County Cork romps in

Press, 6 October 1980, Page 23

County Cork romps in

Special correspondent Auckland In the Imin 35.35 s it took him to win the Great Northern Guineas on Saturday County Cork cut down to size so many three-year-olds which were just beginning to look so good there seemed no real excuse for any of them. Ridden by Debbie Stockwell; of Puekohe, who to all appearances has taken over from where Linda Jones left off, County Cork ran 16 opponents off their feet, in front all the way. He was out by the best part of two lengths at the finish, still going better than all those behind him.

Ring The Bell, after a brief challenge,, fell back into his second placing and yet was well clear of Sir Avon and Polar Air, the next two home. Whittaker, from which so much was expected, came in only sixth; High Finance (10th) was another disappointment. As the only one of the 17 candidates which had yet made class One, County

Cork certainly had qualifications for the Guineas. Everyone knew he would run prominently, he is such a fast, free goer, but nobody anticipated his staying the 1600 m so solidly. Only Ring The Bell and Sir Avon were left clinging to County Cork as they came into the last 300 m. Sir Avon then dropped away. Ring The Bell lasted better and. looked likely, for a bit, to capitalise on a gap inside the leader..

“There was room enough,” said Ring The Bell’s rider, Nigel Tiley, “he just hesitated a bit before taking the gap. We got up to County Cork but he then kicked away. No excuses.” A dark brown colt, by an American-bred, Blarney Kiss, from. Gay Nuna, County Cork is raced on lease by a three-way Te Awamutu partnership, of Mr and Mrs M. Ryan and a family friend, Mrs E. M. McCabe Plans are for County Cork to have just two or three more races before being rested — he has been “up” since late March for his 14 races — and one that must how be very tempting is the

Wellington Guineas later this month. Ring The Bell, just recently back racing after a winter'layoff, will be going to the New Zealand Cup meeting at Riccarton early next month with his main assignment the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas.