Baudelaire In Fine Win

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31991, 19 May 1969, Page 4

Baudelaire In Fine Win

“The Press” Special Service AUCKLAND. A great late run by Baudelaire capped the most exciting raca Imaginable In the Waikato SteapTachaaa on Saturday. After seeming so much under pressure half a mile from home as to be only a faint chance, Baudelaire somehow raised the stamina to get past Mosque and win in the last 59 yards. When he wrested the lead from Macquarrle, the second pacemaker, all of three furlongs out, Mosqqe looked a very likely winner and he seemed more certain to succeed as they came -to the last of the 21 fence*. But the next moment Baudelaire came alongside and he ran on the better by threequarters of a length. Macquarrle and Eiffel Tower, which attended the other two into the last jump, fell away In the rim home and both gave way to Robert Earl, which took the *750 for third. Macquarrle, lasting pretty gamely, was clearly fourth from Eiffel Tower, which had a short break on Bombay. As might have been expected with a field of such quality the big race was full of incident. Beyond caused all the early excitement when he carted them through a very fast first mile, and then shocked the crowd when, after the second run through the middle, he suddenly "collapsed.” -In no time Beyond had dropped back through the field. Macquarrle, just as quickly, took over and ran clear. Baudelaire, already being urged along to keep up, trailed by

three of four lengths past the half mile and when Mosque came away from the next bunch to overtake him a little further on he seemed spent. His rallying at the end of such a fast three miles looked the mark of a real stayer, certainly one which would get the four miles of the Great Northern.

With Beyond the early leader and Macquarrle so quick to take over a good time always seemed certain. As it was, Baudelaire returned Smln 57 3-ssec, the second best tor the race since the present course was set in 1946, The record is Smln 56sec by Baron’s Craig, In 1983, and a good average nae been considerably more than six minute*.

Baudelaire comes from Walkanae, just north of Wellington, where he is trained on the beach by A. J. Koolman. This latest win came after one over two miles and a half at Trentham on May 7. He had two steeplechases, at Marton and Waverley, and a highwelght at Fellding in close

succession just beforehand and was a« ready as most jumpers are at this time of the year.

A seven-year-old brown gelding, by Blue Coral from Hula’s Guest, Baudelaire had a singularly unsuccessful winter last year and when he scored at Trentham the other week it was his first win for about 18 months. It should be said though that during much of the time in between he was troubled by a rheumatic condition.

As well as being the trainer. Koolman is a part-owner of Baudelaire with another Waikanae enthusiast, Mrs G. P. Hodgson. Both are skilled equestrians, Koolman a former New Zealand representative. The judicial committee inquired into Beyond’s failure but could find no explanation except that the gelding had given himself a cut on the hind leg and had freshened up a previous abrasion, otherwise pulling up quite well. On the strength of his fine win over the country a week before. Beyond was backed down to win favouritism.