Foxseal’s trainer fails to pay up

Press, 4 July 1985, Page 31

Foxseal’s trainer fails to pay up

NZPA Brisbane The Melbourne trainer, Rick Hore-Lacy, was robbed of a chance to complete a “Bernborough” double with Brisbane Cup winner Foxseal, when he missed yesterday’s final acceptance deadline for Saturday’s $NZ246,600 Rothmans 100,000 (1350 m at Doomben. In a costly oversight, Hore-Lacy forgot about the 10 a.m. final declaration of Rothmans acceptors for the top weight. Hore-Lacy, on discovering his mistake just after the deadline, made a frantic effort to contact the Brisbane Amateur Turf Club, but it was too late. The club’s secretarymanager, Mr Roy Beckerman, said Hore-Lacy finally contacted his club at 10.20 a.m., but under the rules of racing, Foxseal could not be reinstated in the Rothmans lineup. “When we first discovered at 10 o’clock that Foxseal had not been notified as an acceptor, we made repeated calls to try to contact the trainer and also the Victorian Racing Club, but they had not received any notification of the entry,” Mr Beckerman said. Hore-Lacy had planned to bring Foxseal right back in distance in Doomben’s glamour sprint after winning the $NZ212,350 Brisbane Cup (3200 m at Eagle Farm last month. His acceptance would have meant that along with the New Zealand horses, Canterbury Belle

par, he would have been trying to win the first leg of the historic Bernborough double, before backing up in Saturday week’s $NZ280,850 Fourex Cup (2200 m at Doomben. Only one horse, the great Queensland champ, Bernborough, has won both races... way back in 1946. If it is any consolation, Hore-Lacy will now have to rely on starting Foxseal in Saturday’s Chairman’s Handicap (2020 m at Doomben as the stayer’s final Fourex Cup preparation. Canterbury Belle and Atrapar were not favourably served when barriers were drawn. The Elders Handicap winner, Canterbury Belle, drew No. 16, and Atrapar even further out at No. 18. Another New Zealander, last week’s sensationallybeaten Our Buddy, also fared badly with the No. 17 marble. Favoured Rothmans candidates which did well in the draw were the West Australian Coal Pak (5-1 equal favourite) in No. 10, Sports Ruler (8-1) in No. 6, and Mr Magic (20-1) in No. 7. Canterbury Belle’s trainer. Dave Kerr, took the outside draw phisophically. “I suppose I shouldn't moan — from that draw there aren’t many on her outside to come across and knock her down,” he said. “So she should at least get a clear run.” However, Kerr did say the No. 16 draw would be a disadvantage to his

pion, which is attempting to become the first filly since Winfreux in 1965 to win the Elders-Rothmans double. Kerr added that the barrier was not his biggest fear for Canterbury Belle in the Rothmans.