N.Z.-bred King Phoenix wins Marlboro Cup

Press, 28 September 1984, Page 31

N.Z.-bred King Phoenix wins Marlboro Cup

NZPA Sydney The New Zealand-bred King Phoenix turned on a gritty performance to win the sAustlos,ooo Marlboro Cup over 1200 m at Caulfield yesterday, depriving Brent Thomson of a sensational return to Australian racing. Trained by the former New Zealander, Theo Howe, King Phoenix kept handy to the pacemaker all the way before taking over 100 m out and scoring oy a neck from the flying mare, Nouvelle Star.

On the Colin Hayestrained mare was Thomson, riding in his first meeting since returning from a season riding in England, and as the pair raced to the line, it looked for a moment as if the New Zealand-born jockey was going to return to the Australian scene in style. Instead, Nouvelle Star, which had been trapped early, was rated the unluckiest horse in the race, as she

finished better than any of her 16 rivals. But the honours went to King Phoenix, an Amyntor four-year-old gelding which began racing only this year and in 10 starts has now won six times, including a recent hat-trick, and has yet to miss a place. Pride of Kellina made the running for most of the journey with the New Zealanders, Final Affair and Noble Note, running back in the pack with the “expatriates” Red Tempo and Royal Troubador, which was taking a buffeting from the older horses.

Red Tempo made his move first, going up fourwide at the 700 m as the field approached the home turn, and going into the curve on the outside of a line with the two pacemakers.

Nouvelle Star joined them in the straight and the four fought it out until King Phoenix got his head in

front, giving the jockey, Mick Goreham, his second consecutive win in the Cup.

Noble Note came with another slashing finish to cross the line fifth, behind Centaine and ahead of Royal Troubador. A tiring Red Tempo was eighth and Final Affair beat four home.

The feature staying event, the sAustso,ooo Underwood Stakes (2000 m was turned into a Balmerino benefit with two of his sons, Bounty Hawk and King Delamere, filling the first two placings.

But it was the New Zealander, Greatness, which set the pundits by their ears with a rattling performance for third in a race run at a muddling pace that ruined the chances of many of the fancies.

The marginally dead track was made to order for the New Zealander which has a reputation for enjoying soft going, and it was just about perfect for King

Delamere, which suffers from chronic shin soreness and has had his best season with a rash of rain-affected tracks.

Bounty Hawk stamped his authority on the race, but Greatness was the horse who shone through as the one to watch in coming weeks.

Ridden by the expatriate New Zealand champion jockey, Bruce Compton, Greatness had no luck until the jockey forced him fourwide on the home turn and made him work for his place in a torrid battle down the straight that saw him hold his spot in a photofinish from the crack West Australian stayer, Moss Kingdom. Prolific put in a big effort to run fifth, just ahead of the tiring Al Dwain, which was ridden by Gary Willetts. The former New Zealand three-year-old, Beechcraft, was scratched from the race.