Hands Down after four on end

Press, 3 August 1983, Page 26

Hands Down after four on end

By

JEFF SCOTT

Hands Down has been synonomous with the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s national meeting in recent seasons and this year will be no exception. The greater stayer will be attempting to win his fourth consecutive Louison Handicap when he steps out at Addington Raceway on August 20. The rugged Armbro Del gelding, now eight, won the Louisson-National Handicaps double in 1980 and 1981.

After winning his third Louisson Handicap in succession last year, he was forced to miss the National Handicap on the second night. His Templeton trainer, Derek Jones, felt that he needed more time to get over his great struggle from 30m behind to defeat Quiet Win by half a head in 3min 20.2 s for the 2600 m.

This year, Jones had the gelding shaping up for another late August start and will be putting the finishing touches to him in the ensuing weeks. “He’s probably not as far forward as he has been in previous years but he’ll catch up in the next two or three weeks,” Jones said of Hands Down, which was spelled for six weeks after he returned home from competing in the Tasman Challenge Series in Melbourne in April-May. Jones intends giving Hands Down a similar leadup programme to the New Zealand Cup in November as he did last year, providing everything goes according to plan. Of last season’s performances, Jones rates the gelding’s third win in the Lion r

Brown Easter Cup as his best.

Hands Down exploited his great staying powers to the limit when he overcame the backmark of 25m to come out on top in the last few strides over Hilarious Guest. Hands Down had another rewarding campaign last season, 15 New Zealand starts producing five wins and five placings for $57,380 in stakes, while he was unplaced in three starts in the Tasman Challenge Series.

His other wins last term came in the O. Hutchinson Mobile Free-For-All over 2000 m at Addington, rating Imin 59.75, the White Heron Travelodge Mobile Free-For-All over 2600 m on the final night of the New Zealand Cup meeting in 3min 18.45; and a Pacers’ Consolation Heat of the InterDominion series at Auckland in March, rating 2min 1.2 s for the mobile 2700 m.

The 1980 New Zealand Cup and Free-For-All winner has now amassed a career record of 65 starts for 26 wins, 13 placings, and $241,310 in stakes in New Zealand, while he has also raced several times in Australia.

A great favourite with Addington patrons, Hands Down will not have an easy task in this year’s Louisson in which he will start from 30m behind. With the conditions of the race changed to a C 8 front, there is likely to be some promising younger talent on hand to make the old stager work hard for victory, but if he does ovecome the odds, the reception he is likelty to get will be worth coming a long way to see.