Lord Hillas impresses at Forbury Park

Press, 24 January 1984, Page 23

Lord Hillas impresses at Forbury Park

Special correspondent Dunedin Lord Hillas boosted his prospects for the $17,000 T.H.C. Championshp when he prevailed in a spectacular finish to the D.B. Handicap, the first race in the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s four-year-old series on Saturday evening. Lord Hillas will not race on the second night of the meeting tomorrow. “He doesn’t take too much racing too quickly at this stage,” said Paul Kelly, his Gore trainer. Kelly, a shearer, races the big gelding with Bill Piercy, a Gore accountant, who bred Lord Hillas. Lord Hillas, by Mister Hillas from Queenship, a mare by Lordship, has now had four wins, two seconds

and a third from seven starts. Mister Hillas, which has a fertility problem, has also left another good four-year-old this season, Matai Skipper.

Lord Hillas broke at the start of his race at Invercargill a week earlier when tried without hopple shorteners. He was back in the shorteners on Saturday when he began well from the pole position. Allan Scobie then allowed him to set a leisurely pace. Scobie was content to surrender the lead to Mighty Me, which moved sharply round the field at the 1600 m.

Lord Hillas gained the upper hand inside the 200 m and held on by a half-a-head from the fast-finishing Family Fun, which came

from far back on the inner at the 400 m after being hampered near that point. King Farouk, which raced four back on the outer, ran on well for third, a nose back, three-quarters of a length in front of Dear Sir, which showed up wide at the 300 m from back in the field.

Lucky Boy, which raced four back on the inner, was close up fifth after working clear late. Regal Maina faded to sixth after racing in the open close to the lead from the 1400 m. Borana was next. He began quickly and settled in sixth place, but he was pushed back to ninth. He was checked near the 500 m and was not disgraced. Mighty Me was most disappointed when he dropped out to ninth.