Ballesteros shakes mid-race worries

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 48

Ballesteros shakes mid-race worries

By

ALEX Mc MILLAN

The topweight, Ballesteros, justified $1.90 favouritism in the DB Draught Ashburton Four-year-old (1600 m yesterday, but his many supporters could have been excused for feeling anxious mid-way through the race.

Given a good trail in third position by Shane McCann, Ballesteros drifted noticeably 600 m out and was conceding the leaders a handy advantage on the home turn.

Vigorously ridden by McCann, Ballesteros, carrying 57kg, gradually gathered in That’s Us (in receipt of 7kg) inside the 200 m and won going away by three-quarters of a length. “He just doesn’t like other horses around him and I had to ease him back. But he kept coming gamely and should get more ground,” said McCann, who rode Diamond Annie to win the feature event on the first day of the meeting on Saturday. Trained at Balcairn by John Parsons, Ballesteros

had finished a well-beaten eighth in Dogwood’s Grigg Classic last year but has strengthened in the interim and his lead-up form to yesterday was excellent. As the winner of the three races before yesterday, Ballesteros was clearly the bestperformed runner in the $7OOO event and his raceday experience made all the difference. That’s Us, on the other hand, was having only her fourth race start and the first day maiden graduate may have pressed the issue much closer had she not been left in front at the top of the straight. Edith Piaf, the second favourite, made ground for third but, like many of the runners, would probably have been better suited by an easier track.

Parsons has no ambitious plans for Ballesteros, but the son of Cocky Golfer’s effort to win under a hefty impost yesterday, in a very smart time of 1:37.80, suggested that he should add further to his record in coming weeks. Teacher’s Pal back The highly promising five-year-old Teacher’s Pal handed out a lesson .to his C2 spring rivals when resuming in the 1400 m DB Draught Methven Handicap. Sent out for a spell by his Ashburton trainers, Peter and Dawn Williams, after finishing second in Palastone’s Hororata Cup in May, Teacher’s Pal was paraded in grand order and his purposeful finish from midfield carried him to victory by more than two lengths.

Fronaree ran on well from the rear for second, clear of Berber and Miss Vogue, with a freshened Ambrosia Pal providing a minor feature of the race by rattling into fifth. Tailed off last by some 10 lengths at the 700 m, Ambrosia Pal made up a huge slice of ground in the run home.

The DB Auckland Cup on New Year’s Day is the long range aim for Teacher’s Pal, the stable having captured the race last year with Sea Swift.

Teacher’s Pal was extending a splendid home track record for the William’s yesterday and this particular event has proved easy pickings for the stable, with Bacton Abbey (two years ago) and Mitchell Sage last year also resuming from spells with wins in it.