Fine Offer fourth after reeky run

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 26

Fine Offer fourth after reeky run

NZPA Sydney New Zealand’s Fine Offer got the raw end of a couple of blocks and came home a disappointing fourth in his Australian debut in the $35,000 Norman Robinson Stakes at Caulfield yesterday. On the turn and again in the straight, the New Zealand three-year-old was forced to switch direction, stopping what appeared to the beginning of a strong surge for the line. But the 2000 m feature race was a triumph for two sons of the New Zealand sire, Belmerino, and for former New Zealand trainer, Jack McGreal. Ridden by Bob Skelton, the Belmerino colt, King Delamere, led home the

locally-bred Count Mendip, with the Belmerino gelding, Bounty Hawke, third. Fine Offer, ridden by Brent Thomson, tracked the leading bunch throughout the race after a perfect start that was ouicklv marred by a fall in which Selso lost his jockey then went on to hamper the rest of the field. On the turn Fine Offer moved up to challenge the leaders from the outside, but then was switched in as Thomson appeared to meet with some obstruction. In the straight Fine Offer made another run, but again appeared to get blocked and had to switch to the outside for the run to the line.

King Delamere, meanwhile, took over from the pacemaker, Roycroft, on the turn and Skelton had trouble contending with the riderless horse in the run to the line.

King Delamere is out of the Battle Heights mare, Battle Eve, which was one of a team brought to Australia by McGreal when he set up here eight years ago. The colt has now had six starts for three wins and two seconds. The mare, La Cocotte, relegated favourite Chez Nous to the emergencies for the $252,000 Caulfield Cup field by winning the $35,000 Coongy Handicap.

The Estaminet mare, which before yesterday’s race had had 16 starts for only three wins and five places, now takes her place in the Cup field as number three in order of re-entry.

La Cocotte tracked the leaders throughout the Coongy and was third from the 1300 m to the 800 m where the Alcimedes six-year-old, No Peer, the 1981 Caulfield Cup runner-up, took the lead. In the straight No Peer weakened

Final field, with barriers, for Saturday’s Caulfield Cup is:— 1 Trissaro 2 56.5 2 H. White Veloso 14 56.5 3 P. Cook Fountaincourt 7 56.0 4 N. Harris Cossack Prince 9 54.5 5 W. Treloar Forward Charge 15 54.0 6 P. Hyland Triumphal March 5 ' 53.0 7 B. Thomson Aramant 16 52.5 8 R. Heffernan Chiamare 17 52.5 9 L. Dittman Hayai 12 52.5 10 N. Voigt Cool River 18 51.0 11 D. Gauci Home Maid 20 50.5 12 B. Compton Noble Heights 13 50.5 13 R. Quinton Nostradamus 11 50.5 14 B. Clements Together Again 3 50.5 15 D. Beadman Holsam 19 49.5 16 N. Barrett Showmeran 10 49.5 17 G. Doughty La Cocotte 8 48.5 18 Been There 1 46.0 M. Logue Emergencies:— 51.0 19 Chez Nous 4 20 Makorby 6 51.0