Robalan retired

Press, 14 October 1976, Page 16

Robalan retired

PA Wellington The ranks of Cup-class pacers were depleted even further last night with the retirement of the Templeton speedster Robalan. In a season that has seen a number of top-class performers retire or leave the country, the loss of Robalan to the racing scene, so soon after Noodlum, Is a blow.

Robalan had not Peen to the races since pulling up distressed In the Clarendon Free-for-all at ( Addington last January and his trainer and part-owner. Denis Nyhan, put him out in the hope he would later return to racing. Two months ago Nyhan brought him back into work on his Templeton property and although “the old fellow was working soundly” Nyhan’s hopes of getting him back to the racecourse were never really high. Recently, Nyhan noticed some swelling in Robalan’s off-fore fetlock joint, the major cause of his breakdown last January. “He was favouring the leg quite notlcably when standing in his yard,” Nyhan said. “He’s too good to take any risks with.” Robalan, a ten-year-old, will spend his retirement on Nyhan’s property. There is little doubt that in a career which produced memorable clashes with Arapaho, Young Quinn, Noodlum and Lunar Chance. Robalan was a crowd puller.

He was a particular favourite at Addington and his 1974 New Zealand Cup win was the highlight of his career. He was also a favourite at Wellington’s Hutt Park course and he won two Wellington Cups. He has a best mile time of Imin 57sec, but for sheer speed he turned on one of the most remarkable performances ever seen on a New Zealand racecourse when he won this third successive New Zealand Free-for-all at Addington in 2:26.6, a staggering mile rate of 1.58. Robalan raced early in his career by Alan Devery and Bob Pollock, of Invercargill, and soon after coming into the care of Nyhan. Pollock sold his half share to Nyhan and Peter Hope, of Blenheim.

In all. Robalan raced 123 times. He won 40 races, was placed 39 times and won $190,820 in stakes, $12,150 of that when he raced at the 1973 Syd ney Inter-Dominion Championship;