Campaign launched on high note

Press, 21 August 1989, Page 36

Campaign launched on high note

NZPA-AAP Melbourne Top New Zealand galloper Our Westminster began his spring preparation in the best possible way when he took out the sAust2sl,ooo Group One Manikato Stakes (1160 m at Moonee Valley on Saturday. The Grosvenor-Apple Blossom stallion finished third in the Manikato last season behind Rancho Ruler and Special after campaigning in Queensland during the winter.

But New Zealand trainer Ngaire Fraser said she set Our Westminster specifically for the Melbourne spring racing this preparation. The flashy five-year-old, ridden by top Sydney jockey Peter Cook, was sent out an 11-2 chance and came from sixth on settling to score by one length from Vitalic (13-2), with Redelva (7-1) a further P/ 4 lengths away third.

Sydney-based jockey

Gavan Duffy, the rider of Vitalic, lodged a protest against the winner for alleged interference between the 400 metres and the 200 metres, but the objection was dismissed. “I sent him for a spell on April 1 and everything has gone according to plan so far,” said Fraser. The trainer has mapped out a programme for Our Westminster, with the sAustl.7 million weight-for-age W. S. Cox Plate (2040 m at Moonee Valley on October 28 the prime target. The brown stallion’s lead-up runs will include the sAust 150,000 Memsie Stakes (1400 m at Caulfield on Saturday week, the sAust2so,ooo John F. Feehan Stakes (1600 m at Moonee Valley on September 30 and the sAust2so,ooo Caulfield Stakes (2000 m on October 14.

Our Westminster won two Group One events last season, the Ampol Stakes (1600 m at Flemington, and the Railway Handicap (1200 m at Ellerslie, sharing the latter with Mr Tiz in a dead-heat. He has now raced 27 times for six wins, five seconds, eight thirds and $Au5t621,990 in prizemoney. Mount Moriac trainer Meggs Elkington was excited with the run of Vitalic despite his defeat, but said he had no set plans for the four-year-old.

“We’ll just be looking for dry tracks and sprint races,” he said. Owner Nick Columb was satisfied with the run of last season’s top two-year-old, Courtza, which finished fifth. “She looked well, but jumped out a little too quickly,” he said. "She just needed the run to clean her out and she pulled up enormously well.”

Courtza, ridden by top Sydney jockey Shane Dye, drifted from 4-1 to 6-1 before being sensationally backed to start favourite at 3-1 but Columb denied his money was responsible.

“I only had $4OO on the tote on her,” he said.

The filly was checked a couple of times in the running, but did what Mr Columb and trainer Ross McDonald expected.

She will have her next start in either the sAust2sl,ooo Ascot Vale Stakes (1200 m at Flemington on September 9 or the $A250,000 Veuve Clicquot (1200 m at Moonee Valley on September 16.