Harbor Flo not yet assured of start

Press, 25 January 1986, Page 26

Harbor Flo not yet assured of start

From

J. J. BOYLE

Wellington The Riccarton trainer, Garth Jackson, was in his own words almost haunting the secretarial offices of the Wellington Racing Club at Trentham yesterday. He was hoping for news of one more scratching for today’s Jarden Mile

which would allow his inform lightweight, Harbor Flo, to re-enter the field. "If I can get the news I’m hoping for I will be quick to pass it on to Harbor Flo’s Christchurch owners so that they can go ahead with their plans to fly up for the race,” Jackson said yesterday.

Jackson has In the Glen assured of a start in the $65,000 feature race, but he said yesterday he would be disappointed if Harbor Flo did not regain the field. “Both mares have done well.” The successful Jockey, Grant Cooksley, has secured the prized mount on Balrani, the impressive winner of the Auckland Racing Club’s Flag Inns Trophy two starts back. Balrani is a stablemate of Durham Light, which will run for the Booth stable in today’s Wellington Derby. David Peake has been engaged for Durham Light. The Wellington Derby

favourite seems likely to be the only filly in the field. Empire Rose, a giant-sized Sir Tristram filly from the Laurie Laxon stable at Cambridge, gave the talented Royal Heights brave opposition in the New Zealand Oaks on Monday, going under by only a head. Greg Childs, who rode her in the Oaks, is required for Sharp Ace this time, and his talented substitute for Empire Rose will be the leading Jockey David Walsh.

The last filly to win the Wellington Derby was Peg’s Pride which triumphed in 1973. In a field with no depth of class this year Empire Rose could close that gap in the records. The field for today’s Evening Post-sponsored Wellington Cup was weakened by the withdrawal yesterday of last year’s winner, Imaprince, which has a bruised heel. He was the second horse to come out of the original field but one more scratching will be necessary to allow a start for Final Advance, whose Auckland Cup third stamped him as one of New Zealand’s more promising young stayers. Final Advance is owned by Mrs Anita Rowan, who is probably the most senior — at 77 — of the owners hoping to have a cup runner today. Mrs Rowan registered the colours Final Advance carries 50 years ago. That was to race a mare called Fleur d’Or. She did not win but distinguished herself at point-to-point in the hands of Mr Charles Roberts, a well-known veterinary surgeon in Auckland. Mrs Rowan made the first step towards developing the family to which Final Advance belongs when she bought Paper Time at the Trentham sales in 1947. Gay Juliet, a great granddaughter of Paper Time, sired by Sobig, was more than useful and counted a 2400 m Ellerslie Anniversary Cup among her wins. Final Advance is her Son to a mating with Battle Waggon and with

four wins and 11 minor placings from 22 starts he can be regarded as one of the more talented of the young stayers. His preparation for the Auckland Cup was partly affected by bee stings and also interrupted at times when he had been fit to race by being eliminated from fields. But he ran bravely for his third in New Zealand’s richest staying race, won by Kerry Lane, and if he had dodged the ballot at acceptance time for the Evening Post Wellington Cup he might have been regarded straightaway as the favourite or at least a contender for the position. The records are on the side of the geldings and entires in the Wellington Cup, but the females have seldom, if ever, been more strongly represented in the last 30 years, and it will be something to wonder at if Amloch, Duanette’s Girl, and Curved Air do not slug it out with the best of the males today. Perhaps Twelve Gauge will have the youthful talent to emerge as the best of the "boyos” but good cases can be made for half a dozen and more of the others including Kiwi, Secured Deposit, Gold Lomond and the lone South Island runner, Samasaan.