Old Nick set for well-deserved win

Press, 8 July 1986, Page 34

Old Nick set for well-deserved win

Special correspondent Auckland The withdrawal yesterday of Avon’s Lord, through a slight setback, may have helped clear the way for a well-deserved win by Old Nick at Ellerslie today.

Avon’s Lord, which looked so good last spring, was among the acceptors for the Air New Zealand Handicap, a class 1 1300 m, and second leg of the T.A.B. double. His absence is a pity because his string of fine performances was too recent to be quickly forgotten. Perhaps, anyway, the conditions expected today would have been too much against Avon’s Lord in his first race for eight months. After heavy rain yesterday the track (they will be racing on the new course) is certain to be heavy.

Old Nick does not seem to be troubled by such footing, as he showed again when equal third behind Catering King and Blazing Fury in a 1200 m at Avondale the Saturday before last.

The special merit in his performance was that he had not raced for six weeks, after injuring a front leg. To all appearances Old

Nick came through the run well. At best he is a particularly talented winter galloper. He failed to win last season but picked up four second placings and six other minor ones, nearly always in good company.

Judged by recent form the hardest for Old Nick to beat will be Blazing Fury and Apricot Road.

Though never appearing likely to win, Blazing Fury kept up a game chase behind Catering King at Avondale. He finished close to the money the time before, at Ellerslie on the third day of the Great Northern Carnival, and might have improved. Apricot Road, now rising five-years-old, is at the top of her form. In seven attempts since back from a summer layoff she has managed two firsts, two seconds, a third and a fourth. It was another creditable performance that brought her a last-

start fourth behind Catering King, in a weight-for-age 1200 m at Tauranga on June 28.

Paul’s Gold has won more races than any in the field but her latest efforts have been moderate. She is nearly eight-years-old now, and it is questionable whether she is capable of another good win.

Having been allowed nice time in which to recover from a first-up sprint win on the third day of the Great Northern carnival, Maggie Bee could be hard to beat in the first leg of the T.A.B. double, the Television New Zealand Handicap. She has 2000 m to complete this time, a distance she has shown already that she is able to run strongly.

Waggis, which showed fair middle-distance form towards the end of last year, has to be respected, while Run For Cover and Fury’s Grit are other prospects.

Emergencies: Adonis, Heaven’s Star, Disuji, Filoan.

