Flight delays hamper travel arrangements

Press, 31 March 1989, Page 32

Flight delays hamper travel arrangements

By

JEFF SCOTT

Police at Gundagai were alerted to flag down the Sydney horseman, Vic Frost, last Wednesday. He had done nothing wrong, but news of Westburn Grant’s cancelled flight to Melbourne had filtered through after Frost had left to pick up the horse and this was the only course of action to stop a long unnecessary float drive.

“He was a quarter of the way down from Exeter (New South Wales) to Melbourne at the time,” ■aid a Prebbleton-basdd part-owner of Westburh Grant, Colleen Breen, last

evening. The proposed flight from Melbourne was put back until today, but news of a further delays was relayed to the marketing manager for the New Zealand Hamess Racing Conference, Dick Tayler, yesterday. “This has mucked things up well and truly,” said Mr Tayler, who has liaised with the Victorian Harness Racing Club on the proposed arrival of the four New Zealand entries waiting to leave Christchurch for next month’s Inter-Dominion Trotters’ Series. Westburn Grant, along with the New Zealand . trotters, Yankee Loch,

Tyron Scottie, Pitcher and Troppo, were to have been on the same flight to Melbourne on Wednesday, but yesterday Mr Tayler was advised by airline officials it will be “Monday at the earliest.” Mr Tayler had made provisions for the New Zealand squaregaiters to be entered in the sAust2o,ooo E. B. Cochrane Cup at Moonee Valley in Melbourne tomorrow evening. Yankee Loch and Tyron Scottie were selected for the 10horse field, which also includes True Roman, Glenfield Girl and Fair Tally, but will now be scratched.

Troppo and Pitcher had been transferred to a sAustlo,ooo consolation event at Moonee Valley on Monday, but it also now seems improbable they will start. ' “It is a nuisance. The Victorian Club only really decided to run the consolation to give the New Zealand trotters which missed selection for the Cochrane Cup a run, but now I have to ring them and tell them they probably won’t be starting in this either,” said Mr Tayler yesterday.

“All the connections of the four New Zealand trotters are still to go despite the delays,” he added.