Dulcify brilliant in Guineas win

Press, 2 April 1979, Page 21

Dulcify brilliant in Guineas win

Dulcify (Decies —Sweet Candy) became the new sensation of Australian racing by brilliantly winning the $125,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000 m at Rosehill on Saturday. The three-year-old New Zealand-bred colt took his earnings to $232,200 from only 12 starts and will be a short-priced favourite to win the $200,000 A. J. C. Derby (2400 m at Randwick on April 16. Bookmakers have also installed him as the 4 to 1 favourite for the $150,000 Sydney Cup (3200 m at Randwick on April 21, although he cannot be regarded a certain starter in that event. The Melbourne-based New ; Zealand jockey, Brent Thomson; completed a winning double on Dulcify after superbly riding Dawn Com- ■ mand to success in the preceding race, the $25,000 Pago Pago Handicap (1200 m for two-year-old colts and geldings. Dawn Command beat the New Zealand-breds, Prince Ruling and Zephyr Zip, to clinch a place in the field for next Saturday’s $250,000 Golden Slipper Stakes (1200 m at Rosehill. Dulcify, West Australianowned, cost $3250 as a yearling in New Zealand. He produced a storming burst down the outside to beat the 66 to 1 chance, Champagne Boy, by a length and a half, with the Queensland filly, Scomeld, third. The odds-on favourite, Manikato, not ridden his usual front running race by Gary Willetts, finished fourth and his trainer. Bob Hoy-

stead, confirmed that the gelding would not attempt the Derby. He said Manikato was likely to run in the $lOO,OOO Doncaster Handicap (1600 m at Randwick on April 14. Dulcify has now beaten Manikato twice over 2000 m. He previously succeeded in the Australian cup at Flemington on March 12. The New Zealand horses, Kankama and Holy Toledo, were disappointing, finishing seventh and eighth respectively. Kankama lost ground when badly checked at the 1300 m mark. Another New Zealand horse, Happy Union, deadheated for second with Hauberk when Marceau caused a minor upset to the $50,000 weight - for - age Rawson Stakes (2000 m Marceau, wearing blinkers for the first time, led all the way. Happy Union finished strongly, but the three-year-old Hauberk impressed more with his dashing run to the post after being thirteenth at the turn and he should be one of the main threats to Dulcify in the Derby. Family of Man, the 3 to 1 favourite, was disappointing in finishing ninth, just ahead of the New Zealand-trained Prancer.