Hilarious Guest barred from Addington feature

Press, 26 April 1983, Page 36

Hilarious Guest barred from Addington feature

By

G. K. YULE

Hilarious Guest, the oddson favourite, which finished last in the Almac Potato New Brighton Cup, will not be able to start in the $30,000 Prince and Princess of Wales Stakes at Addington Raceway tomorrow, a race for which Peter Wolfenden had been engaged to drive her.

The judicial committee of the New Brighton Trotting Club declared her ineligible to start in a totalisator race until after May 7 following her last placing in a sevenhorse field in yesterday’s event. The decision was not made until almost three and a half hours after the running of the race. The committee heard evidence from Maurice Vermeulen, the owner-trainer of Hilarious Guest, and Jack Smolensk!, who drove the mare in the race.

Vermeulen immediately gave notice of appeal against the decision, but Mr Les Purvis, the stipendiary steward in charge of the meeting, said that this was not possible as the penalty on the horse did not exceed 14 days.

Hilarious Guest was forced wide when the pace was hottest over the first

1000 m of the race, and she then attempted to lead for the final 2000 m. She eased the pace greatly in the middle part and the final 1600 m took a slow 2min 11.8 s, and the 3200 m a mediocre 4min 18.9 s from the front. The last 800 m took Imin 1.65, with the final 400 m in 30.25.

Hilarious Guest was working hard at the 800 m and was beaten early in the run home. She dropped right away and was at a slow pace at the line. The race resulted in a narrow win for the Winton pacer, Trilobal, which paced roughly early and was struggling to improve from the 600 m. Trilobal worked to a short lead in the run home, with Kind Nature making a late bid for second, half a neck back after working into the open with only 50m left.

Amaze was right up third, shading Cyllarus and Stampede. Aquilla, raced by Ron and Maureen Hamilton, of Winton, part-owners of Trilobal, gained a second success with Aquilla in the Bonnie’s Chance Handicap. . Aquilla made most of the pace and held on to win

handily from Maria Patron and Ravena. Capri broke through for a long overdue win in the Rawleigh Stock Food Stakes. Colin de Filippi gave her a splendid run and she challenged inside the final 200 m, getting up to win by half a neck from the un-

lucky favourite, Double Cover, which was badly checked near the 800 m when Kotare Hunter broke gear and galloped into Toschack. Lopez Mac Faber made ground for fourth, ahead of Micawave and Espiritu.