Tui's Lass to race at Avondale

Press, 23 April 1979, Page 19

Tui's Lass to race at Avondale

Special correspondent I Auckland

Tui’s Lass, such a gallant runner-up in the Great Northern Oaks on Saturday is staying on in Auckland for the Championship Stakes at Avondale this Saturday but the last has probably been seen of Springtide in New Zealand, in racing at any rate.

The Alton Lodge studmaster, Mr E. L. Haydon, who represents Springtide’s American owners, said after the Oaks that the filly would not be starting again in New Zealand.

Mr Haydon, who bought! Springtide himself just before she won the Gold Trail Stakes, then sold her to the Americans, Messrs E. L. Gaylord and H. Noble, is I booking Springtide’s trans-1 port to the United States I early’ next month.

If that plan is carried out j Springtide will have the chance of a couple of good; races at Santa Anita before! the tracks become too hard I for her. She will be returned!

Ito New Zealand for breeding, Mr Haydon said. Chances are she will be I mated next spring with the successful. American-bred sire, Sharivari, which stands at Alton Lodge. Springtide has earned close on $BO,OOO. Standing just 15 hands and half an inch tall and of fairly, slight physique, Springtide is one of the smallest three-year-olds, certainly the smallest of those who have been competing for Marlborough’s Filly of the Year award. i Her winning the Oaks icould not enable Springtide to collect the award — it went to Tang — but she gained the distinction of taking the last race in the ■ series as well as the first, I the Gold Trail Stakes. She ended with 65 points against Tang’s 93.5. The way she held up through such a long season — she has been in training almost constantly since toward the end of last winter :— marks Springtide a filly

of great heart and is a tribute to the skill of her trainer Colin Jillings.

I Jillings had not previously iwon the Great Northern !Oaks but he has collected just about every other El- ! lerslie event of any importlance and many of the best elsewhere. The race for the Oaks was as close and exciting as could be. It is hard to recall one as good. Tui’s Lass, after taking command some 300 or 400 m out, seemed likely to go on and win decisively. Springtide began to threaten a little furthei on, through the inside, and Elegance challenged down [the outside. I The three fillies drew away on their own, all under hard pressure. Tui’s I Lass, even then, kept in front until the last two strides when Springtide edged ahead. There was only a nose in it. and Elegance, every bit as tenacious, finished almost in line.

■ Fifth just inches between the first three it has to be

said that the riding of Bobby Vance, on Springtide, was what won the race.

Vance, at the top of his form, scored earlier in the day on Hasting Mick and Fraxibard and turned in a perfect display on Calpurnicus before finishing third. His handling of Springtide was a model of positioning and sound judgment. Not long out of an apprenticeship with the Jillings stable, Vance has 82 wins to his credit this season and, at 19 years old, is well on his way to taking the jockeys’ premiership. Belserana, a Hawera filly, made the running for the Oaks, out in front by half a dozen lengths through the middle stages. She never seemed a chance to maintain the pace but she ensured a creditable winning time.

The 2min 31.3 s was outside the best for the race — 2min 29.8 s by Rosie’s Girl in 1975 — but very good going on a track which although firm was not greatly conducive to fast times.