I’m Henry remains favourite for today’s Derby

Press, 23 January 1984, Page 25

I’m Henry remains favourite for today’s Derby

By

J. J. BOYLE

Wellington

I’m Henry’s position as favourite for today’s Wellington Derby was not weakened in any way through his failure to win the Wellington Stakes at Trentham on Saturday.

The Takanini-trained New Zealand Derby winner was beaten into second by Abit Leica, one of the lukewarm fancies, but he emerged with many of the honours of the race. Bob Vance rode him far down the field, and all went smoothly for them until near the home turn.

Then they struck a trouble spot in the running, costing them vital ground and momentum. I’m Henry rallied again gamely to give chase after Riccarton’s Gaffa. Zepherin made her challenge an instant earlier wider out on the track but the final act and curtain call were left to Abit Leica, whose storming run carried him to a brilliant victory. It was Abit Leica’s third win from only six starts for the Stratford stable of Warren Dymond. This was a run good enough to merit attention for any derby, but Abit Leica was not entered for today’s classic. A six-figure offer was made for Abit Leica on the eve of Saturday’s race, but the connections of the Ashabit gelding advised the would be purchaser that they would not be prepared to do any business until after the Wellington Stakes.

Gaffa did not dim his Derby prospects any in finishing fourth in the Wellinigton Stakes. Grant Cooksley, who had an unbeaten association in three previous appearances, had to make much use of the My Friend Paul .gelding to get over from one of the wide barrier positions and get clear early. Gaffa came under pressure early in the run home, yet responded generously to Grant Cooksley’s urgings, and only lost one of the dividend-bearing places when they were almost in the shadows of the post. Cooksley should be able to ride Gaffa differently today. The Riccarton hopeful has drawn No. 2 and Cooksley should be able to find a handy rails run without making any strenuous demands on him. On the other hand I’m Henry has drawn No. 18, which will pose more tactical problems for Bob Vance. Jurango, the New Zealand Derby second — he ran I’m Henry to a short head — did not find much in the Wellington Stakes on Saturday. His sire, Taipan, has not been represented by any great number of distance performers, but Jurango’s second, in the New Zealand Derby will probably be the performance to weigh in his favour today. All Trebles, from Rangiora, has been given his chance on the strength of his win over 2000 m at the expense of Gaffa and others in the Blue Riband at Waikouaiti.

But Gaffa was clearly superior in the Southland Guineas, and it is doubtful if there will be any change in that trend today. Rattle the Sabre made a promising first show at a middle distance in the Waikouaiti feature race. He never got into the race after a slow start in the Wellington Stakes, but he might be worth a second thought as he steps up to the Derby distance today. The Wellington Derby is the second leg of today’s T.A.B. Treble and is one of the T.A.B. quinella events. Encore, an attractively bred Amyntor mare from the Ropiha stable at Woodville, should go close to winning the Hutt Handicap, first leg of the T.A.B. treble. The third leg of the treble is the Douro Handicap, a race that usually attracts a good number of form horses. One of them is McAngus, a Gore-trained Alvaro mare and the South Island’s only winner on Wellington Cup Day. She won Saturday’s 1400 m race with a bold finishing rails run, and it should be within her powers to make a good fist of 1600 m today. Tullia and Elucidate, the

minor place-getters behind Ramora on Saturday, will be two of the more popular North Island-trained fancies. The Sydney-owned and trained Veloso will have his first of two starts at the meeting in the Visitors’ Handicap, second leg of today’s T.A.B double. Last season’s Sydney Cup winner will find 1400 m short of his best distance, but he might show enough today to throw some light on his chance in the valuable Jarden Mile next Saturday. Mac’s Gamble, the closest to Veloso in the weights, won the Wrightson Handicap on Saturday with a performance that belied his age. He is in his ninth year but showed dash his younger rivals were unable to match to give Debbie Healey her first winning race-ride at Trentham. Coronal, from Feilding, will be one of the interesting runners. He ran Clear Gold to half a head in the Flag Inns Trophy, 1600 m, on the final day of the Auckland Cup meeting, but was disqualified because he had taken the line of rival runners. He showed no signs of wayward ways when he was at Riccarton last November and he performed well for a second in the Lumley and a fourth in the Stewards’. The Summer Handicap, first leg of the T.A.B. double, offers a field with a mixture of age and youth, but no great form riches. Elmar, a last start fourth at weight-for-age at Rotorua, is eight and top weight, but she is up to meeting the demands of today’s 2200 m. The Cam-bridge-trained Alvaro mare won at that distance at Franklin in December. Kutusov, the closest to Elmar in the handicap, is an obvious chance after a sixth in the Wellington Cup. His fortunes might finally rest on how he came through the cup run, and whether he took some jarring from it. For much of his racing he has shown a preference for slightly easy footing. Beau Charade, a runner for the Noel Eales’ stable, has a win close up on his record and the Opakitrained Dreamland has been an easy winner at her last two starts. Selections 11.10: Captivation, First Sovereign, Tranquil Sea. 11.50: Vin d’Amour, Black Eclipse, Access. 12.30: Slaney Valley, Gossip, Mai Horse. 1.10: Encore, Aznaba, Tom Dee. 1.50: Elmar, Kutusov, Dreamland. 2.30: I’m Henry, Gaffa, Jurango. 3.10: Mac’s Gamble, Coronal, So Dandy. 3.50: Scotch Prince, Chanting Rosa, Nusella. 4.30: Elucidate, Tullia, McAngus.

