N.Z. gallopers win top Australian features

Press, 14 July 1980, Page 24

N.Z. gallopers win top Australian features

All the week-end news from Australia was not gloomy. New Zealand thoroughbreds won three of the biggest Australian races on Saturday: the Doomben Cup and the two Grand Nationals.

Golden Rhapsody brilliantly won the $lOO,OOO Doomben Cup in Queensland for the Matamata stable of Dave O’Sullivan.

Blue Kazan, ridden by the Wingatui jockey Nick Harnett. won the $50,000 Grand National Steeplechase at Flemington in the colours of Stuart and Mrs Dromgool, of Cambridge. On the same programme his stablemate, Airmond, won the $40,000 Grand National Hurdles. For Harnett and for the father-and-son training combination of Jack and John Winder a day of such spectacular success at Flemington was some compensation for their ill luck with the Southland-owned Bell Flight a year earlier.

Bell Flight was leading by a "street” when he fell in the 1979 Grand National Steeplechase. The horse was fatally injured and Harnett was out of action for some weeks with a damaged shoulder. Golden Rhapsody, the first New Zealand-based stayer to win the Doomben Cup since

1956, became the fifth horse to win the Tattersalls-Doom-ben Cup double in 27 years. The Sharivari chestnut, perfectly prepared for the race by Paul O’Sullivan, son of the Matamata trainer Dave O’Sullivan, ran the 2200 m in 2min 13.9 s only o.ls outside Marceau’s course and cup record.

Golden Rhapsody swept clear with 50m to run, with Peter Cook refusing to pull the whip on him and riding him hands and. heels to the post to win by a length from Prince Ruling, with Bahroona Sahib a further half-length back in third place. It was an all New Zealand line-up: Prince Ruling (Ruling-Rosehill) and Bahroona Sahib (BahroonaTinkerbelle) were also bred there. Dave O’Sullivan said that Golden Rhapsody would return to New Zealand on Wednesday. It was useless taking the horse to Melbourne, where the tracks were often rain affected.

“He is useless in the heavy going so we will bring him back to Sydney in the autumn as we did this year, then head for Brisbane again,” said O’Sullivan. “We brought him over to get away from the heavy tracks and he’s thrived in the Queensland sunshine.” Golden Rhapsody’s owner,

Erick Haydon, was not on hand to collect the $65,000 winner’s cheque because he: had to remain in New Zealand convalescing. Blue Kazan held on tenaciously to score by a head in the $51,000 Grand National Steeplechase (5000 m Airmond, part-owned by Winder, turned in one of the best performances seen at Flemington for years to win the $41,000 Grand National Hurdle (4800 m In the Steeples, Winder had to withstand a protest from the second placegetter, Spy Catcher, who finished so close after the gruelling 5000 m. Bill Longdregan,. on Spy Catcher, alleged interference in the last 100 m but this was dismissed by the stewards.

Blue Kazan was having only his third start over steeples and had a clear lead over the last fence but appeared to wander in the final stages. Winder said later that he had brought Blue Kazan to Australia only in an effort to sell him for his owner, Stuart Drongool. “After he won the Moonee Valley Steeple on June 28 we put a price tag of $30,000 on him but got no response,” he said. The top weight, Megan’s Boy, the second favourite

and also trained by Winder, fell at the last jump after being well back through most of the race. He suffered no injury and will now be sent to England, where his owners live. Airmond led throughout to score an effortless win in the Grand National Hurdles. Neil Hain, the rider, had no hesitation in taking Airmond straight to the front, where the Ben Lomond seven-year-old set a cracking pace and finished easily 16 lengths clear of Due, with Gunderman third. Winder said Airmond was the best horse he had ever trained.

“I brought my horses here with the intention of winning and that’s what I have done,” he said. In 1976 Winder had a Grand National Steeplechase success with Loch Linnhe.

The result of the Doomben Cup. with favouritism and dividends as on the New Zealand T.A.8., is:— DOOMBEN CUP $95,000: 2200 m

3/3 GOLDEN RHAPSODY (1) 55.5 P. Cook 1 5/5 PRINCE RULING (10) 49.5 L. Dittman 2 7/7 BAHROONA SAHIB (9) 50.5 D. Messingham 3

Others in finishing order: 6/6 Our Cavalier, 2/2 Shamrock, 9/10 Bay Duke, 9/9 Sky Castle, 11/11 Ryder, 4/4 Stormy Rex, 1/1 Lowan Star, 12/12 Jeune Fille. 3/8 Clubs Are Trumps. Len, i len. Time: 2:13.9. N.Z. dividends: •Win; $6.65. Places: $2.40, $3.80. $4.85 Quinella: $38.95.