Beaufort Star sold to Australia

Press, 15 June 1989, Page 41

Beaufort Star sold to Australia

By

DAVID MCCARTHY

The ranks of southern steeplechasers have been thinned by the sale of Beaufort Star to Australian interests.

Beaufort Star, a winner of his last two races from Rex Cochrane’s stable, both over big fences, has been purchased by a Syd-ney-based syndicate for whom the sale was negotiated by Riccarton trainer, Michael Pitman. The Beaufort Sea gelding leaves for Australia on June 24. He is expected to enter the stable of the prominent Melbourne jumping trainer, John Leeks jun. Pitman does not expect Beaufort Star will have an extensive campaign there during the rest of the winter. "I’d say they would give him a few starts and concentrate on next season. He is only a five-year-old and has it

all in front of him” Pitman said.

The trainer had the option of retaining Beaufort

Star for winter racing here but feels it would be better all round if the horse is sent over as soon as possible. Pitman approached Cochrane over the possible sale of Beaufort Star after the horse’s Oamaru win which was only his second start over big fences. Earlier he had won the Otago Hunt Cup in an impressive debut after four hurdle races. Beaufort Star’s ability on the flat, where he won four races, was an asset to him here and should be more so in Victoria where the fences are less testing and there is a greater premium on speed on the flat.

Beaufort Star is rated as a jumper with real

potential by his rider in both recent wins, Alex

“Snooky” Cowan. He was a South Island sales purchase for Harvey and Beverly West, of Central Otago, who paid $7OOO for him at the 1985 sale and won more than three times that. He is bred to be good. His dam, Silver Lilly, is by the good jumping sire Country Dance (Region, Sweeney Todd), being a half sister to Wyella, Noble Ella, Minella, Free Vote (the dam of All Counted), and the good jumpers Lord Hymac and Manila. Lord Hymac won the Wanganui Steeplechase and six other jumping races plus eleven on the flat for Graeme Jackson. The ill-fated Manilla

Hunt win was a special tonic for the Wests as Ruby’s Boy, a promising jumper trained by Cochrane in the mid 1980’s, had severed a tendon in his debut at Wingatui in 1985.

Pitman has also recently purchased Koi Ragi from a client of the stable of Peter Jones. The big grey son of Sound Reason will continue to race here for some time yet but is ultimately bound for Australia. Pitman has hopes of his jumping potential.

The syndicate which bought Beaufort Star for a medium five-figure sum is associated with that which gave a six-figure price for Show Queen. Show Queen’s breeding plans for the spring are expected to be finalised this week.

won eleven races including the Timaru Coupland’s

Steeplechase. Beaufort Star’s Otago