Stormy Seas now big Cup chance

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33066, 6 November 1972, Page 10

Stormy Seas now big Cup chance

(N.Z.P.A. Staff Correspondent > MELBOURNE. I The New Zeeland galloper*. Stormy Seas and Magnifique. threw down the gauntlet to I Australia's top performers engaged in the $100,090 .Melbourne Cup tomorrow with impressive I final trials on the opening day of the Flemington spring carnival on Saturday. I Stormy Seas, which came to I Australia with the New Zealand j trainer, S. A. Brown, at the beginning of this year, turned in la strong finish to snatch a .faststride victory In the $12,500 L. K. S. MacKinnon Stakes and Magnifique consolidated the New Zealand challenge with an excellent run for third. Magnifique had been off colour for 24 hours so her performance in finishing third was an excellent cup trial. While Stormy Seas and Magnifique were impressive. New Zealand lost one of its cup contenders when Laurel Oaks was withdrawn from the event after finishing last in the $lO,OOO Hotham Handicap. It was his second last placing in three Australian runs and it was obvious he was not showing his true form. His trainer, W C. Winder, ordered blood counts in an effort to find the trouble The results of a blood analysis made available yesterday revealed that Laurel Oaks was suffering from a blood virus | As a consequence Laurel Oaks will miss the cup. as trill another final acceptor. Persian Gambler, which beat only Laurel Oaks home. The defection of these two brought the cup field down to the maximum safety limit of 24, making eliminations unnecessary. , A start in the cup for the glamour colt, Sobar heated by the New Zealand-bred Dayana in the $60,000 V.R.C. Derby on Saturday will not be decided until today .. . A veterinary inspection will be made of the colt and if he passes it he will take his place In the cup. Sobar drew the extreme outside barrier of 24 on Saturday night. This will be against him if he pulls as hard as he did in the Derby. Sobar went down to the South Australian youngster, Dayana, in a fighting finish to the classic, which was an all-New Zealand affffair. The winner, runner-up and Longfella (third) are New Zealand-bred.

Sobar covered an enormous amount of extra ground and fought his rider, H. White, fiercely all the way but was most courageous in defeat. He hit the front soon after they straightened for home but R. Higgins, on Dayana, drew alongside a furlong and a half out. It looked like Dayana would have the measure of Sobar easily but Sobar fought back magnificently and It was not till just short of the line that Dayana got the upper hand to score by a neck. White shouldered full responsibility for the horse’s defeat when he returned to scale. “Don’t blame the horse, blame me,” White told the connections. Sobar raced three wide for almost the entire journey after being trapped on the outside when the field made the sharp turn out of the straight. The Victorian Racing Club stewards took the unprecedented step of summoning eleven of the 12 riders who took part In the Hotham Handicap to explain why they had let the Victorian stayer, Scotch and Dry, steal the race.

The chief steward, Mr J. Ahem, said the jockeys showed “rather distasteful lack of judgment” in letting Scotch and Dry, ridden by T. Finger, open a huge gap which was never closed. The 11 jockeys, including the New Zealanders E. J. Dlaham, who rode Hayburner, and G. R Edge (Pole Star) were all censured by Mr Ahem and he said he had singled out four of them for special reprimands. Mr Ahern said, however, that no further action was taken.

Finger shot Scotch and Dry clear soon after the start and going down the back of the track was out by more than 100 yards. Coming round the home turn he was still 10 lengths clear and it was obvious the others had a big job in front of them to peg him back.

I Pole Star and Laurel Oaks I momentarily f.—L'l’V.n when they turned for home but thev were unable to go on yitii tlibir runs and It was the New Zealand-bred S) dn<' ('up winner, Dark Suit to cna>e Scotch and Dry home • Dark Suit only got within lengths of Scotch and Dn at th* I finish but it was '«* best run for a while and a good effort on ■the eve of the Melbourne tup He is obviously at the peak of fitness and any rain tsould make h ‘?he a M^ l V. r ney Gid Cup winner. Double Irish. battled for third, a length behind Dark i^ U Havbumer had his chance but 'was unable to do better than Se polt* h Star finished tenth Hu trainer. J W Winder, said the horse had got down on a heel and was slightly lame. However, the trouble was only minor and the horse will take Ills place as scheduled in the cup.