Robalan may be lucky in 4th Easter Cup attempt

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33803, 27 March 1975, Page 8

Robalan may be lucky in 4th Easter Cup attempt

It might be a case of fourth time lucky when Robalan contests the $12,300 Easter Cup Final at Addington Raceway on Saturday. In three earlier attempts the closest he has come to success was in 1972, when he was runner-up to Rauka Lad.

He broke at the year he finished tenth Robalan is the backmarker on 35m, and he is expected to parade close to his peak after two fairly hard races in his qualifying heats. He added to his task of starting from the back mark by accelerating slowly. The! fact that he was able to fin-1 ish second, first to Lunar] Chance and then to Speedy! Guest, showed that while his | early brilliance might have! hoon dimmed a litflp nn ■

By

G. K. Yule

two occasions, he retained speed and courage. The final field of 12 will no doubt be stronger than the two qualifying heats, but ] with a reasonable run the ' 1974 New Zealand Cup winner should master most of! his rivals. Van Glory in form Robalan’s trainer and part- ! owner, Denis Nyhan, will have a strong second string: in Van Glory, which rated! 2:4.2 when she won her 2600 m qualifying heat last Saturday. She was fourth in the Easter Cup final 12 months ago, and looks an even better prospect this time. Nyhan and Jack Smolenski provide half of the 12 starters, Smolenski’s representatives being David Garrison, Gay Rose, Speedy Guest, and the winner of the event last year, Vanadium. Vanadium, handicpped on 25m, looks perhaps the best prospect among the quartet. He had no luck in his race last week after missing a start a week earlier because of injury. His stamina is not in doubt: nor is that of Speedy Guest, which could hardly have been more im-i pressive when he finished] determinedly to beat Robalan] last week. Strong Southlander The Southland four-year-old, Lunar Chance, will not be one of the lesser chances. He is highly talented, with more ability than most horses racing in New Zealand today. Unfortunately, he is inclined to drift at the start, resulting in his being forced fairly wide as he tries to improve. However, he has the stamina and speed to match most in the race, and with a reasonable run is almost certain to share in the stake.

Kotare Legend is the problem horse in the field. One of four four-year-olds in this race, he won his sprint heat, but finished ninth after almost losing his driver in a mix-up inside the final 200 m of his 2600 m heat. At the time he was a good way back, but looked to be mounting a strong run. He was second to Robalan in the New Zealand Cup last November, and that placing might be a better guide to his chances. Hurrania, Eclipse, and Deeside form a likely trio in the second leg, the G. W. Blaxall Handicap, a race in which Final Decision, Forta Cavalla, Drum Major, and Just-a-Glow will be other prospects. (T.A.B. closes 10.35 a.m.) 11.45 a.m— WILKINS HANDICAP $2400; C 4; trotters; 2600 m. 1 0898 Pompano (1) It C. Middleton 2 5705 Ann's Globe (2) It J. Carmichael 3 1122 Brenda Bell (3) It W. Rouse 4 3344 Topeka (4) It D Jones 5 3009 Main Chance (5) It’ B. Anderson 6 0207 Rodney Dale (1) 10 A. Pratt 7 8086 Priority (2) 10 D D Nyhan 8 4050 Indira (3) 10’ T. Behrns 9 7970 Mister Moonlight (4) 10 T. Boyd 10 0133 Rebel statesman (5) 101 D. Townley 11 1011 Armbro Lady (1) 20 R Cameron 12 3664 Now Charles (2) 2C I. McLaren (T.A.B. closes 11.10 a.m.) 12.20 p.m.— N.Z. METROPOLITAN THREE I YEAR-OLD CHAMPIONSHIP 56500; 2600 m. 1 6001 In Or Out ill I I D Jones 2 6701 Don Lopez ’2> 1: J Carmichael 3 0000 Aztec King i 3) 1 I Schwamm 4 9933 Tan- Ka -a (4) 1 C. de Filippi 5 0250 Grauuand isi 111 L. May 6 5953 Kancho <6> It M de Filippi 7 5100 Golden Miller <7l it R. Thornley 8 000 Ad Infinitum (8) It | R Butt 9 4214 Commissioner (9) It B. Anderson FSB (T.A.B. closes 11.45 a.m.) | 12.55 p.m.— N.Z. WELCOME STAKES £6OOO, two-year-olds; 2000 m. 1 2225 Tarport Toby (1) It i I Schwamm 2 800 Royal Abbe (2) It I 3 47 Butler's O-der (3) It’ J. Smolensk! 4 4035 Shaibee (s) It I A. Purdon 5 1132 Fancy Fred (5) It G Middleton « 1932 Ho Ho King <6) It’

