Unfortunate end to northern campaign

Press, 8 July 1983, Page 18

Unfortunate end to northern campaign

By

J. J. BOYLE

The North Island campaign of the talented Washdyke jumper, Lord Hymac, ended in an unfortunate way this week. After some confusion over the withholding time in the use of medication, Lord Hymac was scratched by the Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club for its Duke of Gloucester Cup last Tuesday. Lord Hymac’s ownertrainer, Graeme Jackson, regarded that race as essential as a lead-up to the Wellington Steeplechase, and when told he could not get a start at Wanganui he scratched for the $40,000 Trentham race, to be run tomorrow, and returned home. .— =- ' Lord Hymac was back in his home quarters at 10.30 on Ttfeday night.

“It was an unfortunate business, but we had no alternative but to scratch the horse for the Duke of Gloucester Cup,” Mr I. R. Boyland, secretary of the Egmont-Wanganui Hunt Club, said yesterday. Mr Boyland said one of the ingredients in the medication given to Lord Hymac had a 96-hour withholding time. Mr Jackson had been left with the impression that the limit was 72 hours after a veterinary surgeon had examined an old conference circular. “It has been a most unfortunate affair for all concerned, and we feel sorry for Graeme Jackson, who has been a great supporter of jumping races in our district,” Mr Boyland said yesterday. Lord Hymac started his

North Island campaign on a high note at Wanganui at Queen’s Birthday week-end by winning the June Hurdles and the Wanganui Steeplechase. He was favourite for the Manawatu Steeplechase but made one of his rare blemishes and fell about 1200 m out. Lord Hymac took some hurt from that fall, but not so as to affect his chance of a start in the Wellington Steeplechase. However his owner-trainer believes the horse would have needed the race at Wanganui last Tuesday to have done himself justice at Trentham. Lord Hymac, which also has a good record at Awapuni, might return there for the Manawatu Hunt Cup Steeplechase on July 23.