Racing and trotting Fine staying victory for Wee Win in Easter Cup

Press, 16 April 1979, Page 15

Racing and trotting Fine staying victory for Wee Win in Easter Cup

By

G. K. YULE

Wee Win returned probably the greatest performance in his 69 starts to dale when his superior staying powers carried him to victory in the Lion Brown Easter Cup at Addington Raceway on Saturday.

**• was his last start for ’he season and brought his record for the period to 19 starts for seven wins and seven ~ placings worth 867.815. Altogether he has had 6S starts for 18 wins. 26 placings and $106,965 in stakes, including $l5OO in Melbourne last year. Wee Win was in the open near the 1500 m and he took the lead from Belmer’s Image near the 600 m. He was closely attended by Sapling early in the run home, with the northerners, Greg Robinson and Rondel, not far awav. Wee Win shook off Sapling about 100 m out and came on to win comfortably by two lengths

Sapling was a length and a half in front of Greg Robinson, with half a neck to Rondel and a length and a; half to Rocky Tryax, with ’rusty Scot and Nimble Yankee next. Trusty Scot broke al the start, while Nimble Yankee broke with 1500 m to run, both returning game efforts! to finish so close. Wee Win is raced by his trainer, Max Thompson, ini

: partnership with his wife, I June. “That will do him for a while,” said Thompson after the race. “We’ll spell him now and then get him ready for another crack at the New Zealand Cup in November.”

A six-year-old entire by Out to Win from Foaming Lass, Wee Win is rated as one of the best stayers he has driven by Wes Butt, who has handled him in most of his races. "He’s so tough I knew I had the others in trouble turning for home,” he said. “You’ve got to drive him like a ‘sailor’,” said Butt. “In the spring when I tried to ’ drive him with a cover he got run over and won little i money. But when you cover 'extra ground and keep him in the open he just keeps on fighting so long as the pace is on all the way. There I aren’t many you can drive like that,” he added. 1 RUE PACE The race was one of the I best in a major event! for some time. The pace was I a true one, with the opening! 1600 m taking 2min 4.?5, and!

the last 800 m Imin. The \ final 400 m took 30.45.

I “He had every chance. The other horse was too good,” said Sapling’s driver, Henry Skinner. Sapling received $4OOO for his placing. He has now had 48 starts for 19 wins, 21 placings, and $197,645 in stakes.

Skinner’s comments about Wee Win were echoed by Peter Wolfenden, who drove Rondel. “He couldn’t have received a better run, but he just, couldn’t muster the necessary speed in the straight. He does best with plenty of racing.” “That handicap of 10m cost me a win,” said Greg Robinson’s driver, Max Robinson. “It’s just stupid that he had to give Rondel a< start. It just means we’ll I have to give serious consid-1 eration to sending him toj America.” OSTRAVA AGAIN Ostrava bought his record to three wins and a third from four starts since being purchased for $50,000 by Mr Max Harvey, of Auckland, when he proved a class above his rivals in the

Metropolitan Three-year-old Championship. It was also

his first start since joining George Noble’s team a little more than a week earlier.

Peter Wolfenden sent Ostrava to the front soon after the start and he set a sound pace. Matai Dreamer raced round to be almost with him near the 1600 m, but steadied back a shade and remained in the open. Ostrava was not really extended in the run home and he won by a length and a quarter. Matai Dreamer held second by a short length from Johnny Land, which had difficulty clearing a pocket on the rails. He finished full of running. I Seafield Rose, an early (breaker, did well for fourth (even though she was five (lengths away, with Trojan (and Frosty Lobell next. I Gregory Garrison, which was in trouble earlier, broke and (ell near the 1300 m. bringing down Wing Commander and badly checking Sovereign, which was pulled up. Sovereign had lost a big, stretch of ground at the start.