Resolution hot favourite

Press, 4 June 1984, Page 16

Resolution hot favourite

Special correspondent Auckland Seldom in the Great Northern Steeplechase has anything been more certain than Resolution's favouritism for the big race today. Whichever way they run the Auckland Racing Club’s event, fast or slow, it is hard to visualise an outcome without Resolution the winner. The seven-year-old gelding, farm-trained by Graham Venn and his family at Te Kuiti, has a turn of speed which none of his opponents, except perhaps Sweeney Todd, has ever been able to match. His economical style of going has enabled him to last the longest courses, and, not once in his seven races over jumps, has he made a serious mistake. Add to this Resolution’s being in today’s race — through a Racing Authority subsidy and Nescafe sponsorship the richest in New Zealand over jumps — with 63kg and it is hardly a wonder that he dominates Great Northern discussions. Though by only threequarters of a length, Resolution’s win in the Waikato Steeplechase last month, his most recent, was achieved with remarkable ease, and he had been no less impressive the previous time when winning at Ellerslie, on May 5 over 4150 m. Sweeney Todd has come from Canterbury with the reputation of being one of the South Island’s best steeplechasers. He won his last race, over 4000 m at Invercargill, by 29 lengths. That was his seventh this autumn and winter so he should be prepared sufficiently for this one, as

severely testing as it can be. A nine-year-old gelding, Sweeney Todd tried the Ellerslie steeplechase course for the first time on Tuesday last week and, in the hands of his usual rider, Harold Pateman, who brought the horse north for trainer, Pat Corboy, managed it quietly and well. South Island horse, in recent years, have not tackled the Great Northern Steeplechase in any number, but a couple, Loch Linnhe and Eiffel Tower, left their mark on the race with wonderful wininng performances. If Resolution wins, as expected, the next three placings could well be shared by Sweeney Todd, Hunterville and Orca. Hunterville, Headford and Orca were among the leaders at the last jump in the Great Northern last year. Orca, by the worst luck, came down and after they had waged a great battle Hunterville beat Headford narrowly. The preparation of Headford for a second win seems to have been well timed. Without being spectacular he has managed his latest racing very soundly, as has Orca. Both horses are reliable jupers and in top form very good stayers. Indications are that conditions for this afternoon would be very favourable, though there is no possibility of the track being anywhere near as firm as it was when Ballycastle set his Great Northern record six years ago. Bayllycastle returned 7min 39.355, the best time for the 6400 m by nearly 12 seconds. It has to be noted,

though that on the same afternoon the open 1200 m was won in Imin 10.11 s. SELECTIONS 11.15: Dark Red, Curdu, Rafaeleo. 11.50: Trioak, Three Wishes, Starsun. 12.20: Nimrod, Red Dusk, Alldat Jazz 12.55: Wagner, Beechland, Fothers. 1.30: General Weyand, Kiwi Alley, Hey Presto. 2.10: Resolution, Hunterville, Orca. 2.55: Old Nick, Dig In, Our Jetty. 3.30: Continual, Adios Lad, Teseres. 4.5: Sparkling Time, Paul’s Gold, All Sirrah. 4.40: Ran Past, Annapolis, Madam Pele. Jbt: 6 Tab: AR Race 1. 11.15: Panmure Hurdles: $4000; 2760m—Our Laddie 2, 66; Doo Da 10, 64; Dark Red 7, 63.5; Curdu 4, 63; Crown Star 9, Lucky Seven 3, 62.5; Excellsior 5, Rafaeleo 1, 61.5; Little Joker 6, Prince Shar 8, 60. T.A.B. QUINELLA Race 2: 11.50: First Ranfurly Handicap, $4500; 1400 m. — Bright Plume 7, Trioak 2, 57; Royal Grit 13, 55; Sugar Daddy 11, 54; Starsun 5, 53.5; Laurentian 12, Three Wishes 10, 53; Bright Spark 4, El Jay 8, Saba Fox 1, Sun Shot 9, 52.5; Wandering Band 6, 52; Bunratty Castle 3, 51. Race 3. 12.20: Tamaki Steeplechase, $4000; 4150 m. — Red Dusk 12, 62.5; Pulka 10, 62; Fairway Prince 6, 61.5; Got The Lot 8, 61; Alldat Jazz 11, Battle On 4, Gold Lily 9, Nimrod 3, 60.5; Azlanta 13; Epsom Downs 1, Manhatten Mizer 7, Murray Grae 2, Scooter Foot 14, Totem 5, 60. T.A.B. QUINELLA Race 4. 12.55: Cardinal Handicap, $4000; two-year-olds; 1200 m. — Fothers 6, 61; Boilermaker 7, 58; Great Chevalier 8, 55;

Beechland 14, 54.5; Wagner 17, 53; Norfolk King 16, 52.5; Strong And True 3, Superior Grey 5, 51.5; Britzka 13, Diament Noir 2, Fever Pitch 12, Flicky Fox 15, Italiano 11, Nebo 20, Night Vision 1, Prince Gancia 9, Seventh Avenue 19, Sharp Pulse 10, Sungod 4, Tarea Pouti 18, 51. Emergencies: Tarea Pouti, Sungod, Italiano. Race 5. 1.30: Second Ranfurly Handicap, $4500; 1400 m. — General Weyand 9, 57; Kiwi Alley 11, 55; Hey Presto 4, 54; Anyway 10, Grand Total 2, 53.5; Melvin 3, 53; Adios Douglas 8, Catus Boy 6, Katy Sue 13, Some Story 12, 52.5; Timandra Blaze 5, 52; Decided 1, 51.5; Our White Gold, 7, 51.