Jbt: 2 Tab: WR Race 1 11.10 T.A.B. QUINELLA MANGAROA HIGHWEIGHT $3400; 2200 m

Race 2 11.50 T.A.B. QUINELLA EVERGREEN LODGE STAKES $27,500; two-year-olds; 1200 m

Race 3 12.30 T.A.B. QUINELLA KAITOKE HANDICAP $3800; 2000 m

Race 4 1.10 T.A.B. TREBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA HUTT HANDICAP $3400; 2000 m

Emergencies: Blue Portrait, Victorian Lady.

Race 5 1.50 T.A.B. DOUBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA SUMMER HANDICAP $10,000; 2200 m

Race 6 2.30 T.A.B. TREBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA WELLINGTON DERBY $32,000; three-year-olds; 2400 m

Race 7 3.10 T.A.B. DOUBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA VISITORS’ HANDICAP $8000; 1400 m

Race 8 3.50 T.A.B. QUINELLA JANUARY HANDICAP $3800; 1600 m

Race 9 4.30 T.A.B. TREBLE T.A.B. TRIFECTA T.A.B. QUINELLA DOURO CUP HANDICAP $6800; 1600 m

Emergency: General Fripon.

1 2 5571 First Sovereign 3 4901 Riverside 8 66.5 63.0 3 3454 idle Fancy 2 62.5 4 3174 Eastonian 6 61.5 5 0322 Tranquil Sea 12 G. Lord 61.5 6 9143 Captivation 1 J. Dowling 59.5 7 8031 Dollar Charley 5 59.0 8 4462 Remy Martin 7 G. O’Neil 59.0 9 0 Gee Vee 10 58.5 10 9640 Rosenveld 9 J. Collett 58.0 11 1150 Trident King 4 58.0 12 000 Eimeo 11 57.0

1 3212 Access 1 55.0 2 1114 Boilermaker 9 D. Southworth 55.0 3 9510 Fothers 11 R. Vance 55.0 4 0312 Kingdom Bay 6 N. Harris 55.0 5 1212 Our Buddy 7 J. Cassidy 55.0 6 5117 Pokare 8 M. Lyndon 55.0 7 2175 Skybiri 3 M. Campbell 55.0 8 3212 Sterling Exchange 5 W. Skelton 55.0 9 2780 Superior Gray 2 G. Childs 55.0 10 1313 Black Eclipse 12 G. Phillips 53.5 11 9955 Chobar 4 53.5 12 6213 Eminent Lady 14 53.5 13 1 I’m Susie 13 . P. Mercer 53.5

14 2223 Sound Susie 15 B. Hibberd 53.5 15 11 Vin d’Amour 10 G. Williams 53.5

1 4313 Fast Track 1 B. Hibberd 56.5 2 3221 Huny Bug 15 C. Johnson 54.5 3 5103 Bess 7 M. Lyndon 53.5 4 0501 Arteena 8 53.0 5 5511 Slaney Valley 4 D. Peake 53.0 6 5443 Gee Jay 13 D. Healey 52.0 7 3311 Gossip 2 D. Walsh 52.0 8 3613 Mai Horse 3 52.0 9 8552 Sharaz 11 52.0 10 0000 Black Rono 10 51.5 11 4754 Ponga 17 J. Cassidy 51.0 12 5304 Came And Conquered 16 50.0 13 225 Soak 12 50.0 14 5190 Double Cover 9 49.5 15 5342 Emerald Star 6 49.5 16 5347 Royal Queen 5 49.5 17 7505 Lady Of Grace 14 49.0

