Busuttin has big hopes for Castletown

Press, 26 July 1989, Page 36

Busuttin has big hopes for Castletown

By

DAVID McCATHY

Castletown is shooting to become one of the torch bearers for the Paddy Busuttin stable when he lines up in the Ashford Park Ryder Stakes at Levin today. Busuttin regards Castletown as his leading hope for the early classic races in spite of the horse’s battling fourth at Trentham two weeks ago. Castletown raced handy to the pace from an inside draw but was unable to quicken in the run home, a circumstance put down to the gluey track. He had earlier won twice in the South Island at Timaru and Riccarton.

“Castletown is the stable’s leading Guineas and Derby hope at the

moment,” said Busuttin after that race. The Foxton trainer now has more than fifty horses in work as he builds toward another attempt at winning the trainer’s premiership in the new season. Busuttin established a solid lead in the premiership last spring but his autumn and winter team proved no match for the challenge from Graeme Rogerson and the O’Sullivans. Gallipoli, one of the horses which helped the stable fortunes considerably last spring, will follow an identical programme to last spring in his attempt to win a second New Zealand Cup. He beat another offspring of Palatable Eye Full, and gave his sire his first Group One winner in last year’s victory.

Gallipoli did pre-training before returning to the Busuttin stable recently and will resume in the open sprint at Foxton next month. Gallipoli has not. raced since failing in the Wellington Cup' in January after finishing fourth in the Trentham Stakes in his lead-up. He had won two starts previously at Manawatu and won four races in all last term. Among them were the Masterton Cup and the $20,000 Wellington Handicap at the Trentham spring meeting. Red Chiffon, the Canterbury Gold Cup winner last season, is aimed at the Caulfield Cup but she is likely to follow a programme similar to last spring if there are any hiccups in her preparation. Red Chiffon is still eligible for Class

Two racing and the Australian-owned ■ mare will be pointed initially at the Rotorua Cup in which she was second to ■' Shannon Lad last October. f Red Chiffon raced in later spring Cups at the Counties and Avondale meetings and is likely to do so again if Australian plans are abandoned. Syrian Sea, winner of the Wellington Stakes (Group Three) last season has just returned to work and is to be aimed at feature races for fillies and mares over the summer. Busuttin has been disappointed with the former Tommy Smith-trained Yarra Bay in his outings so far in this country and is hoping improved track conditions will see him in a better light.