Avon’s Lord eclipses H.B. Guineas rivals

Press, 19 September 1985, Page 42

Avon’s Lord eclipses H.B. Guineas rivals

Special correspondent Hastings Avon’s Lord stamped his authority over his rivals in no uncertain manner in the Okawa-Paramount Hawke’s Bay Guineas at the Hawke’s Bay Jockey Club’s meeting at Hastings yesterday. In winning Avon’s Lord kept his hopes alive of becoming the first horse to complete. the 1100,000 Guineas triple crown. He won the first leg, the Wanganui Breeders’ Guineas, on August 24 and can complete the treble by winning the $37,500 Innsbrook Wellington Guineas at Trentham on October 19. His victory yesterday was not without incident, though. The horse was very reluctant to go into the barrier and attendants had to spend some minutes before he was manoeuvered into place. The horse had also caused trouble at the barrier at Te Rapa last Saturday and the judicial committee yesterday asked his owner-trainer, Hec Tapper, to make an endeavour to improve the horse’s barrier manners before he next races. But once the gates

opened, it was a one-horse race. The Avon Valley colt jumped brilliantly from the outside barrier, and was in front before the field had covered 200 m. He was always travelling sweetly and never gave his rivals any chance when his rider, Brian York, released the brakes on the turn. Avon’s Lord romped home by two and a half lengths with York sitting quietly. “I thought he would be better on top of the ground but I didn’t think he would be that much better,” York said later. “He felt really good and settled better today. When he got to the front he relaxed beautifully and when I asked him to go, he went.” York has now won three races from as many rides on Avon’s Lord. He became associated with the colt when Peter Johnson went to Australia and had combined with the horse to win the Wanganui Breeder’s Guineas and Cambridge Breeders’ Stakes before yesterday’s success.

He has no hesitation in saying he is the best three-year-old he has been associ-

ated with. It is York’s first win in the Hawke’s Bay Guineas. He had finished second last year on Great Chevalier. Avon’s Lord has now won seven of his 12 races and has boosted his stake earnings to $75,405. Tapper, who races the horse in partnership with his wife, Valma, said he had had several offers for the colt but none big enough to tempt him yet. Avon’s Lord will now head to Pukekohe for the Auckland Thoroughbred Breeders’ Stakes, a weight-for-age event over 1600 m on September 28. He is then likely to tackle the $60,000 Winstone Guineas at Ellerslie on October 12 before going to Trentham. Tapper rejects claims that he is racing the horse too much. “He is a top heavy horse and I have to race him. He would get away from me otherwise,” he says. Avon’s Lord, not surprisingly, dominated the betting yesterday and returned a win dividend of only $1.90. But the minor place getters, Mystic Monarch and An-

teaus, were both outsiders and contributed to a T.A.B. trifecta dividend of $2600.25. Mystic Monarch ran on well for second after racing three back of the fence, while Anteaus battled on well after improving to be second at the 600. Honour Bright, which had chased Avon’s Lord home at his two previous starts, made up a lot of ground for fourth. He had reared as the gates opened and then was forced over extra ground to improve. He ran on strongly and it was a good effort to finish as close.

Asti Bay did best of the others, after having every chance.

The South Islander, Frontiersman, finished tenth and never got into the race after hitting the side of the starting gates and gashing his near-front shoulder, He then hit the running rail soon after the start and his wound required stitches after the race.

Of the others Kimberley Road had a bad run, being checked badly twice in the first 200 m and having his chances extinguished.