Athamas’s trainer could add new twist

Press, 2 August 1983, Page 26

Athamas’s trainer could add new twist

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BRUCE MONTGOMERIE,

of AAP, through NZPA Melbourne

Australians have got used to New Zealand horses and New Zealand trainers winning the Melbourne Cup, but the Wanganui trainer, Ken Cropp, adds a new twist to the story.

Cropp, the trainer of the smart New Zealand stayer, Athamas, is an Australian living in New Zealand and he is keen to travel back to Australia and * win races with his tough five-year-old. Athamas, which won six of his 21 starts last season, has 52.5 kg in the $252,000 Caulfield Cup (2400 m on October 15 and has the same weight in the $310,000 Melbourne cup (3200 m at Flemington on November 1.

“I would love to be able to go back to Melbourne and skite with my horse,” said Cropp, a former Melbourne jockey.

Athamas scored a two and a half length victory over 2000 m at Wanganui on Saturday carrying 58.5 kg and started his present campaign in March. “He is a pretty good horse and the most relaxed galloper I have ever seen,” said Cropp, aged 55. Cropp is steeped in racing history and worked for Stan Reid and Jack Barry while a jockey on the flat and

over jumps in Melbourne. Cropp’s grandfather was Bill Noud, who had the 1929 Caulfield Cup winner, High Syce, and his father and uncle Fred and Arthur Cropp were jockeys. Arthur Cropp used to ride for the controversial John Wren in Melbourne. “I came to Wanganui to ride for Kohe Webster in 1954 and had considerable success as a jumps jockey in New Zealand,” said Cropp. He rode in New Zealand for 10 years before taking up training. “I have been training seriously for about four years and Athamas is the best horse I have had,” said

Cropp. “Now I am keen to win a Melbourne Cup.” Athamas could be just the horse to do it for Cropp. The Coolmack gelding was further back than fourth only once in his 21 starts last season.

Athamas has twice won over 2200 m and ran the top New Zealand weight-for-age performer, Prince Majestic, to two lengths when second in the DB Galaxy (2000 m at Wellington on May 14. Coolmack, the sire of Athamas, was an Englishbred stallion which stood in New Zealand. “Athamas is the best horse sired by Coolmack, which was not a prolific

stallion and which died about two years ago,” said Cropp. Cropp rates the 1983 Auckland Cup winner, Fountaincourt, the hardest horse to beat in the Cups and said that Athamas had the measure of the 1983 Wellington Cup winner, Kiwi. “We have met and beaten Kiwi four times so far,” said Cropp. Athamas has been up a long time, starting on March 26 with a win over 1400 m at Awapuni on March 26. “He is easy to freshen up and I just give him a week or two off,” said Cropp. Fountaincourt has not started since winning the Services’ Memorial Cup (2400 m at Randwick on April 25. The five-year-old was third behind Veloso and Secured Deposit in the Sydney Cup (3200 m at Randwick on April 16. Fountaincourt has 56kg in the Caulfield Cup and 55.5 kg in the Melbourne Cup. Kiwi carried 50.5 kg when he won the Wellington Cup last January. He has won seven of his 24 starts and has been given 52kg in the Caulfield and Melbourne

Cups.. He carried 56.5 kg in his last outing when eleventh behind Elmar over 2000 metres at Trentham on March 5.