Cox favourite upset in track trial

Press, 24 October 1984, Page 36

Cox favourite upset in track trial

NZPA Melbourne The W. S. Cox Plate favourite, Red Anchor, caused the surprise of the morning when he was beaten by a stablemate, Movie Maker, at the “Breakfast With the Stars” trackwork session at Flemington yesterday. The champion colt, ridden by Mick Dittman, worked over 1600 m on the outside of Movie Maker, handled by a track rider, Bobby Ball, and finished two lengths behind Movie Maker. Red Anchor’s trainer, Tommy Smith, did not appear to be overly concerned with the horse’s defeat, palming it off with “he’s very fit.” The Smith three-year-olds took Imin 50s to run the 1600 m, coming home the last 600 m in 39.755. Movie Maker will run in Saturday’s 1600 m Herald Vase.

The New Zealand galloper, Fountaincourt, ridden by Philip Smith, galloped impressively with the Bart Cummings pair, Old Spice and a three-year-old, Ox-

berry Way, over 1200 m in Imin 22.55, coming home the last 400 m in 255. Fountaincourt dropped behind the other pair early in the gallop but ran on stylishly over the closing stages. His trainer, Cyril Pfefferle, said he will start Fountaincourt in the weight-for-age $400,000 2050 m W. S. Cox Plate in preference to the $50,600 2600 m Moonee Valley Cup on Saturday. “There is nothing much in it apart from Red Anchor so we might as well run him in it,” said Pfefferle. “Even if you run a place the prizemoney is still enormous.” Fountaincourt ran eleventh to Affinity in the 2400 m Caulfield Cup last Saturday and there is a good chance that he will try to win his second $52,000 2600 m Werribee Cup today week. The Werribee Cup is likely to be his last start before going into the $525,000 3200 m Melbourne Cup at Flemington on

November 6. British, engaged in the Moonee Valley Cup, and Kiwi Slave, in the Cox Plate, worked together over 2000 m. British on the outside, ridden by Brent Thomson, and Kiwi Slave, handled by an apprentice, Andrew Greskie, went to the line on even terms, covering the journey in 2min 19.05, the last 400 m in 25.255. Thomson said he was yet to make up his mind on which horse he would be riding in the Melbourne Cup. Thomson has the choice of the Hayes-trained trio, British, Colonial Flag and Mapperley Heights. British has been placed over two miles in England and, according to Thomson, “he’ll go all day.” The jockey was impressed with Mapperley Heights’s performance, in the Caulfield Cup when she ran seventh, but of his Caulfield Cup mount, Colonial Flag, which ran sixth, he said: ‘“I just think that the two miles will find him out.”