English jockeys likely to ride at Ellerslie

Press, 25 January 1989, Page 31

English jockeys likely to ride at Ellerslie

By

DAVID McCARTHY

At least one famous English jockey is likely to be on hand for the D.B. Draught Classic at Ellerslie on March 4. Two nominations from the Northern Hemisphere have been received, for Lapiere and Highland Chieftain. It seems either, or both, Steve Cauthen and Pat Eddery, two of the leading riders in England, will be at Auckland and Cauthen, in particular, will be a big drawcard if he is able to make the trip. Lapiere’s trainer, Clive Brittain, for whom Cauthen has ridden in previous international events, has approached the jockey about riding the horse in the Ellerslie race and also Top Class, the stable entry in the Tancred International Stakes at Sydney on March 18. Cauthen has been sidelined with injury

from a fall but, according to English reports, he has told Brittain he is fully fit again and keen to ride in New Zealand. He has been awaiting a clearance to resume his highly successful career. The delay in this being issued could affect Cauthen’s plans.

Cauthen has won several English premierships his best total for a season being 195 successes in 1986. He is regarded as a successor to Lester Piggot’s throne as a rider of classic winners.

Before transferring to England he was a sensation in his home country, the United States. In 1977 he set a record which still stands by riding 488 winners. Trainer Brittain had originally planned to send both his horses to Ellerslie but changed plans for, Top Class when another top Euro-

pean galloper, Sherriffs Star, was withdrawn from the Sydney race.

Lapiere won the Prix Jean Prat (Group One) over 1800 m at Chantilly, in France, last May. He has won two of his other 11 starts and was ranked tenth on the Three-Year-Old International Classification last year on 119 pounds (54kg) 14 pounds (6.5 kg behind the topweighted horse, Warning.

His trainer is not new to international sorties. Brittain was the first to try to win the Kentucky Derby with an English horse, Bold Arrangement, which ran second in the 1986 renewal. He was the first English trainer to win the Japan Cup (Jupiter Island) and won a Breeders’ Turf Cup with Pebbles. Last year his team won 40 races and Brittain, who has 120 horses in work,

is expecting bigger things in 1989. Lapiere, which run in the Air New Zealand Stakes a week before the Classic, will be based at Dave O’Sullivan’s Matamata stables during his stay here. The round trip is expected to cost at least $40,000 but the Sydney Turf Club will meet all expenses for Top Class. The second Northern Hemisphere entrant, Highland Chieftain, is not new to international travel. He ran second to Beau Zam in the Tancred Stakes last year when ridden by Brent Thomson.

Highland Chieftain is trained by John Dunlop, another English trainer who has spearheaded several international raids. His stable has won 11 Group One events outside England

Dunlop trained Balmerino when the New Zealand champion was racing in Europe.