Borana causes boilover in Toyota New Zealand Cup

Press, 13 November 1985, Page 56

Borana causes boilover in Toyota New Zealand Cup

By

G. K. YULE

Borana became the biggest outsider in the history of the race to win the Toyota New Zealand Cup when he was successful at Addington Raceway yesterday.

Neglected in the betting, he started the 14-13 favourite in a field of 14 and was at odds of almost 76 to 1. He was back beyond mid-field starting the run home just at the point where the crowd was beginning to acclaim victory for the visiting Perth horse, Preux Chevalier, which was showing $1.70 a win. The greatest odds about a Cup winner were almost 21-1 for Garry Dillon in 1965. Once into the open Borana stormed home and was a clear-cut winner by a length and a quarter from Our Mana, which filled a similar position behind Camelot in the 1984 Cup. Less than a length away Royden Glen charged into the finish in the last few strides, cutting Preux Chevalier out of third by a short head. The race was run at a muddling pace, with the pressure really being on only over the final 800 m in 575, with the last 400 m in 28.45. Most expected the fireworks to begin when Barry Perkins moved the favourite into second place in the open behind Premiership after 1200 m. However,

Perkins was prepared to allow the pace to continue along at little more than a solid working rate. There was general surprise when Preux Chevalier did not “attack” at the 800 m and for a few strides it appeared as though victory would go to the Australian challenger as the field was bunched at the straight entrance. However, when the challengers began to emerge the visitor could find little extra and he was swamped over the last 50m. Most of the other horsemen in the race were expecting Preux Chevalier to adopt front-running tactics and split the field up. His failure to follow the expected policy left the field racing in tight quarters and when the sprint for home began in earnest a number of runners, including Comedy Lad, Ben and Freightman, failed to secure runs. Meantime Peter Jones had been sitting one off the fence with Borana and he waited until the straight entrance before asking him for a serious effort. He tore past the leading group well inside the last 200 m and won going away from Our

Mana, another to have an uninterrupted run. Jones, aged 30, had his first drive in the Cup when he was successful with Hands Down in 1980. Yesterday, Borana was the first member of his team to start in the historic race. Jones took out a trainer’s licence in August, 1984, and has had considerable success, although yesterday’s was his first win with Borana, which had not been successful since March, 1983, at Cambridge. “I was just hoping he’d go a good race for me. I could hardly have expected him to beat the likes of Preux Chevalier and Roydon Glen, but he had worked really well last week and I felt he was as fit as I could get him,” said Jones. “It’s a tremendous thrill to win the race with the first horse you’ve trained for it,” he said. Jones said he had received a trouble-free run throughout the Cup and he had worked into the open just when he had wanted. Colin de Filippi also had no complaints about the run he had received with Our Mana.

Roydon Glen’s trainer, Fred Fletcher, was disappointed that he had not been able to clear the rails earlier. “He was jogging at the turn, but I had trouble getting him clear. Then he tried to go too quickly and was a little unbalanced for a time. He really flew over the last bit,” he said. Anthony Butt (Premiership) said that he would have given Preux Chevalier the lead had his driver want to do so, but he just wanted to sit out. The pace did not suit Camelot, which had to move earlier than Robin Butt had hoped. He battled into sixth, just behind Comedy Lad, which could easily have finished closer. Borana is a six-year-old gelding by Boyden Hanover from Aoranam, a member of the family which produced such outstanding horses as Allakasam, Royal Ascot, Manaroa, Nimble Yankee, Typhson and Sporting Son. He was bred in Christchurch by Mr Des Jepson, and was purchased when seven months old by his present owners, Mr John Murray and his wife,

Doreen, of Mosgiel, for $2OOO. Their intention had been drawn to an advertisement by the Washdyke trainer-driver, Peter Shand, whose father, George, trained Borana until shortly after the 1984 Cup in which he was the cause of a bad mix-up. ‘ “It is every owner’s dream to win the Cup and we achieved that today,” said Mr Murray, who is an administrator with I.H.C. in Dunedin. He went on to express his thanks to Peter Jones and his staff for training and preparing Borana for his notable victory. Borana is to continue racing at the Cup carnival and then he will be prepared for an attempt in the Auckland Cup in February. He has now had 95 starts for 18 wins, 22 placings and $247,645 in stakes, including the $135,000 for yesterday’s victory. Borana’s 4min 11.1 s for the 3200 m was the slowest in the race since Trusty Scot won in 4min 12.8 s in 1978. The opening 400 m took 31.75, the 800 m in lmin I.Bs, the first 1200 m in lmin 355, and the opening 1600 m in 2min 8.65.