Keen struggle tomorrow for positions in Pacers’ Final

Press, 18 March 1983, Page 25

Keen struggle tomorrow for positions in Pacers’ Final

From

G. K. Yule

in Auckland

While the Trotters’ Final will hold centre stage at Alexandra Park tomorrow evening, there will be intense interest in the struggle for positions among the 12 horses to contest the $lBO,OOO Pacers’ Grand Final a week later.

Twelve horses finished the second series of heats with 15 points or more and the bulk of the positions in the final will be filled from among them. Horses, such as Dundas on 17 points, and Te Puke Expects and Gammalite, will only have to finish in the first five to have at least 25 points to their credit at the end of the heats.

Jawa Boy and Ao Marama have at present 16 and 15 respectively and they might be stretched to make the Final. The same applies to Ben on 15 points. The talented four-year-old has had no luck in the first two sets of heats. He has to finish in the first three in the opening heat tomorrow, a feat well within his capabilities. He will have to contend with the flying Queenslander, Wbndai’s Mate, the only unbeaten horse in the series and

Armalight which was uncomfortable in the slushy conditions on Wednesday. Also, there are Te Puke Expects, Rain Girl and Hilarious Guest, making this one of the strongest heats of the night.

Hilarious Guest is one of six horses on 13 points making a win almost a necessity to get them into the Final. They could finish second and be in the “grey area” for one of the Final spots among the 12 to compete in the country’s richest ever horse race.

Enterprise, Captain Smooth, El Regale, Hands Down and The Sting, are others on 13 points, while Sprinkler has 14. Popular Alm, which ended a winning sequence of 14 on Wednesday when third and a distant one behind Ao Marama and Dundas will be strongly supported to reinstate himself as early favourite for the Grand Final

in the second of tomorrow's heats.

His talent is not in doubt but his disastrous first run in slushy conditions could have taken its toll.

Bonnie’s Chance paced with much more freedom than she has for some time and handled the bends with confidence when she won on Wednesday. She could trouble Popular Alm, with Royal Three, Quiet Win and Jawa Boy sure to finish close by. Gammalite could complete a clean sweep for Australian horses in the three heats tomorrow. His sixth on Wednesday was by no means as bad as it might suggest. He was slow away then became locked up on the rails in a roughly run race. He was late working into the open by which stage the surprise winner, Ao Marama had slipped well clear. Gammalite’s courage should carry him through

this heat. Dundas was one of the better finishers behind Ao Marama on Wednesday. He lost ground on the home turn but once in the open he came on steadily. He is still at the improving stage and from his handy barrier position it will be surprising if he fails to make another big run.

Mai Mai, so consistent lately, has thrived throughout the series. He will again be a leading contender as will The Sting.

Hands Down has drawn the second line and he will need luck to win and so ensure himself a start in the Final. Officials of the Auckland Trotting Club had long faces when the rain poured down between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Wednesday and they despaired of success of the night. The conditions were such at 5 p.m. that many felt a postponement was

desirable but this could not be done because of the arrangements for television coverage. Horsemen. too, were unhappy with the decision to proceed.

In spite of the conditions there was a crowd of 8070 and betting on-course amounted to $837,460 while the off-course total was $1,130,853, both figures being in excess of those for the first night when the crowd riumbered slightly less than 12,000.

The total on the first night was $1,880,988, while that on Wednesday was $1,968,313, not that far short of the average of $2,100,000 estimated by officials as the minimum necessary for the club to break ' even. With two nights to go, the carnival might not be the disaster that many are predicting.