Browne’s successful day

Press, 5 August 1981, Page 26

Browne’s successful day

By W. R. CARSTON Without even taking into account what might happen on the final day of the meeting next Saturday, New Zealand’s top amateur rider. Mr Ken Browne, is assured of taking home some rich spoils from the Grand National meeting. Charlestown earned 512,500, the winner’s share of the Grand National Steeplechase stake on the first day, and the combined efforts of Swift Venture, Dark Purple and Gold Vic brought in another $3590 for the successful Cambridge owner-trainer at Riccarton yesterday. Swift Venture was able to

capitalise on his stamina and ability in bad ground to win the Linwood Highweight and the noted "mud-lark,” Dark Purple, showed that he was equally at ease in the going with a convincing victory in the Spreydon Hurdles. Although he failed to pay a dividend, Gold Vic made a lot of ground on the last circuit for a respectable fourth in the Beaufort Steeplechase in ground not entirely to his liking. Browne rode both Dark Purple and Gold Vic, but Swift Venture was the mount of Tony Gillies. Swift Venture, having his thirteenth start and weigh-ing-in for the eleventh time

since his purchase for $llOO by Browne at the South Island Bloodstock Sale 12 months ago, made promising progress round the outer from the rear group on the home turn in the Linwood Highweight, led the chase after the pacemaking Bird of Flight half-way through the run home and outfinished his Otaki-trained rival by a length and a quarter. Dark Purple, whose main mission on the trip will be the Grand National Hurdles, turned in an excellent trial for next Saturday’s feature race when he gave nine rivals a start and a sound beating in the Spreydon Hurdles.

As always, he took time to warm to his task. Running into the last 2000 m he was a lonely last but began to show a sharper interest in proceedings about the half-way mark. From that point onward he. made steady progress and a brilliant leap at the flight about 1000 m out carried him in to fourth position and within challenging distance of the leading group. Dark Purple was hard on the heels of the leader, Black Damson, at the second-last flight, was upside with him at the last then came away to win by two and a quarter lengths.