Stars at Taumarunui

Press, 28 July 1989, Page 41

Stars at Taumarunui

Auckland correspondent The top-class gallopers, Regal City and Steely Dan, are set to clash on raceday for the second time in a fortnight when they contest the Peters Menscourt Sprint at the Taumarunui Racing Club’s meeting at Te Rapa tomorrow. And in spite of being the top-weighted runners in the 1200-metre event their respective trainers, Jim Gibbs and Tony Gillies, have resisted the temptation to reduce the weights through engaging apprentices. Debbie Healey, who has enjoyed such a successful campaign with Regal City this season, continues her association with the Gibbs runner, while Gary Grylls

will be aboard Steely Dan. Healey and Grylls were also the respective riders when Regal City and Steely Dan participated in an exhibition gallop between races at Matamata on August 15. Both horses hit out well in that gallop and have worked well since then. Regal City hasn’t started since his decisive win in the Bayleys Easter at Ellerslie on March 25, while Steely Dan has been off the scene since failing to see the distance out in a weight-for-age 2000 metre event at Awapuni on April 8. Both horses are likely to benefit from tomorrow’s race, but have the class to go well fresh, as they have shown in the past.