Coronal keeps on

Press, 3 February 1986, Page 37

Coronal keeps on

Special correspondent Abit Leica, a warm favourite, had the winning of the Rotorua Racing Club’s big race on Saturday well within his grasp just 150 m from the finish but was beaten surprisingly and decisively by Coronal. Well known for his strong, late runs, Abit Leica seemed about to gather in Coronal; in fact he got up to the other horse’s girth but then fell back and went under by a length. Abit Leica had been last of the 15 runners in the Evergreen Lodge Stakes with 1200 m to go but he was within sight of the leader, Coronal, with 700 m to go and nicely handy around the home turn.

"We got a good run through the field after those two fell,” said Abit Leica’s rider, David Walsh. "With half

long to go he (Abit Leica) was going to bolt in.”

Whereas Abit Leica was found wanting at the last bit, Coronal ran on with great spirit, his leading all through the 1900 m, out by a couple of lengths from Atrapar and Santanea through the middle stages, representing a very solid performance. An eight-year-old from Feilding, Coronal finished only ninth the time before in the 1600 Anniversary Handicap at Trentham but through no fault of his x own according to rider, Noel Harris. The horse, Harris said, had plenty left at the finish of the Trentham race but nowhere to go. He won a 2000 race at Hastings the time before with a run that encouraged both Harris and the trainer, John Mudgway, to fancy their prospects at Rotorua mqjte

than a-little. Mudgway is now looking towards Te Rapa tomorrow week with Coronal, and the Cambridge Stud International Stakes in particular. And all going well it could be on to Ellerslie and the Air New Zealand Stakes, which is building up to be such a feature of the autumn. Coronal and Abit Leica were out on their own at the finish of the Rotorua race but there was merit, for all that, in the showings of several others behind them. Lacka Reason, beaten narrowly from third, looked a very likely improver. So did Eva Grace, which in her first race after a let-up, finished sixth. Signs are that both horses will arrive at Ellerslie in top form for the big weight-for-age race on February 22.