N.Z.-bred Noble Peer wins Australian Cup

Press, 12 March 1985, Page 30

N.Z.-bred Noble Peer wins Australian Cup

NZPA-AAP Melbourne A South African owner, Mr Gerald Jaffee and his wife Shirley, received ample compensation for the unlucky defeat of Hula Drum in Saturday’s Newmarket Handicap when their colt Noble Peer took out the $lOl,OOO Australian Cup 2000 m at Flemington yesterday. Mr Jaffee, a millionaire businessman, purchased both Noble Peer and Hula Drum at the New Zealand Yearling Sales. Noble Peer cost SNZ2BO,OOO and Hula Drum SNZ4O,OOO. Mr Jaffee liked the look of Noble Peer so much that “I just kept bidding”. “He is so well bred that if he could talk he wouldn’t speak to any of us,” said Mr Jaffee. Noble Peer is by the outstanding Irish sire, Sir Tristram, which stands in New Zealand, from Puzzi, described as the best-bred brood mare in the southern hemisphere. The American-bred Puzzi, is by Dancer’s Image which is by Native Dancer. The win gave Noble Peer’s trainer, Bart Cummings, his eighth Australian Cup having won it with Gladman (1973), Leilani (1975), Lord Dudley (1976), Ngawyni (1977), Ming Dy-

nasty (1978 and 1980), and Hyperno (1981). The win gave the successful jockey, Harry White, his fifth Australian Cup having won the race on Borehead in 1967, Crewman (1970) Ming Dynasty (1978) and Hyperno (1981). White rode Noble Peer at 50kg, o.skg over his allotted weight.

“If he couldn’t win it at 50kg then he couldn’t win it with 49.5” said Cummings, who believes that Noble Peer would have beaten the champion colt, Red Anchor, in this year’s A.J.C. Derby if that colt was not injured. “The A.J.C. Derby has been his mission all along,” Cummings said. “I brought him to Melbourne because I felt the good facilities and the big Flemington track would help to get the weight off him.

“He is a very gross horse and he even looks to be carrying some condition today,” said Cummings. “He is pretty relaxed and a nice type of stayer, but today was his big test.” On the way to the $400,000 A.J.C. Derby (2400 m at Randwick on April 6, Noble Peer is likely to tackle the $150,000 Rosehill Guineas (2000 m on March 23 and the $400,000 w.f.a. H. E. Tancred Stakes (2400 m at Rosehill on March 30.

The powerful son of Sir Tristram was heavily backed from 9-2 to start at 13-4 equal favourite and won easily by one and a half lengths from Astrolin (12-1) with Ankara (20-1) a half-length away third, ahead of his stablemate, Follow the Light (7-1), and the other equal favourite Affinity. White said he was riding

yesterday at “the lightest I have been since I won the Caulfield Cup on Sobar 13 years ago.” He had the grey colt beautifully positioned on the rails in third position behind the outsiders, Bounty Hustler and Afghan’s Idol.

At the turn White moved out from the rail and allowed Noble Peer to stride to the lead and he opened up a winning break. “I was not happy on the rails as I didn’t want to take the chance of getting caught on the fence,” said White. At his previous start in the Carlyon Cup at Caulfield, Noble Peer struck trouble and was hemmed in on the rails at a vital stage and he battled on to finish fifth to Astrolin.

In spite of White’s brilliant ride, the top Sydney jockey, Ron Quinton, will take over the reins for the grey’s Sydney engagements. Quinton made a special trip from Sydney to ride Hula Drum in the Newmarket Handicap on Saturday, finishing an unlucky second to Red Tempo.

Robert Heffernan, who rode the runner-up Astrolin said “that the eight year old ran a hell of a good race.” He said “that Astrolin ran on very well but he may have made a mistake by staying behind Ankara, which he thought would have gone quicker in the run.”

However, Heffernan said “the winner was too good”. Pat Hyland, who rode Affinity, said that “the race was too short for him and they sprinted home too quickly.” Affinity settled down in last position with Astrolin in second last position and they both finished strongly.