Bymai result of unusual sale-ring purchase

Press, 11 August 1980, Page 25

Bymai result of unusual sale-ring purchase

By

J. J. Boyle

..The purchase of twin sisters from the sale ring at Trentham for 375gns each in January, 1966, was th e first link in the chain of events leading to Bymai’s easy win in the Grand National Hurdles on Saturday for Mr Stuart Sidey, of Dunedin.

Mr Sidey’s wife, Beryl, i was encouraged by her twin! sister, Joy, as she bid for! the fillies, which were led into the ring together by the Skelton brothers, Bill and Bob. And it was fitting that the names of Bemai and Joymai should be sought for the Te Parae-bred pair, daughters of Bourbon Prince and Incomparable and third generation descendants of Peerless, winner of both. the New Zealand and Great Northern Oaks. Mrs Sidey’s interest in the youngsters heightened because of their close relationship to Irrespressible, winner of 11 races in her colours from the stable of the late Dave Wilson Joymai was sent to the North Island to be mated with Sobig, and in 1974 she foaled the brown which plodded home dead tired but well beyond challenging range of the others in the nirity-first running of the Grand National Hurdles on Saturday. Sadly Mrs Sidy died three years ago before her homebred showed any signs that he might have more than a modest talent. He cleared maiden class on the flat at the Eastern Southand Hunt meeting 'on August 25 last year, but not before he had won twice as a hurdler, on the final day of the Grand National meeting, and again at Oamaru at his next start.

Bymai was ridden in his first two wins by Nick Harnett, who was his able partner again on Saturday. It has been a great year in the career or the 20-year-old Harnett.. Last autumn he won two rich prizes, the Chardon at Trentham, and the George Adams at Riccarton, on Mellseur. He went- to Melbourne earlier this winter and rode Blue Kazan to victory in three big ’chases, including the Australian Grand National.

Blue ■ Kazan’s owner, Stuart Dromgool, had Reklaw as his stable hope for this year’s Grand National Hurdles, and he had a good natured but typically pungent comment to make about Harnett after the Otago pair’s triumph.

Reklaw came plodding in seven and a half lengths behind Bymai, and seven lengths clear of the . southerner Swell Gent, which had beaten the Waikato gelding for second in the Sydenham Hurdles a week earlier. Lord Trelay struggled past the win favourite Mr Hickey to take fourth place. Mr Hickey came in fifth, but was disqualified from that position because his rider Lance Rokela, weighed in I.skg light. The weight had been lost when Rokela’s

lead bag burst during the race.

Hopes of Mr Hickey completing ' hurdling’s triple crown faded all of 1000 m out. By that time it was clear that the Waikato jumping star was not finding enough to engage Bymai.

Kaimoto. Mr Hickey’s best-backed rival, was hardly ever in the race with a chance. The big Riccarton bay was hopeless in the conditions and finished a distant seventh.

Rabalam supplied an early sensation. She fell heavily at the first flight. Akura fell about 1400 m out when in third position. Bymai is prepared at Wingatui by Brian Anderton and has become the first Otago-trained winner of Grand National Hurdles since 1945, Arabian Night’s year. Arabian Night was trained by Brian Anderton’s father, Hector Snr, who was also the guiding hand as the Sidey-owned Kumai fashioned a spectacular winter record in the 19605.