Arabian Blue cracks 1:55 barrier

Press, 29 July 1989, Page 29

Arabian Blue cracks 1:55 barrier

By

JEFF SCOTT

Arabian Blue, which left New Zealand on a C 6 assessment earlier this season, is another addition to the list of New Zealand-bred sub 1:55 pacers with a 1:53.8 winning performance at the Meadowlands track in North America earlier this month. The five-year-old Admiral Halsey gelding took his record in a SUSI9,OOO claiming race, where horses entered had claiming prices between SUSSO,OOO and $U575,000. Bred by Grant Sim of Southland Standardbreds, Arabian Blue qualified initially, in Canterbury while trained by Brian O’Meara. He was then purchased by clients of Les Purdon’s Pukekohe stable where he developed useful form and took a 1:59.8 placed mile mark in this country. Arabian Blue is a halfbrother to a former DB Fillies’ Final winner, Blue Water, later a 1:59.8 performer in North America. Their dam, the Berry

Hanover mare Blue Lagoon, is a daughter of the good Young Charles mare, Coral Donna the winner of seven races, which was placed in 2:00 herself at Addington during her career. Arabian Blue is the first sub 1:55 performer by Admiral Halsey, a South-land-based son of Meadow Skipper. Admiral Halsey took his number of 2:00 performers in North America to five when another former Southland C 4 pacer, Admiral Luca, took a 1:57 mark on the five-furlong Cicero track. Another sub 1:55 New Zealand-bred winner, on the same Meadowlands programme as Arabian Blue’s success, was the Vance Hanover gelding Star Glory, which lowered his lifetime mark of 1:55 to 1:54.2. Star Glory, from the same family as the top N.Z. aged pacer Luxury Liner, reached a C 8 assessment in this country from Owen Purdon’s Pukekohe team.