Lord Zirito earns cup tilt with win

Press, 24 October 1989, Page 42

Lord Zirito earns cup tilt with win

Auckland correspondent

The versatile winter performer, Lord Zirito, earned a crack at the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton next month with a dogged victory in the F.R. Bodie Memorial Cup Trial at Te Rapa yesterday.

And trainer Graeme Rogerson is now toying with the idea of lining the hardy seven-year-old up again in Saturday’s $lOO,OOO Rotorua Cup before venturing south. "I’ll make up my mind tomorrow about the Rotorua Cup,” said Rogerson after yesterday’s triumph. “He’ll definitely run in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup, though, before the New Zealand Cup. The big thing with him from now on is the weight he’ll get.” Yesterday, Lord Zirito had the topweight of 57kg, but that did not deter punters from installing him a warm favourite for the 2100 m event. And at no stage was there any concern for his supporters. Rider Gary Stewart settled Lord Zirito towards the back of the small field and improved him across the top. An outsider, Hot Number, swept to the front on the home turn, but Lord Zirito gathered him in with 200 m to run then kicked away to score by 2>/ 2 lengths. A son of the Mighty Zamazaan, Lord Zirito has

been a model of consistency for Rogerson this campaign. He has successfully mixed jumping with flat racing and his only flaw recently was when taken to Sydney for The Metropolitan (2600 m on October 2. “He ran twelfth in The Metropolitan, but he didn’t get much of a run and over the final stages he was finishing better than anything,” said Rogerson. “Just past the post he was right up with the winner.” Lord Zirito has now had 57 starts for 14 wins and 15 minor placings, with yesterday’s victory taking his stake earnings past $130,000. Although Lord Zirito was favourite yesterday, a lot of interest was in the performance of the Melbourne Cup candidate, Fleetward Lad, which had suffered a setback since winning the Whakatane Cup on September 23. Ridden as usual by Greg Childs, Fleetward Lad trailed fourth for most of the journey and improved a placing with 300 m to go. From there he battled on for third, liy 2 lengths from the winner and nine lengths behind the runner-up, Hot Number. But his connections were quite pleased with the effort. “He didn’t handle the ground at all — it was too heavy for him,” said owner-trainer Bob Man-

ning. “He fought on well, though, considering he’s missed some work.”

Manning plans to make a decision today on -whether to press ahead with the Melbourne Cup bid. If he decides to head across the Tasman, Fleetward Lad will top off his cup preparation with an outing in the Mackinnon Stakes on Saturday week.

Childs was sure after yesterday’s race that Fleetward Lad had done enough to warrant the trip.

• The in-form trainers Bruce and Robert Priscott picked up another healthy prize yesterday when their under-rated three-year-old, Southern Beau, ploughed through, the mud to win the Lion Brown 1600.

Although the son of Beaufort Sea won decisively enough — by half a length — the Priscotts are not considering taking him to Riccarton for the Two Thousand Guineas (1600 m next month. “There’s no way I want him to take on Finnegan Fox,” said Robert Priscott after yesterday’s win. “I saw him (Finnegan Fox) win at both Hastings and Trentham and I’ve got to admit he’s very good. If he wasn’t going to Riccarton I’d think about taking this fellow.”

Southern Beau, another of the successful runners owned by Karaka Bloodstock, started third favourite yesterday with the

public support being on Reno Belle and Just A Dancer before him.

Ridden by Linda Ballantyne, Southern Beau trailed third and challenged on the home turn. He was joined by Reno Belle half-way down the straight, but kicked back bravely to score nicely.

It was his second victory from six starts and came after a handy third to Orbwin in the Guineas Trials at Te Aroha and a close fifth to Just A Dancer in the Wrightson Guineas at Ellerslie.

The Priscotts, whose recent winners include Plume D’Or Veille and Hot Tempo, plan to tackle the Waikato Guineas Trial next with Southern Beau and follow up with a run in the Waikato Guineas a week later. Reno Belle did her One Thousand Guineas chances no harm when fighting well for second yesterday.

She settled in the rear and improved from the 700 m. She came at Southern Beau quickly in the straight, but then the conditions tied her up and she battled over the final stages.

Cicatrix did well for third, 31/2 lengths away, and is also Riccarton bound with the Two Thousand Guineas in his sights, as is Just A Dancer, which battled away fairly for fourth, 2i/ 2 lengths further afield.