Racing briefs

Press, 1 June 1989, Page 48

Racing briefs

McCann recovering Riccarton horseman Ron McCann is still recovering from bruising and muscle injuries suffered as a result of Mister Fantastic falling at Oamaru last Saturday. McCann had originally considered the injuries relatively light but they have taken longer to heal than expected. The senior rider knows when to be thankful however. Mister Fantastic clipped heels and fell when near the lead and at least six horses went over the top of the rider most of them leaving some legacy of their presence and the injuries could have been much worse. Co-ordinator appointed The T.A.B. will act as co-ordinator of race start times on major race days in the future. This was confirmed by the Board to the Racing and Harness Racing Conferences recently after the com-bined-code committee decided in favour of the T.A.B. acting in the role. Criteria for selection of start times will be; first, meetings televised by TVNZ, then meetings televised inter-track, metropolitan meetings and finally others. Race start times will be advised at least a week before the meeting and must be adhered to. Only Saturday and statutory holiday meetings will be affected. Triple Crown bonus The Californian colt, Sunday Silence, will win a SUSS million bonus if he takes out the Belmont Stakes in New York on June 11. , The Belmont is the third leg of the American Triple Crown and is the longest, at 2400 metres. The huge bonus is sponsored by the Chrysler Corporation. No horse has won the Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes) in this decade, the last being Affirmed in 1978. The nerves of Chrysler’s underwriters will not have been steadied by the fact that trainer Charlie Whittingham regarded the Belmont as the Triple Crown event Sunday Silence was most likely to win before the series began. Derby odds trimmed Warrshan, a member of Northern Dancer’s penultimate crop, became his 136th stake winner when he was successful in the Predominate Stakes at Goodwood last week. Warrshan, trained by Michael Stoute for Sheikh Mohammed, had his Derby odds trimmed from 16/1 to 10/1 as a result of his win. Warrshan was the highest priced Northern Dancer colt of his year costing SUS 3.7 million at the Keeneland Sales in Kentucky. Trainer Stoute won the Irish Two Thousand Guineas last week with the Danzig colt, Shaadi, and earlier won the English One Thousand Guineas for the first time with Musical Bliss. Danzig is a son of Northern Dancer.