Telephone rings true for owners

Press, 19 December 1989, Page 38

Telephone rings true for owners

By

JEFF SCOTT

Unable to be at Gloucester Park, Perth, last Friday evening to see their pacing phenomenon, Westbum Grant, win the SAustl 00,000 Golden Nugget Championship Final, Prebbleton's Barney and Colleen Breen were treated to a telephone link of the race by the West Australian Trotting Association. “The club phoned us and we heard the commentary. It was quite sporting of them,” said Mr Breen. Westburn Grant, owned by the Breens in partnership with Sydney's Vic and Margaret Frost, led throughout to post his nineteenth career win in 21 appearances. He is now unbeaten in four

starts this season. The Land Grant four-year-old was untroubled to win the age group final by two lengths from Whitby Timer and the New Zealand-bred Sur Caragh (Surmo HanoverYoung Caragh, by Majestic Chance), rating 1:57.5 for the mobile 2500 m and sprinting his last 400 m in 28.2 seconds, according to Mr Breen. This equals the race and state record set by last season’s outstanding Bob Knight-trained four-year-old, Sinbad Bay, in last year’s race. “The commentator said Vic Frost (who trains and drives Westburn Grant) is sitting ice-cold on the horse and has got a throt-tle-hold on him during the running,” said Mr Breen. Westbum Grant, a son

of the Breen’s former top New Zealand racemare, Westburn Vue (1:58.5), is to remain in Perth for three further lead-up races to the SAust2so,ooo Benson and Hedges Perth Cup at Gloucester Park on January 5. If Westburn Grant can win the Perth Cup this will take his number of Australian Grand Circuit wins this season to three, after last month's Sydney Miracle Mile and Bankstown Treuer Memorial successes. “After the Perth Cup Vic is to take him back to the eastern states for the SAust2so,ooo Victorian Cup in Melbourne and another Grand Circuit race in Adelaide. If he can win five Grand Circuit races he will win us a SAust2so,ooo bonus, but

this is a pretty tall order,” said Mr Breen. “But we have agreed if the horse looks like getting tired he will be freshened with the February Inter-Dominions in Adelaide the main aim." he added. The three heats of the Golden Nugget series 10 days ago carried a sprinkling of New’ Zealand-bred entries. including the former Canterbury pacers. Innocent Arc, All A Dream. (The) Swift Fella. Module’s Gift and (The) Storm Boy. Other former N.Z.-breds in the series were Master Onedin, Nero’s Idol, Highview Boy and (It’s) Motor Power, the latter winning the fastest of the three preludes but finishing unplaced in Westbum Grant’s final.