Norton by a nose in spectacular finish

Press, 20 August 1984, Page 32

Norton by a nose in spectacular finish

By

G. K. YULE

Norton confirmed a high ranking among the top pacers in the land when he prevailed by a nose from Our Mana in a breathtaking finish to the Louisson Handicap at the New Zealand Metropolitan Trotting Club’s meeting at Addington Raceway on Saturday.

With late charges coming from Derby and Double Cove near the line, few persons located more than a metre or two from the post had any certainty of the outcome of the race, which provided one of the more spectacular finishes seen on the course. Little more than a length separated the first seven. While many of the honours in the race went to Norton, the sympathies of many in the crowd were diverted to Hands Down, which was only half a head from Our Mana in third place as he attempted to win the event for the fifth consecutive year. There was a long delay before Norton was confirmed as the winner. The judge called Our Mana in first, but the photo-finish print gave the decision to Norton by the barest of margins. Another print of the finish posted at the southern end

of the stewards’ stand caused much controversy, with many claiming that there had been a dead-heat. However, the line superimposed on the print available to the judge was not included on the one displayed for the public. The pace was on from the start, with Hilarious Guest taking control near the 1900 m. Hands Down was three seconds from the leaders after 200 m, with Norton three lengths in front of him after tangling away. Our Mana, which was slow and then checked when Hilarious Guest ran out, settled in mid-field one off the rails. Hands Down, which lost ground near the 1900 m, improved from the 800 m, dropping in behind Our Mana, with Norton joining in behind them approaching the last 200 m when victory for the favourite looked anything but a possibility. Hilarious Guest, Job Boy

and Our Mana, were close together at the straight entrance, with Hands Down not far away and Derby and Borana looking big threats. , Double Cove was three back on the rails waiting for a clear passage. Our Mana looked the probable winner with less than 200 m left, his main danger appearing to be Hands Down, which was being urged on by most in the crowd. Then Norton joined in, with the trio charging to the line locked together. “I thought I might have just lasted, but was far from certain as Norton came fast in the last couple of strides,” said Colin de Filippi, the driver of Our Mana. Kerry O’Reilly, Norton’s driver, was not sure of the outcome either. “Norton was going better than the other two right on the line and I felt he might have got there,” he

said. ‘Td have sworn Norton won,” was the comment of Peter Jones, the driver of Hands Down. “He was outside me and surged up right on the post.” Three-quarters of a length behind Hands Down it was just as tight for fourth. Joy Boy, close up all the way, took the $5OO attached to that placing by a nose from Derby, which looked most unlucky. The race was as good as over when he burst through. Derby’s stablemate, Double Cove, did not get through until the last few metres. He was travelling as fast as anything at the line a head behind Derby, with a neck to Borana, which set a torrid pace for the first few hundred metres. Kind Nature, which went into a break when checked 30m out, was at the head of the others. The leaders took 3min 6s

for their last 2406 m, with the final 800 m in Imin. Both Norton and Hands Down bettered 3min 3s for their last 2400 m and > covered much extra ground into the bargain. Hands Down was three and four wide from the 800 m and gave nothing away in a battling finish. ■ Norton, raced by a father-and-son comination of Messrs Maurice and Lindsay Anderson, of Gore, is trained at Highbank by Patrick O’Reilly. He will race again next Saturday in a similar race, in which he will be handicapped on 15m. The six-year-old gelding by a champion juvenile in Tactile from Kate Quillan, has had a career interrupted three or four times by injury. Now in his fifth season of racing, he has had only 28 starts for 14 wins, the last five on the trot, and six placings for $80,230 in stakes.