Impossible to oppose Village Kid

Press, 18 April 1986, Page 24

Impossible to oppose Village Kid

From

G. K. YULE

Brisbane

No matter from what angle the chances of the 10 horses in the Fosters Inter-Dominion Championship Grand Final at Albion Park tomorrow are assessed, everything comes back to a victory for the New Zealand-bred Village Kid. Certainly he has to overcome a wide barrier draw, which has been the undoing of more than a few fancied runners in the heats, but he has the talents necessary to do just that And, probably more important, his three heat victories were achieved with a minimum of effort, whereas his other nine rivals have been tested to the extreme whenever they have started. This has left their trainers with only one week in which to freshen them and still have them retain a high peak of fitness. Bill Hom has had none of these problems with Village Kid, which has the extreme speed necessary to take up a handy position in the first half of the race and he should then have enough left to outsprint the others in the short run home. Village Kid’s driver, Chris Lewis, aged 30, has driven in only three other Grand Finals, winning with Carclew in 1976 at Adelaide, finishing fourth with the Bill Hom-trained Black Irish in 1984 at Adelaide, and second behind Preux Chevalier with Village Kid in Melbourne 12 months ago.

Two Victorian horses in Game Oro and Bag Limit could be the ones most likely to put Village Kid to the test.

Game Oro ran three splendid races in the heats and could easily have had a win rather than two seconds and a fifth. He had little in his favour when second to Master Mood on the first night and last Saturday was runner-up to Bag Limit in the second fastest of the 2100 m heats. In the latter race he was late getting out from behind Bag Limit and was finishing better than anything in the race when he went under by three and a half metres. Game Oro was a fine third to Preux Chevalier and Village Kid in the Grand Final in Melbourne 12 months ago, being half a head from the second horse. His trainer-driver, Ken Pocock, is a skilled horseman and he will be behind a brave trades-man-like pacer with a favourable No. 3 draw. Bag Limit, the sole survivor of the three horses his trainer, Bob Knight, of Kilmore, was confident of getting into the final before the series opened, showed wha t a smart horse he was when he led up in his 2100 m last Saturday and won untouched after recording a mile

rate of Imin 58.65. There has been much to like about the racing of Bag Limit, which had seconds in his other two heat appearances. He showed rare courage when he started from No. 9 and overcome a rocky run to finish a short neck from Karalta Gift in lmin 55.5 s on the first night New Zealand’s chances rest solely on the four-year-old, Master Mood, which had a win and two thirds in the heats. His placing last Saturday was in many ways rather disappointing and it was hardly the run of a horse likely to match Village Kid, even with his advantage of the No. 4 barrier position. His part-owner and trainer, Kevin Williams, is satisfied with his progress since the three heats left him rather tired. Williams feels he has freshened well and is confident he will do his best to keep the New Zealand flag flying. However, he is only four and might not have had the experience of many of his rivals in the top pacing company. The Sydney seven-year-old, Stylish Guy, has been the “find” of the series.

He followed up a second to Village Kid on the first night of the carnival with two heat wins. He will start from No. 2 at the barrier and should be prominently positioned throughout He will give nothing away in a hard finish and could well share in the stake money. Had he not drawn No. 9, Karalta Gift would be one of the top fancies after his two wins and a second in his three heats. Even his most ardent admirers in New South Wales did not rate his chances highly in this series. A big run from him is quite a possibility. Gosh is consistent, as are Scientific and Vanderport but with the “rubbish” in the heats on the sideline and only form horses involved, they might be found wanting. The same applies to Line On, the only mare in the final. She has been beset by problems since her arrival. Selections 9.40: Consolation Race: Welcome Frost, Panyan, Morano Magic. 10.50: Grand Final: Village Kid, Game Oro, Bag Limit

Jetbet: 12 Race 1 9.< INTER-DOMINION PACING CONSOLATION mobile; 2100 m 1 637 Intricate 1 R. Sugars 2 347 Just A Breeze 2 P. Donohoe 3 973 Armbro Gold 3 J. Fullarton 4 346 Paleface Bubble 4 M. Ilsley 5 120 Panyan 5 V. Knight 6 844 Toby Duane 6 D. Aiken 7 397 Sheezable 7 J. Mooney 8 545 Morana Magic 8 T. Warwick 9 386 Bundanoon 9 B. Hancock 10 774 Black Trick 10 11 765 Tricky One 11 J. Ilsley 12 553 Welcome Frost 12 Emergencies: Armbro Gold, Sheezable.

Race 2 TF 10.50 .40 INTER-DOMINION PACING CHAMPIONSHIP* GRAND FINAL $200,000; mobile; 2100 m It 1 221 Bag Limit 1 V. Knight It It 2 120 Panyan 2 it it 3 252 Game Oro 3 K. Pocock it It 4 435 Wondai'a Mate 4 D. Reinke It It 5 211 Stylish Guy 5 P. Donohoe It It 6 133 Master Mood 6 K. Williams It It 7 632 Gosh 7 J. McDermott it It 8 412 Scientific 8 W. Weeks It It 9 821 Vanderport 9 A. James it it 10 ill Village Kid 10 C. Lewis it It 11 112 Karalta Gift 11 D. Binskin It It 12 225 Line On 12 N. Lloyd It Emergencies: Panyan, Wondai’s Mate.