Hilarious Guest wins Oaks

Press, 31 May 1982, Page 21

Hilarious Guest wins Oaks

Special correspondent Auckland

Hilarious Guest, New Zealand’s top three-year-old filly, took her earnings for the season to $85,285 when she won the North Island Oaks at Alexandra. Park on Saturday evening. This is easily a record for a three-year-old. The previous highest total was $74,175, amassed by Armalight in the 1979-80 season. Hilarious Guest had already an open class assessment, a rare achievement for a three-year-old filly.

Her owner-trainer-breeder, Maurice Vermeulen, of Rangiora, said after the Oaks, she would not race again this season. Vermeulen said he did not think he would race Hilarious Guest until October. “And then,” he said, “she will be prepared for the New Zealand Cup.”

Vermeulen makes no secret of his ambition to win the big Addington race. It would be a trerpendous achievement if Hilarious Guest did win because no four-year-old mare has ever won the race. Once Peter Wolfenden took Hilarious Guest to the front in the Oaks, the issue was never in doubt. Hilarious Guest took over about 2000 m from the finish. She rounded the home turn with a handy lead from Bonnie Skipper, which had moved up sharply, and Dab Chick. ' It appeared that Hilarious Guest would win easily but Wolfenden had to shake her up to hold off Bonnie Skipper. Wolfenden said afterwards, however, that he did not feel in any danger of defeat. “She was just too good for them.”

Bonnie Skipper went a fine race for a filly assessed at only C 3. Dab Chick was seven lengths back, third, clear of Steady Lady. The first four all come from the South Island.

Hilarious Guest paid $l.lO for a win and the same for a place. Her time of 3min 28.2 s represented a mile rate of 2min 4.1 s and was not far off the national 2700 m record for three-year-olds, of 3min 26.8 s held by Main Star and set in 1978.