Pleasing efforts by cup hopefuls

Press, 11 September 1989, Page 33

Pleasing efforts by cup hopefuls

Auckland correspondent

The sAustl.B million Foster’s Melbourne Cup was all the talk after the running of the Ranfurly Shield 1575 at Ellerslie on Saturday.

And it was not only Bob Manning, the ownertrainer of the winner, Fleetward Lad, who was eagerly awaiting the countdown to Flemington on November.

Also thinking ahead was Te Aroha trainer, Eddie Lee, who prepares the D.B. Auckland Cup placegetter, Shannon Lad.

While Fleetward Lad was the centre of attention after a superb display to win the 1575 m event first up on Saturday, Shannon Lad also pleased his connections even though he wound up eighth of the 10 runners.

Both Manning and Lee were concerned that the Ellerslie track would prove too heavy for their

respective charges, but only one of them was proved right. “He’s unbelievable,” said Manning as he watched Fleetward Lad return to scale in the hands of Greg Childs. “I honestly thought the ground would be far too heavy for him today and that he wouldn’t be forward enough to win. He’s only had one trial, which he won here last month. I was going to take him to the Thames trials last week, but they were abandoned.”

Fleetward Lad emerged as a staying star last year when winning five races on end — three highweights and two open handicaps. Greg Childs rode him in the latter two races and was also successful on him at Paeroa earlier in the season when riding him for the only other time.

Fleetward Lad followed

the last of those five wins with a bold second in Noble Khan’s Wellington Cup and it was that performance which had Manning thinking of the staying prizes in Australia. Manning put Fleetward Lad aside after the Wellington Cup, but brought him back into work a short time later to ready him for a tilt at the Sydney Cup. The trip, however, did not eventuate.

When contesting the Ranfurly Shield 1575 on Saturday, Fleetward Lad was having his first start since April 8 and the manner in which he performed suggests he is on target for Melbourne. Childs settled Fleetward Lad back in seventh spot and worked him up handier on the home turn. He then asked him to stretch out after the pacemaker, Secret Mission, and Fleetward Lad did so

in good style.

Manning now plans to tackle the $25,000 Lion Brown Whakatane Cup (2100 m at Tauranga on September 23 with Fleetward Lad, which has 52kg in the Melbourne Cup. Also bound for the Tauranga meeting is Star Harvest and Shannon Lad. Shannon Lad was never happy in the going on Saturday and tailed the field to the home turn, then ran past two stragglers.

Lee and rider Peter Johnson were pleased with the effort. “He had to have a run today and he went as well as we hoped,” said Lee. “He’s never gone in that heavy stuff.”

Johnson added that Shannon Lad was “dipping and diving” all the way, but said the horse felt good.