Busy time for Gogong

Press, 3 July 1985, Page 40

Busy time for Gogong

NZPA-AAP Melbourne One of the most fascinating features of last year’s Grand National Steeplechase was the preparation of the winner Gogong. Tasman plane flights, interstate float trips and scores of kilometres of racing, training and schooling were all put behind by the grey gelding whose name could easily become synonymous with toughness in the racehorse. Whether or not Gogong repeats his effort of 12 months ago and wins this year’s National, last season’s fascination has, in only seven days, been turned almost to awe. Gogong completed his Grand National lead up in a flat race at Moonee Valley on Saturday. Nothing unusual about that.

What was unusual was the lead-up to the leadup. Last year when Gogong came to Melbourne for the Nationals he arrived only two days before his first race, having completed a flight from New Zealand and a float trip by road from Sydney. He raced five times in four weeks over distances which totalled almost 20km, covered several times that distance on the training track and along the way won the Grand National Steeples by eight lengths and the Hiskens Steeples by 20 lengths. This time around, the preparation for Melbourne’s premier jumps double has been even more rigorous. At Moonee Valley on Saturday, Gogong won the Bertram Blackbird Handicap (2600 m completing a week which should have made him dizzy as well as leg weary. But it was proven by Gogong and his trainer, Leo Robinson, that two 2400 m races and several kilometres on the training track in the previous seven days were exactly what was necessary to have the gelding peak.

Gogong finished his preparation for next Saturday’s $52,000 Grand National Hurdles (4800 m in a style so dashing as to pose the first serious threat to the domination of the favourite, Planinca. At Moonee Valley on Saturday, Robinson agreed that Gogong might have improved over the last 12 months, an assumption which could be verified by his third placing in the same race last year compared to a convincing win this time.