Greatness wins at Rosehill

Press, 23 September 1985, Page 31

Greatness wins at Rosehill

NZPA Sydney New Zealand galloper, Greatness, which missed out on a Caulfield Cup start after being prevented from running in Melbourne last year, scored his first Australian win at Rosehill on Saturday. Greatness, solidly backed into 2-1 favourite, held on to score by a nose from the fast finishing lightweight, Drawn (11-2), in the $40,000 weight-for-age Hill Stakes (1750 m Bounty Hawk (4-1) was two and a quarter lengths away third after holding a big lead just short of the post. It was the first Australian win for Greatness, jockey Earl Harrison, and trainer Ray Peake, who took his horse home after the galloper was withdrawn from the Herbert Power Handicap (2000 m at Caulfield last October. “We will nominate for the Cox Plate but there is no guarantee he will start,” said Peake. The $500,000 W. S. Cox

Plate (2050 m will be run on October 26. In the meantime, Peake could run Greatness in next Saturday’s $125,000 George Main Stakes (1600 m on the first day of the A.J.C.’s spring carnival at Randwick before starting in the $200,000 Epsom Hep (1600 m at Randwick on October 5. Peake said Greatness had come back a better horse this campaign. “He had a six-month spell and his arthritis seems to be getting better,” said Peake. “It was his off foreleg which caused all the problems in Melbourne.” Greatness was withdrawn from the Herbert Power on veterinary advice and Peake, who did not agree the horse was sore, immediately scrapped his Melbourne plans and took Greatness back to New Zealand without running him in the Caulfield Cup. Harrison had Greatness just off the pace yesterday hitting the front 200 m from home. The six-year-old Great-

ness was having his first Sydney start and his fourth this preparation. Greatness had won a weight-for-age race at Wanganui at his previous outing on August 31 and has now won seven of his 44 starts. It was Harrison’s seventh Australian ride. The 33-year-old had been to Melbourne and Brisbane before on Our Epilogue, Greatness and Idaho’s Gift, but was having his first Sydney ride. For Peake it was the best win of his short training career.

“I rode as an apprentice in New Zealand and then had a million dollar contracting business before I got sick of it,” said Peake. Peake gave up his lucrative business employing 15 people to become a professional trainer three years ago. Greatness cost only $l4OO as a yearling and was bought from a paddock by Peake. Peake sold a half share to Mark Hackshaw and John Sheffield for $7500 about 12 months ago.