e 1800 m and was pullei i after breaking with ! i 7 6080 True Anne (7) It C. Middleton 8 2250 Fabriani (8) It J Noble 9 2247 Olga Korbut 19) It j F. Holmes 110 6656 Scotty Bryce (10) It! P. Wilson 11 5125 Beau James (11) It 12 1844 Main Adios (12) It D. Jones 13 2 Kiatina (13) It R. Butt 14 6600 Coleridge Princess It (14) C. Devine i |!irg j | | (T.A.B. closes 12.25 p.m.) ! 1.35 p.m.— MEMBERS' HANDICAP $2130; C 3; mobile start; 2000 m. 2 0193 Vanderhall (2) It C. Devine 4 1833 Thelmaur (4) It M. Puidon 5 9606 Black Pan (5) It D. Cleal 6 5000 Avenge (6) It K. Williams 7 2815 Klshmul (7) It J. Smolensk! 8 6744 Josie's Dream (8) It L. May 9 1115 Tramp Fast (9) It W. Butt 10 0455 Stereo Lad (10) It R. Roach 11 1122 Kara Kara (11) It R. Brosnan 12 4481 Royal Sceptre (12) It D. D. Nyhan 13 8702 Flying Tempest (13) it C. McLachlan 14 1172 Bound To Be (14) It R. Dunn 15 0497 Seafield Dauphine (15) F. Newfield It 16 0908 Strauss (16) It J. Carmichael Balloted out in order of reentry: 3 8007 Graeme Hanover (3) It 1 2066 Keep Gay (1) It G. Shand (T.A.B. closes 1 p.m.) 2.10 p.m.— N.Z. TROTTING CHAMPIONSHIP 55000; OC; trotters; 3200 m. 1 0808 Dupreez (1) It D. Jones 2 5547 Jillinda (2) It S. Miller 3 2811 Frontier (3) It D. Townley 4 5210 Edis Nova (4) It R. Wheeler 5 05 Arita (5) It I. Sutherland -6 3353 Walpounamu (6) It J. Carmichael 7 2370 Screw's Loose (7) It . R Brosnan 8 3106 Darky Forbes (8) It M. de Filippi 9 7480 Cee Ar (1) 15 C. de Filippi 110 4839 Philemon (1) 30 J. Smolenski : (T.A.B. double closes 1.15 p.m.) I (T.A.B. closes 1.35 p.m.) 2.45 p.m— EASTER CUP FINAL $12,300; C 9; 3200 m. 1 9244 KOARAKAU (1) It (4 h Lordship—Happy). Came on solidly for a fair fourth behind Van Glory last Saturday. Stays weU, and could surprise. D. G. Nyhan 2 3189 KING'S ROW (2) It (7 h Johnny Globe—Mighty Bay). Onlv fair races in heats. Won Greymouth Cup three starts back. Others preferred. R. Kerr 3 5113 LUNAR CHANCE (3) It (4 g Majestic Chance —Irish Idyll). Won sprint heat and not disgraced when a close third over 2600 m on second night. One of the more promising pacers in commission. and looks to have a great chance. K. Lawlor 4 0273 GAY ROSE (4) It (5 m Lordship—Somerset Rose). Battled on for third to Speedy Guest last week. Fifth in this event 12 months ago, and should be close up again. M. de Filippi 5 8421 VAN GLORY (5) It (6 m Van Dieman —Malabella). Racing in heats was of a high standard, culminating in a stylish win last Saturday. Grand staying mare, and if favoured with a reasonable run, should be in the thick of the finish. D. Jones 4 1 095 WHY BILL (4) It (5 g Bvebye Bill —Why Not). Rather disappointing when he dropped out to fifth after pacemaking last Saturday. Capable of a strong 3200 m, and might upset. T. Behrns 7 3332 DAVID GARRISON (7) It (4 h Garrison Hanover— Lady Nairne). Came on well to beat all but Van Glory last Saturday. Highly regarded, and not without a good chance. J. Smolenski I 3431 SPEEDY GUEST (8) It (5 g Garrison Hanover —True Guest). Finished so strongly for his win last week that the extra distance here should not worry him. Will again be hard to beat. W. Butt 9 9140 ARMBRO BRENT (unruly) It (5 g Armbro Del— Dulmee). Has failed to begin properly lately. Speedy on his day, but would have to improve to be a threat in tins field. S. Miller 10 5719 KOTARE LEGEND (1) 10 (4 h Fallacy—Silver Halo). Won sprint heat quite impressively, but was well back when he tangled with another runner last Saturday. Runner-up in last N.Z. Cup, and with a reasonable run. could be prominent. R Tatterson 1 1555 VANADIUM (1) 25 (7 g Van Dieman — Princess Grace). Won this race last year and looked most unlucky w'hen fifth in his hea' last ‘ week. Might be tor strong in stamina for most in the event. L. Mav 2 1422 ROBALAN (1) 35 (8 g Lumber Dream —Elsinore) Finished strongly for seccm" after slow beginnings in h’s two oualifying heats. Should be close to his peak, ant looks the °ne to beat. D. D. Nyhan (T.A.B. closes 2.15 p.m.) 1.25 p.m.— MONTE CARLO HANDICAP $2525: C 4; mobile start: 2600 m. 1 2462 Steven Stock (1) If A. Kerslake 2 1538 Royal George (2) It G. Nefil 3 3338 Avon Song (3) It A. Cowan 4 9505 Marama Boy (4) U M. Butt 6 2114 Noble Escort >6> It R. Butt 7 0249 Kintara (7) It J. Noble 8 0143 Select Circle (8) It 9 7702 Gay Tennessee (9) It K. Purdon 10 0265 Armbro Song (10) it S. Miller 11 4210 Ryal Anne (11) It; R Cameron 12 0574 Laird O'Logan 12> It I L. May

