Koral won by 8min

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32679, 7 August 1971, Page 20

Koral won by 8min

Koral, one of the stars of today’s Grand National field, once won a race by eight minutes. But that was one time when the punters could not profit from his brilliant jumping.

The race was the $l6O steeplechase on the second day of the Riverton meeting on April 15, 1968. It was declared a nontotalisator event when Mr W. E. Hazlett provided the only two runners, Bush Creek being the second one. Koral had it to himself when Bush Creek, usually a reliable jumper, made a mistake and bumped W. Sutherland to the ground. Sutherland caught the grey, and remounted to complete the course, but eight minutes after Koral had finished. On the third day of that meeting a similar situation arose. This time the Hazlett stable supplied the only two runners for the Autumn Steeples. Mosque and Istan Light were the colourbearers this time, with Mosque winning by a length and a half. When he was brought to Riccarton that winter Mosque won the Christchurch Hunt’s Lawford Steeples. A week later he came home alone in front in the Grand National, but lost the race when R. B. Weaver weighed in light. This left

Teak the winner, from the Hazlett-owned Eiffel Tower. Koral, regarded as the strongest runner in the Hazlett bracket, bumped another rival ’on landing over a fence about a mile from home, and W. J. Hillis hit the deck. Teak is back at Riccarton for another tilt at the Grand National. At 13 years he is the veteran of today’s race, but has some claim to consideration after, his. win in the Wellington Steeplechase last month. Teak is owned by Miss E. F. White, of Feilding. Women have played quite a part as owners of Grand National winners. The first woman owner who won the rate was Mrs H. W. Lyda, with Fairhome, in 1952. The next was Mrs I. Poss, in 1956, when Wotan Gold won. Last year Mrs A. G. Lye was part-owner with her husband, of the winner, Spray Doone. However, Miss White can claim closest association with a winner, because she not only owned but trained Teak. Miss White is well regarded for her sportsmanship. After the 1968 race she publicly extended her sympathy to Mr Hazlett, and said that that was not the way she wanted to win a Grand National.