Johnson to ride Phillipa Rush

Press, 2 November 1989, Page 44

Johnson to ride Phillipa Rush

By

DAVID McCARTHY

It could be best summed up as business as usual for the Riccarton horseman, Chris Johnson, at the Riccarton track yesterday.

Johnson was the centre of attention after an overnight call on his services for the filly, Phillipa Rush, in the Wrightson One Thousand Guineas on Saturday. Johnson accepted the ride and was released from a prior engagement on Jade Gate

by an understanding Peter Jones. He promptly went out and schooled My Friend Henry and his John Parsons-trained stablemate, Mr Amuri, to the satisfaction of stipendiary steward Bruce Craik. Johnson’s call to ride Phillipa Rush came after

Lance O’Sullivan’s reluctant withdrawal after Horlicks was named a definite starter in the Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday. Johnson had had a previous association with the Jim Campin stable. He rode Western Music when the Western Symphony filly had a brief sojourn in Christchurch last May. Johnson has had four previous rides in the One Thousand Guineas, the best-chronicled being his epic win on Canterbury Belle, trained by Dave Kerr, in 1984 from Avana and Sobay. Johnson was unplaced the year after on Natep, did not ride in the race in 1986 and ran second, on Serestrina, in 1987. In a career which has featured its share of controversy, Johnson has ridden over 460 winners, including a number of Riccarton features.

The most recent to fall to him was the Grand National Hurdles on Am-

pac in August. Among his other Riccarton wins are the New Zealand Cup (Samasaan), the Winter Cup (Kar Dan), the Easter Classic (Polacca) and the Lion Stakes (Some Reason). Johnson, who rides Eye Full in the Benson and Hedges Gold Cup on Saturday, has also retained the ride on stablemate Peach Melba in the Runacres, even though he is unlikely to make the 53kg she has been allotted. Maurice Campbell takes the ride on Jade Gate in the One Thousand Guineas. The Sound Reason filly’s trainer,, Peter Jones, was prepared to release Johnson when the Phillipa Rush ride became available. “You don't get a chance like that very often and while I give my filly a chance, Phillipa Rush is clearly the one to beat,” Jones said last evening.

Phillipa Rush is likely to face her sternest test so far over the Riccarton 1600 m on Saturday.