Favourites lose

Press, 23 September 1983, Page 12

Favourites lose

NZPA Sydney Red Tempo found the back-up from last Saturday’s clash with Strawberry Road a bit too much when he failed to make an impression in the $lOO,OOO Marlboro Cup at Caulfield yesterday. As his usual pattern in recent races, the New Zealand sprinter missed the start of the 1400 m race, and he could not catch the leaders after racing for much of the distance thirdlast.

Ranger’s Son took the cup by a short half-head from Torbek in a thrilling finish, with Showmeran third. The other New Zealand horse in the race, Graeme Rogerson’s Brenlaine, made a brief showing but then ran on with the bunch.

The failure of the top weight and favourite, Red Tempo, was a major upset, and followed a similar lack of fire from his old duelling partner, Strawberry Road, in the preceding Underwood Stakes.

Strawberry Road finished fourth in the $40,000 Underwood Stakes in which two

sons of Sir Tristram filled the first two places. Trissaro took the 2000 m race on a protest from fellow four-year-old Cossack Prince, with Triumphal March third, and Strawberry Road next. The two New Zealand horses in the race, Bellerophon and Cullimore, finished back in the pack. The race was run at a muddling pace with no one prepared to take the lead, and after the first Pleach, then Strawberry Road were stranded in front, before Cossack Prince took over at the 1600 m and led to the turn when Triumphal March challenged. In the straight, Trissaro made a barging run along the rails, but was blocked by Cossack Prince, while Strawberry Road, which had also been blocked for a run finally got clear, but could find nothing to make an impression on the front runners.

Cossack Prince was first across the line, but Trissaro’s connections succeeded in their appeal, to take the honours.