1 401 Tom Dee 15 54.5 2 0214 Encore 7 L. Robinson 53.0 3 5413 Jo’s Habit 10 53.0 4 8540 Aychere 9 D. Walsh 52.5 5 0420 Go Rocky 16 52.0 6 2433 Aznba 2 51.5 7 0335 Kerry Lane 6 G. Phillips 51.5 8 0223 Skateworld 3 P. Tims 51.5 9 00 Brazanna 14 51.0 10 9638 D'Arcy 17 J. Cassidy 51.0 11 8076 Demolition 12 G. Cooksley 51.0 12 030 Nalokula 13 D. Healey 51.0 13 3186 Thornlesson 5 D. Peake 51.0 14 994 Ashtown Lad 4 50.0 15 947 Shy Lady 1 50.0 16 5323 Blue Portrait 11 M. Lyndon 49.5 17 0450 Ujiji 18 49.5 18 7 Victorian Lady 8 B. Hibberd 49.0

1 0654 Elmar 13 55.0 N. Harris 2 0286 Kutusov 6 D. Healey 53.0 3 1214 Beau Charade 3 J. Cassidy 52.0 4 1490 Beaver Boy 2 52.0 5 0 Double You Em 7 T. Mosley 51.5 6 2314 Phizam 5 D. Walsh 51.0 7 3897 Double Trouble 12 50.5 8 0611 Dreamland 9 M. Lyndon 50.0 9 3571 First Sovereign 1 49.5 10 1096 Unique Wonder 11 D. Peake 48.5 11 0185 Anne Lear 10 48.0 12 3454 Idle Fancy 4 48.0 13 4300 Royal Tryst 8 48.0

1 0012 All Trebles 4 R. McCann 55.5 2 1000 Coober’s Gold 13 55.5 3 0831 Dublin Prince 10 55.5 R. Dye 4 1314 Gaffa 2 55.5 G. Cooksley 5 5129 Imaprince 16 55.5 M. Campbell 6 2112 I’m Henry 18 55.5 R. Vance 7 1629 Jurango 14 55.5 B. York 8 4457 Kartoia 15 55.5 P. Tims 9 7390 Mussjoeur 12 55.5 10 0130 Norfolk Bard 8 55.5 C. McNab 11 3070 Prince Ariba 6 55.5 12 0420 Rattle The Sabre 3 55.5 J. Collett 13 0632 Remuster 1 55.5 D. Healey 14 7302 Rich Brother 17 55.5 N. Harris 15 7614 Rotama King 5 55.5 G. Childs 16 6000 Tony's Fantasy 9 55.5 D. Walsh 17 5117 Whetu 7 55.5 G. Barkla

1 1570 Veloso 10 L. Olsen 56.5 2 2011 Mac’s Gamble 4 D. Healey 55.5 3 1470 So Dandy 14 C. McNab 55.0 4 2364 Volare 13 D. Walsh 54.5 5 2400 Coronal 3 G. Phillips 52.5 6 5340 Page Boy 5 50.5 7 6710 El Pedro 8 P. Tims A 50.0

8 4122 Silver Samurai 9 P. Mercer 49.5 9 3131 Chameau Vite 11 D. Peake 49.0 10 2111 Reutemann 15 J. Cassidy 49.0 11 33 Irma's Gold 12 M. Lvndon 48.5 12 2114 Camille 7 48.0 13 0498 Pia Roona 2 48.0 14 4031 Marchimar 1 S. Simon 47.0 15 7610 Mighty Vain 6 47.0

1 5414 Chanting Rosa 5 M. Lyndon 54.0 2 6723 Judas 10 54.0 3 2583 Musselia 4 B. Hibberd 54.0 4 0224 Scotch Prince 1 P. Tims 53.5 5 0600 Sorry Sir 3 53.5 6 18 Becamber 11 J. Cassidy 53.0 7 8137 Manuscript 12 B. Griffin 53.0 8 1499 Kidnapping 8 D. Walsh 52.5 9 Janivari 2 51.0 10 000 Laba Lame 7 51.0 11 5204 Marj's Star 9 51.0 12 7 Victorian Lady 6 51.0

1 2271 Strategy 7 D. Walsh 57.5 2 2513 Marlon 6 G. Williams 57.0 3 3313 Elucidate 12 G. Phillips 55.0 4 4312 Tullia 14 G. Cooksley 55.0 5 3205 Alcazar 17 ’ B. Hibberd 54.0 6 313 All Belles 5 S. Royal 53.5 7 6111 Gonzarelli 18 D. Peake 53.5 8 8221 Jacky Grey 3 52.5 9 3871 McAngus 8 G. Childs 52.5 10 1419 Tote Note 1 52.5 11 31 Both Barrels 10 M. Lyndon 52.0 12 3632 Diplomatic Kane 15 J. Cassidy 52.0 13 952 High Profile 16 51.0 14 5211 Notusho 2 R. McCann 51.0 15 2116 Pendulyn 13 C. Johnson 51.0 16 8647 Ben Irish 11 50.5 17 1852 Maestro Mellay 9 50.5 18 2160 The Kid 19 S. Anderton 50.5 19 2850 General Fripon 4 50.0