Trainer’s travel plans disrupted after Ryder win

Press, 27 July 1989, Page 37

Trainer’s travel plans disrupted after Ryder win

PA Wellington The travel plans of Brian and Billie Hayter have been put on hold because of a rising three-year-old colt named Finnegan Fox.

At Levin yesterday, Finnegan Fox won the $40,000 Ashford Park Ryder Stakes and his trainer’s immediate thoughts of a world tour have vanished. “I think this will put it on hold,” Hayter said. “In fact it’s certain.” Instead of travelling Brian Hayter will be looking towards the $40,000 Wanganui Guineas (1320 m next month and then Guineas races at Hastings and Wellington. Hayter is no slouch when it comes to training horses. During his career he has prepared two topline gallopers, Rich Return and Trial Offer. In fact, few better fillies have graced a racetrack in recent times than Trial Offer. The filly ended up in the United States as part of the Nelson Bunker Hunt empire. This season, Hayter has trained four horses to win seven races. Silver Leopard and Furlong have been the other two winners and a fourth galloper, Motor Inn, has been placed. 11l health forced Hayter to curtail his training activities but these days he is back with the horses and together with his wife they run the Furlong Motor Inn, just across the road from the Hawera racecourse. Hayter bought Finnegan Fox out of one of Jim

Norman’s Mangaroa Stud paddocks at “cheap rates.” Yesterday’s win was Finnegan Fox’s second. He missed at his first two outings, but then won the Woburn Handicap at Trentham two weeks ago. Finnegan Fox, ridden by Larry Cassidy, made his bid on the turn and then finished stoutly to put a winning break on the field at the 200. Behind Finnegan Fox, Triple Crossing, Cicatrix, Gin’s Venture and Kellett were almost in line. Triple Crossing was forced three wide for much of the race and fought well to get within three-quarters of a length of the winner. Noses and half-heads separated the next four, including the favourite, Gin’s Venture, which had every chance. However, no rider was more disappointed than Kellett's Bruce Compton. Fillies have yet to win a Ryder and for all of the run home, Compton was denied a run. The filly had been near last with 500 m to run and her final effort was enormous. Finnegan Fox is by Silver Blaze, and two races later, the Stratford galloper Dad’s Gift completed a notable double for the sire, when he won the $lB,OOO Trust Bank Levin Cup (1600 m Dad’s Gift is now al-

most certain to travel south for the $555,000 Winter Cup at Riccarton according to his ownertrainer Janice Barber. The win capped a run of consistent form for Dad’s Gift, which was just pippied by Kinastatic at Hawera, on June 21, and then ran third in the Whyte Handicap at Trentham. He was to have raced at Hawera last week but that meeting was called off. A four-year-old, Dad’s Gift has taken time to mature and has recorded four of his five wins this season. He is out of the Wandering Eyes mare Wandereyes, which won five races. Dad’s Gift was bred by Barber’s late father, Kitch Newsome, who bred and raced a number of good horses including Honour Bright. He gave Dad’s Gift to his daughter and he is the first horse that she has trained in her own right. Dad’s Gift was the first of two winning rides for Daryl Bradley, who also won on Cetacean. Dad’s Gift raced much handier than usual and settled just behind the leaders. He took the lead soon after turning for home and, though hotly challenged by Rongonui, held on gamely to win by a half neck. Rongonui, racing in blinkers for the first time,

looked a top chance when he loomed up on the turn but Dad’s Gift kicked back too strongly. “He raced much handier and keener with the blinkers on,” his rider, Brian Hibberd said. The placing confirmed a trip to Riccarton where he will attempt to repeat his Winter Cup success of 12 months ago. There was two lengths back to Satisfy, which battled on strongly but could not match the final sprint of the other pair. He was not nominated for Riccarton but ownertrainer, Nick Nicoloff, said he would consider making a late payment for the Winter Cup. Late entries close on Monday. Irish Boe ran his usual honest race for fourth ahead of Tele Myth while last year’s winner, Shearkhan, got back in the running and only battled in the straight. The favourite Charvet was a disappointing eighth. “She just switched off at the 800,” rider David Walsh said. Westgate was also disappointing, tailing the field home after being handy enough at the 600. “He lugged out badly and didn’t want to gallop," Noel Harris said. “He’s definitely got the ability — it’s just a case of getting it out of him.”