Racing: Bargain buy Swingin Sands ready to impress again at Geraldine

A wonderful formline and an unbeaten record racing on grass tracks point to the Paul Kerr-trained mare Swingin Sands winning the $10,000 Geraldine Cup at the Geraldine Trotting Club's meeting at Orari today.

Swingin Sands is admittedly unproven at 3200m but her closest rivals are similarly placed over this extreme distance and she has a 50 per cent winning record from a standing start.

Swingin Sands might yet prove to be a bargain purchase by Kerr at the 2003 Australasian Sales in Auckland.

On a day when Presido was knocked down for $16,000, Kamwood Cully for $20,000, Tilt ya Kilt for $29,000, Nick Off Holme for $17,000 and Revagain for $52,000, Swingin Sands was a bargain buy at $6500.

She has won five of 17 starts and $24,000 in stakes.

Swingin Sands finished a handy fifth behind Nursemaid at Addington last start but before that had been a winner at Rangiora, Methven, Banks Peninsula and Methven in consecutive starts.

Mares have a reasonable record in the Geraldine Cup with Falconair (2002), Mirity (2001), There's A Franco (1997), Anne Franco (1994) recent winners following in the footsteps of good mares Frangelico, Saucy Star and Royal Illusion.

The cup can sometimes be run at a dawdling pace, hence Lucky's time of 4m 19.5s last season, but they can also fly as Griddle had to win in 2000 when clocking 4m 7.7s.

It will take a superb effort to threaten Clever Legend's race record of 4m 6.2s in 1992.

Dave Anderson won the race two years ago with the resilient but unfashionable Blairgowrie and has Double R engaged today, another runner in much the same category.

Double R has been a good performer, winning seven races and $56,000 from 49 starts, but has been battling in his most recent racing.

- NZPA