Whitole ‘up in the air'

Press, 25 October 1985, Page 11

Whitole ‘up in the air'

Special correspondent Hastings The fluctuating New Zealand dollar has brought about a minor “hiccup” for the connections of the Hastings Galloper, Whitole, in their bid to get the horse in to this year’s sAustlM Melbourne Cup. A Hastings farmer, Mr Digby Hylton-Smith, who owns Whitole in partnership with his Gisborne cousin, Graeme Hansen, was surprised to read in a newsKon Monday that their has yet to meet the full ballot conditions of the 3200 m event. He has not won the equivalent of sAustl6,ooo for either finishing first, second, third or fourth in a race. Mr Hylton-Smith was certain Whitole passed this balloting condition when the horse won this year’s SNZ4O,OOO Hawke’s Bay Cup. At that time the exchange rates were such that the $26,000 first prize money in that race was equivalent to $18,512 in Australia. However, after telephoning the New Zealand Racing Conference this week, Mr Hylton-Smith was told that there is an international agreement among all racing nations that, in matters of currency exchange rates, it is standardised as at January 1 each year. The $26,000 Whitole won for the Hastings race was worth only $15,009.80 on January 1, $991.20 short of the mark. Whitole has met all the qualifying conditions of the Melbourne Cup, including one that says a horse must have won not less than $lOOO for finishing either first, second, third or fourth in a race of 2300 m or further. He was palced third behind Miles Better and Brazanna in the Chalmers Stakes (2400 m at Trentham last March. The balloting conditions are different, however. If the number of final acceptors for the race exceed the

legal starting limit of 24 then the first balloted out will be horses which have not received sAustBooo for winning or being placed in any one race. Then those who have not won sAustl2,ooo and finally those who have not won sAustl6,ooo. If the number still exceeds 24, balloting will be then done on weight, with those weighted the greatest below weight-for-age the first out. As at Monday, 91 horses remained in this year’s Melbourne Cup. Sixty-four of these are fully qualified and, of them 47 have met the full balloting requirements. Whitole is presently fiftieth in the order of qualifiers and it will be an uphill battle for him to make the field, whether he meets all the balloting requirements or not. Had he won the equivalent of sAustl6,ooo for that Hawke’s Bay Cup win he would still only be fortyeighth in order. The reason for this is that the horse’s weight in the Cup, 50kg, is just 3kg above the minimum. “It is 9kg below weight-for-age and so it automatically places him at the bottom of the field,” said Mr Hylton-Smith. “What we need is for half of those entered above him to pull out for us to get in,” he said. Two New Zealanders, Secured Deposit and Stylish Dude, along with two or three Australian horses, have already been declared doubtful runners, but Whitole’s connections will still need a lot more withdrawals to make the final 24. Ironically, Black Knight carried 50kg to win last year’s Cup and was one of five horses in the race weighted on 50kg or below. However, this year’s race, with a SIM stake, spems to have attracted Unprece-

dented interest among owners and trainers on both sides of the Tasman. Whitole is still bound for Melbourne, come what may. The eight-year-old gelding will contest the $20,000 Wellington Handicap (2200 m at Trentham on Monday and fly from Wellington on October 31, on the same plane that will carry fellow Melbourne Cup hope, Kiwi. Whitole will be accompanied by his trainer, Davey Jones, and will be based at

the Packenham stables of Eric Musgrove. It is unlikely that Whitole will have a race in Australia before the Melbourne Cup.

If Whitole does not get a start in the Melbourne Cup, there are two other feature races he is likely to have a crack at. He has been nominated for the $60,000 Queens Cup on the final day of the Cup carnival, on November 9, and also the $lOO,OOO Sandown Cup on November 16.