Fountaincourt wins Gosford Cup

Press, 3 May 1984, Page 26

Fountaincourt wins Gosford Cup

NZPA staff correspondent Sydney The New Zealand stayer, Fountaincourt, scored a stylish win in the sAustso,ooo (SNZ7O,OOO) Gosford Gold Cup yesterday. The little gelding came back from the 3200 m of the Sydney Cup on Saturday to 2100 m at Gosford and overcame the handicaps of 58kg top weight and a wide draw. Fountaincourt was entered in the Gosford Cup by his trainer, Cyril Pfefferle, as something of an afterthought and insurance in case there was a recurrence of the rain-affected disruption which marred the Sydney autumn campaign last year. And his performance yesterday was reminiscent of last year’s campaign when Fountaincourt was entered in the Services Memorial Cup on Anzac Day to help make up the numbers and waltzed away with the trophy and sAustlo,2oo in stakes. Pfefferle, who believes the Pass the Bottle five year old could have won the

Sydney Cup if he had been closer to the leaders turning for home, switched to the jockey who won that feature on the former New Zealander, Trissaro. The choice of John Marshall proved to be an inspired one. He moved Fountaincourt up to the leaders going into the home turn and unleashed the gelding’s flying finish in the short 200 m straight to win by a half head. The horse he overtook in giant strides was Godarchi, which carried B.skg less and was ridden by Fountaincourt’s Sydney Cup jockey, Bruce Compton. The other New Zealander in the race, Stylish Dude, carried Greg Childs home in seventh place, two behind the former New Zealander, Spring Moss, which was ridden by Gary Willetts. Fountaincourt has now raced five times in this Australian campaign for a first-up fourth in the Rawson Stakes, fifth in the Tancred, second in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes and fourth in the Sydney Cup before yesterday’s win.