Mark’s Gold prevails in Great Northern Hurdles

Press, 1 June 1981, Page 17

Mark’s Gold prevails in Great Northern Hurdles

From J. J. BOYLE pA Auckland , Off 'an On, the South Island’s only runner came coasting home two lengths on top in the Great Northern Hurdles on Saturday, but riderless. He spilt his 1 fider, Angus Mavor, at the fifth flight but carried on ■ galloping easily with the field p.nd for most of the time ■ jumping impeccably. As for the real contestants Mark’s Gold was clearly the < best of all in a race run over 1 fc summerlike track. The Mat- 1 pmata-owned and trained six-year-old wore down the Waikato Hurdles winner, Balkan Ji Chief, from the last hurdle ; end won going way by two end a half lengths to give Mr i and Mrs Sam Brosnan their . biggest success in their 20j ear' association with thoroughbreds. , Sam Brosnan/ who owns 1 the Oaklands Stud at Matar;ata, hoped to run. Pauls I was well as Marks Gold] f i Saturday’s hurdling mara-j t on and when he galloped, t i pair in company last Jaursday Paul’s Boy was the 1

more impressive trialist. But that Palm Beach gelding failed to get off the reserve list for the race. Mark’s Gold is by Belmura j (son of Mossoborough), the ! first horse bought by Mr lßrosnan to stand as a stallion on his 160 acre stud property. Mr Brosnan sold Belmura to a stud at Opotiki in 1977 but the horse broke a leg soon after the purchase was completed and was put down. Mr Brosnan bought Gay Christine, granddam of Mark’s Gold for £4OO and that mare became his first winner. One of the most successful colour bearers for the Brosnans before Mark’s Gold was Our Countess, winner of a Hastings Gold Cup and a minor place-getter in the New Zealand and Wellington Cups. Mark’s Gold’s skilful partner in his Great Northern Hurdles victory was Tony Gillies, who is. 29 and the eldest son in a distinguished family of race riders. One of Tony’s younger 'brothers, Stephen, won the !Waikato Steeples this year on; !Cloudy Lease.' Another, Mic:| •hael, is first horseman ini

jumping races for Eric Temperton and has had marked success in major jumping races.

Jim Gillies, father of Tony, Michael and Stephen, was also a successful jumping rider. Tony embarked on a career as a teacher, and maintained his association with the horse world as an amateur rider. But he recalled on Saturday that the Education Department did not take kindly to his absences from school to ride at midweek meetings and he decided about 18 months ago to settle those problems in the meantime by giving up his teaching career to join the ranks of professional race riders. Tony Gillies said on Saturday that he could hardly believe his luck at different stages of the race, especially when Royalvaro fell while riderless at a hurdle in the home straight, a round from home.

“1 seemed to pull the rein in the right direction atsthe right time, but some of the others got into trouble,” Gillies said.

Bold Sam, went close to bringing off a major surprise in Saturday’s race. His saddle shifted at the second last fence and he ran into a tight spot near the home turn.

The fact that he rallied to finish third only a long neck from the runner up, Balkan Chief, and about three lengths from the winner lent substance to the belief of his rider, Chris Wood, that this long-shot was unlucky. Bold Sam, like the winner’s stablemate Paul’s Boy, was originally on the reserve list, but got back into the field when Candiman was scratched. Of those behind the dividend payers Kazan was pro-: bablv the most impressive. He finished fourth and was led back to scale limping badly. Mr Hickey, a hot favourite covered more ground than; most of his rivals, and was] showing signs of tiredness' after a flawed leap about; 1400 m out. |

Any chance Somov might have had faded when he made a faulty jump a round from home.