J up in 1973, and last 100 m left. 13 3033 Lady Hodgen (13) It P. O’Reilly 14 0009 Waitaki Hope (14) It I. Sutherland 16 0786 Scottish Chief (16) It C. McLachlan Balloted out in order of reentry: 15 0897 Roseland Knight (15) It 5 8740 True Fortune (5) It J. Ferguson (T.A.B. closes 2.55 p.m.) 4.5 p.m.— G. W. BLAXALL HANDICAP $3500; C 9; 2600 m. 1 3443 FORTA CAVALLA (1) It (4 m Yankee Express—Glene). Came on quiet well for third to Deeside last Saturday. Must be respected on that placing. J. Smolenski 2 8110 JUST-A-GLOW (2) It (4 m Fallacy—Shine Away). Lost driver when a fair way back at the 200 m in her race last week. Is near her peak and should be close up. P. O'Reilly 3 4300 HURRICANE STAR (3) It (4 m Armbro Huvricane— Stargio). Had no luck In her two qualifying heats, but previous form was of a high standard. Quiet capable of a bold bid.

A. Purdon 4 1035 ECLIPSE (4) It (4 h Johnny Globe—Cloudy Light). Latest efforts have been only fair. At his best would be to speedy for this field. Must be a top chance. D. D. Nyhan 5 5004 GLENTOHI (5) It (5 g Keep Away—Worthy Scott). Not far from his best, and, in spite of bleak form background, must be given a chance of surprising.

G. Shand 4 359 JOHNNY KIRK (4) It (6 h Johnny Globe—Zangardv). Failed on first night of the meeting, and will have to be taken on trust.

_ F. Newfield 7 7748 HAKIM (7) It (9 g Garrison Hanover—Petulus). Makes little appeal on latest showings, but capable of better.

D. Townley 8 1287 PALESTINE (8) It (4 b Scottish Hanover—Coodoo). Was found wanting in Easter Cup heats, but will find this easier. Much better than latest efforts might suggest.

L. May 9 2551 DEESIDE (9) It (5 g Armbro Del—might). Gained a dashing win last Saturday in a slower class. Will find this tougher, but should be close up.

T. May 10 2544 HURRANIA (10) It (4 m Armbro Hurricane—Aranla). Finished fourth in her two heats, and will have to show very little improvement to gain a deserved win. J. Noble

11 8104 DRUM MAJOR (unruly 1) It (5 g Scottish Hanover— Arizona). Paced an improved race when he made ground for fourth to Deeside last week. Not without a reasonable chance. —- c - Devine 12 0357 FINAL DECISION (unruly 2) It (5 g Hi Blue— Lavella). Showed speed after an early break when seventh last Saturday. With a clean beginning could take beating. Is speedier than most in tile race. D. Heckler (T.A.B. closes 3.35 p.m.) 4.45 p.m— AU REVOIR HANDICAP $2650; C 5; mobile start; 2000 m. 1 2232 Micron (1) it J. Carmichael 2 7577 Tamla Motown (2) it F. Newfield 3 00 Delvin Scott (3) it A. Perucich 4 2350 Bobby Direct (4) It 5 5509 Rolon Waitaki (5) It J. Smolensk! 6 0521 Palmdale (6) it N. O’Leary 7 4800 Mighty Gay (7) It G. Shand 8 4620 Stereo Light (8) It K. Robertson