Race 6 2.10 T.A.B. TREBLE T.A.B. TRIFECTA T.A.B. QUINELLA NESCAFE GREAT NORTHERN STEEPLECHASE $75,000, 6400m 1 7513 Hunterviile 9 65.5 D. Gray 2 9611 Resolution 5 63.0 P. Venn 3 2721 Sweeney Todd 7 62.0 H. Pateman 4 5106 Headford 4 61.0 S. Jenkins 5 0253 Orca 3 60.0 B. McDonald 6 2374 Dulico 11 59.5 R. Thompson 7 4105 Kirrajack 6 57.5 K. Rae 8 9367 Civil Rights 2 57.0 D. Miller 9 7366 Del Reason 10 57.0 P. Hillis 10 7657 Denzami 8 57.0 11 3245 Janal 1 57.0 T. Autridge Race 7 2.55 T.A.B. DOUBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA YORK HANDICAP $8000; 1600m 1 0032 Dig In 9 57.0 D. Peake 2 4761 Old Nick 13 57.0 B. York 3 0009 Chimbu 15 55.5

4 0133 Our Jetty 4 55.5 G. Childs 5 8089 Greek Meer 2 53.5 E. Harrison 6 5075 Short Stope 1 53.5 G. Cooksley 7 0352 Sweet Bird 10 53.5 R. Dye 8 0706 Admiral Blair 7 52.5 9 0074 Deino’s Ruler 5 52.5 D. Hale 10 5805 Grey Wings 6 52.5 C. Costin 11 7007 King's Honour 3 52.5 T. Bau 12 0 Nip Dee 11 52.5 L. O’Sullivan 13 5789 Tamalane 14 52.5 R. McKay 14 7066 Trio 8 52.5 G. Grylls 15 0000 Wadsworth 12 52.0 Race 8 3.30 T.A.B. TREBLE TAB. QUINELLA OTARA HANDICAP $4000; 1600m 1 7214 Adios Lad 10 56.0 C. McNab 2 1462 Continual 17 56.0 D. Peake 3 2426 Dan Donnelly 18 56.0 S. Treweek 4 5200 Gay Babe 2 55.5 J. Grylls 5 1204 Tallow 6 55.5 D. Healey 6 8033 Teseres 3 55.5 7 6464 Grey Day 7 55.0 G. Childs 8 3165 John Bullit 14 55.0 R. Dressier 9 6248 Rich Note 5 55.0 10 9066 Scotch Prince 13 55.0 11 9055 Super Tune 12 55.0 B. York 12 0835 Trevor 15 55.0 R. McKay 13 0000 Flint Road 11 54.5 E. Harrison 14 6000 Full Of Surprises 4 54.5 15 9090 Grey Pebbles 21 54.5 16 9700 Nallet 20 54.5 17 0080 Nextakin 9 54.5 18 0090 Our Brut 19 54.5 19 0400 Battle Flight 16 54.0 20 0000 Rock On 22 54.0 21 1700 Harry’s Harvest 8 54.0 22 0890 Henton Lissi 1 53.5 Emergencies: Harry’s Harvest, Henton Lissi.

Race 9 4.05 TAB. DOUBLE KING GEORGE HANDICAP $6000; 1200m 1 0005 Paul's Gold 10 D. Johnson 57.0 2 7504 Sparkling Time 4 D. Peake 53.5 3 5827 Divine Poem 7 G. Childs 53.0 4 1412 High Regards 6 L. O’Sullivan 52.5 5 4133 All Sirrah 2 52.0 6 9247 Rua Whero 8 B. York 52.0 7 7488 Tamatoa 3 G. Cooksley 52.0 8 0800 Derbin 9 T. Bau 51.5 9 3000 Swaps 11 G. Grylls 51.5 10 0272 Astral Row 5 51.0 11 3000 Bold Getty 1 51.0 Race 10 4.40 TAB. TREBLE T.A.B. QUINELLA MANUKAU HANDICAP $4000; 2200m 1 2032 Annapolis 17 57.0 2 8242 Nebulae 3 B. York 56.0 3 1926 Madame Pele 2 G. Cooksley 55.5 4 3541 Barata 11 D. Healey 55.0 5 3004 Inner Force 15 54.5 6 4521 Ran Past 14 R. Dye 54.5 7 6409 Jameson 10 R. Booth 54.0 8 5047 Pretty Precious 5 E. Harrison 54.0 9 9045 Respond 7 54.0 10 5703 Silver Habit 9 54.0 11 0204 Taggart 19 54.0 12 4800 Brinkworth 1 53.5 13 0407 Innovator 12 D. Johnson 53.5 14 9705 Jimmy Mellay 16 53.5 15 0007 Walkon 8 53.5 16 3070 Kiazam 13 53.0 17 0090 Bomber Brown 6 53.0 18 0000 Claudia Kayo 18 53.0 19 0 Michael Andrew 20 52.0 20 5080 Bold Yen 4 52.0 Emergencies: Bomber Brown, Claudia Kaye, Michael Andrew, Bold Yen.