Respect for Master Mood in Inter-Dom. Final tonight

Press, 19 April 1986, Page 26

Respect for Master Mood in Inter-Dom. Final tonight

From G. K. YULE Brisbane Brisbane bookmakers are running no risks with Master Mood, the sole New Zealand representative in the $200,000 Fosters Inter-Dominion Championship Grand Final at Albion Park this evening. The pint-sized son of Noodlum has been third favourite at either 5-1 or 6-1 since he finished third in his final heat last Saturday. Village Kid is expected to start at 2-1 on, with 5-4 on having been on offer on occasions during the past five days. There has been support for Bag Limit at 7-2 and few expect him to be supplanted as second favourite. All of the others in the 10-horse field are at double-figure odds. In the half-century of Inter-Dominion there have been nine odds-on favourites, with eight of them winning. Only Logan Derby, in 1936 in Perth, and Preux Chevalier, in Melbourne 12 months ago, have started at 2/1 on, the same price expected to be on offer about Village Kid tonight. In addition,

Young Quinn paid $l.BO, 5-4 on, when he was successful at Alexandra Park in 1975.

Only Lawn Derby, at 5/ 4 on in 1937 in Adelaide, has failed to finish in a dividend-bearing place among the list of odds-on favourites to contest Grand Finals. He could only manage fourth to Dan’s Son. Other odds-on favourites to win have been Avian Derby (1952), James Scott (1962), Cardigan Bay (1963), San Simeon (1981), and Gammalite (1984).

Favourites have a fine hit-rate in Grand Finals, 17 of the 44 falling to them, giving them a success rate of 38.64 per cent

The series has been run twice before in Queensland on the old track at Albion Park. Manama, from Mid-Canterbury, was 2-1 favourite in 1972, and five years later Paleface Adios started favourite at 7-4. Both horses could manage no better than fifth.

In spite of his wide draw, Village Kid is expected to justify his position at the top of the

table. Most of the other drivers think it is possible to beat the West Australian five-year-old. They pulled a few “tricks” in Village Kid’s final heat when they attempted to squeeze him out at the start, but such was the favourite's acceleration that he soon burned them off and continued on to win easily. Any driver trying to match Village Kid in the first part of tonight’s race could be left with nothing in reserve for the final sprint home. But most are hoping that Village Kid does not have things his own way as he did in the heats, and the crowd of some 20,000 will see an action-packed race, something extremely rare so far at the carnival.

The veteran Bendigo trainer-driver, Ken Pocock, feels he has the material in the form of Game Oro to put Village Kid to the test. Pocock contested several Inter-Dominions with Royal Gaze, which finished third to Honda Grattan in the 1974 final in Perth. Royal Gaze started favourite in 1976, but he

could only manage seventh behind the 40-1 chance Carclew, driven by Chris Lewis, who has handled Village Kid in most of his races and will be behind him again tonight

“I’m happy with my fellow’s draw of No. 2. He relaxes in his racing and when the pressure goes on he never stops tiying. I reckon he’s in with a pretty good show, but you can’t get too optimistic when you’ve got a horse like Village Kid in the race,” said Pocock earlier in the week.

Then there are Bag Limit Karalta Gift, Master Mood and Stylish Guy, all with top form in the heats. With a favourable run close to the pace any one of the four could put Village Kid to the test, but none could be back with confidence to topple the favourite.

A feature of tonight’s meeting will be a time trial over one mile by the outstanding Victorian three-year-old, Smooth Falcon. He has been working brilliantly this week, according to his driver, Vin Knight, and has recovered fully from

the viral attack which caused him to be withdrawn from the championship series after the first night.

He worked close to Imin 56s for one mile at Waverley Park on Tuesday and will attempt to break the Australian record for a three-year-old of imin 56.35, set by Glenmore Nelson at Maryborough in Queensland in 1983. Knight thinks he can go close to the national record of Imin 53.25. set in the same year by his former stablemate, Popular Alm, at Moonee Valley.

New Zealand interest, too, will centre on Borana in the Natwest Stakes, a 2100 m event in which he will start from No. 8. The field includes five other horses to miss out on a start in the Consolation Race.

“He’s been checked right over and there’s nothing wrong with him. With a bit of luck he should go a good race,” said Derek Jones, who has been looking after the 1985 Toyota New Zealand Cup winner on the trip.