown for $lO,OOO and he passed into the ownership of Gressier Stud. Mikel’s Magic was sent over to the Sydney trainer, Paul Sutherland, just over 12 months ago but failed to arouse much enthusiasm for his ability there. A close relation of Worldly Mist, which was a good winner for Coulbeck at West Coast meetings, Mikel’s Magic has shown enough recently to suggest his best days are in front of him. My Friend Henry, which gave Balcairn trainer John Parsons his second win on the day, is proving a rewarding exercise for a four-way Canterbury partnership for whom he was selected by the prominent Southland owner Henry Ruddenklau, hence the horse’s name. My Friend Henry did his original racing for Rex Cochrane but was sent north by Ruddenklau as a likely jumper of the future. “Willie Harnett did quite a lot with him and also schooled him up. He’s a useful horse and much better when he can run along in front,” said Parsons. My Friend Henry had scored at nearly 70/1 on his “home” track at Motukarara last month.