T. J. Smith saddles sixth Metro winner

Press, 4 October 1977, Page 48

T. J. Smith saddles sixth Metro winner

KZPA Sydne> The Xew Zealand-bred Sir herene • Hermes—Sweet Talku flashed to a record win tn the 1100,000 Sih er Jubilee Metropolitan Handicap ,260<>mi at RandOn a fas»t track and in perfect tunny conditions. the lightweight 10 to 1 hope won by five lengths in 2min. 41.15. slashing by 1.6 s the course record feet by Analle when winning the 1973 Metropolitan. The win ga\e the Sydney trainer, T. J. Smith, his sixth Metropolitan success — five of which have come in the last six years. The Queensland hope. Grey Affair Hl to I), was second, three-quarters of a length ahead of the New Zealand-bred Clear bay «Zamazaan—Equinoctial Gilek The veteran New Zealand bred Wave King just missed out, in the photo for third and fin Ished fourth ahead of Argyle Morgan. Three of the four New Zealand challengers finished just out of the money. Battle Heights. Happy Union and Trochee all finished strongly to go past the post in a tightly-* bunched group pressing Argyle The fourth New Zealand hope. Jester Boy. finished eighteenth after running near the tail tor most of the journey. Al! four New Zealand trainers were satisfied with the result, hut both Peter McLean 'Trocheei . and Frank Phillips iJester Bov Baid delavs in getting to Australia, which cost the horses their first intended starts, had affected their condition Happy Union had the best of . the running among the Neu Zealand horses and briefly hit the front in the straight. He was obviously another which would have appreciated extra conditioning

The trainer. BUI Winder, said I Happy Union appeared to have come through the race al) right, but he revealed that there had been some concern oier a bit of heat in the gelding's off-front hoof. The hoof received some dam > age on the flight across to Australia and was possibly aggravated at some stage bv a tight plate. The trainer of Battle Heights, Tim Douglas, said be felt the 10-year-old had run a marvellous race. "He was forced over a hellavalot of ground/* he said. Carrying the top-weight of: 59kg from the extreme outside; barrier. Battle Heights raced! most of the event three out from/ I the rail. Douglas said that he felt the ' jockey. Roger Lang, had riddenl as good a race as could have i |been expected. 11 AU four New Zealand horses 1 are now expected to jo to Mel-J bourne later this week. |* Result.— ' | SILVER JUBILEE METROPOLITAN HANDICAP SIOOIWO : 2600 m. SIR SERENE >l9) 49 P. Cook 11 GREY AFFAIR l6> 53.5 . G. Palmer 2 , CLEAR DAY (18) 49.5 1 M. Johnston 3’ ] Scratched: Denise s Joy. j Others in finishing order:! Ware King, Argyle Morgan. Happy Union. Vacuum. Popular < Demand. Such Fun, Chantilly. | Lad. Gay Master. Trochee, Battle , Heights, The Skeleton, Ready ; O'Readv. Saramore. Major Battle. 1 Jester Boy. Archibaldo, Tod Bar. Hyper-no. Bflgola Boy. Current Issue. Elan - 1 Five lengths, three-quarters of < a length Time: 2:41.1 i| New Zealand T.A.B. dividends: > Win: *32.75. Places: $7.75. $9.05,' 1 $8.55. Quinella: $-597.95. !'