Jetbet: 3 Race 1 11.40 RADIO PACIFIC STEEPLES $4500; 4150m 1 7772 Klrrazade 8 . C. Thornton 63.0 2 2753 Lucan 9 . .T. Autridge63.0 3 045 Manhattan Mizer 2. . . B. McDonald 62.5 4 7703 Sugar Oak 4 . . . R. Collett 62.5 5 0766 Colonial Trelay 1. . . . . K. Browne 62.0 6 9576 Honest Ban 12 ... . .R. Thompson 62.0 7 0980 Keep the Change 10. . . T. Wheeler 62.0 8 0866 King Lear 3 . . . . F. Pratt 62.0 9 090 Mortar 6 . . . S. Stacey 62.0 10 0540 Rand 11 62.0 11 0 Silverstone 7 . R. Hewitson 62.0 12 0007 Swift Seal 5 . . R. Cassidy 62.0 Race 2 2.15 RA ORA STUD $3500; two-year-olds; 1300m 1 232 Kelly For Us 6 ... . . . G. Stewart 55.0 2 Corduroy 10 . L. O’Sullivan 53.0 3 Ginger Gem 4 . . .D. Healey53.0 4 Jorona 14 D. Southworth 53.0 5 4 Jumivor 13 . . . J. Collett 53.0 6 Navy Lark 3 . . S. Treweek 53.0 7 Pike’s Last 5 . .E. Harrison 53.0 8 Rakau Diamond 8 . . .L. Ballantyne 53.0 9 Sir Nijll 12 . . . D. Peake 53.0 10 0 Royal Sting 9 . . . . B. York 52.5 11 0 Stylish Glory 11 . . . ... .3. Hayes 52.5 12 0 True Ace 1 . . . G. Grylls52.5 13 6495 Compass Rose 2 . . . . .M. Hawkins 52.0 14 0086 Mr Sheen 7 . . .P. Fearon 51.0 Race 3 12.45 D. B. DRAUGHT $3500; 1300m 1 902 Metropolitan 8 . . . . . . . D. Peake 55.0 2 8632 Sandgift 16 . L. O’Sullivan 55.0 3 4032 Team Effort 15 ... . 55.0 4 04 Classic Style 6 . . . . . . . .N. Tiley55.0 5 04 False Ayelash 5. . . . . . .R. McKay 55.0 6 2036 Just Imagine 4 ... . . W. Robinson 55.0 7 0063 Taigrand 17 . . ,P. Fearon 55.0 8 3003 Vasuki 2 . . . J. Collett 55.0 9 6 Buoy One 12 . . . D. Healey 55.0 10 5 Ganesa 18 . . D. Hughes 55.0 11 05 Kimwim 9 . . G. Stewart 55.0 12 Milimili 10 . . T. Sneddon 55.0 13 6490 Noble De Oro 7. . . . . . . . D. Lang 55.0 14 Vita Brevis 1 . . . G. Grylls55.0 15 47 Starlight Express 14. 55.0 16 6860 Kwanda 13 . R. Caddigan 55.0 17 5500 Black Habit 3 C. Otto 55.0 18 0290 Springstar 11 55.0 Emergencies: Starlight, Express, Kwanda, Black Habit, Springstar. Race 4 1.20 FLAG INNS HURDLES $4500; 2900m 1 096 Cusenda 2 . . . . P. Tims 63.5 2 7622 Desperino 17 . . . R. Collett 63.5 3 08 Von Cettes 8 . C. Thornton 63.5 4 7946 Ardri 10 . . K. Browne 63.0 5 0245 Bridgeman 13 . . R. Cassidy 63.0 6 0334 Lazania 16 . B. McDonald 63.0 7 4493 Prince Keith 7 ... . . S. Rackham 63.0 8 0203 Saumur 9 . . . .W. Hillis 63.0 9 0955 Aspro 11 . . . . F. Pratt 62.5 10 7 Clear Boy 12 62.0 11 90 Little Joker 3 . . . . P.. Rollo 62.0 12 008 Mavis Belle 18 ... . . . S. Douglas 62.0 13 5 Rocking Chair 15. . . .B. McDonald 62.0 14 0867 Smuggle Out 4 . . . . .R. Thompson 62.0 15 Fairafta 1 . .T. Autridge62.0 16 000 Burt’s Boy 6 . .D. Philbum62.0 17 0008 Grey Peter 14 62.0 18 50 Riot 5 . . M. Douglas 62.0 Emergencies: Fairafta, Burt’s Boy, Grey Peter, Riot. Race 5 T 1.50 FAY RICHWHITE $3500; 1575m 1 0244 Charlie’s Lsst 10 . . . . . C. Dowling 55.0 2 28 Arctic Pole 16 . . .D. Healey 55.0 3 455 Diamante's Orders 1. . . . G. Grylls55.0 4 2904 Sir All 4 .L. Ballantyne 55.0 5 4 Lady Deblin 9 . W. Satherley 55.0 6 0830 Lady Reama 13... . 7 4665 Man ‘O' Dee 18. . . . . . . D. Peake 55.0 . .E. Harrison 55.0 8 0007 Man Kelly 3 . L. O’Sullivan 55.0 9 0740 Miss Derringer 5 . . . D. Southworth 55.0 10 08 Moava Lea 7 . M. Coleman 55.0 Il 0000 Desperate Lass 17 . . . . .M. Griffin 55.0 12 Dixie Queen 14 ... . C. Otto 55.0 13 90 Murphy’s Law 12. . . . . D. Hughes 55.0 14 0000 Veuve Clicquot 8. . . . W. Robinson 55.0 15 60 One for the Road 15. . C. Treymane 55.0 16 356 Gold Wall 11 . . . .J. Hayes 55.0 17 4000 Wren's Pal 6 55.0 18 7 Franciann 2 . . G. Stewart 55.0 Emergencies: One for the Road, Gold Wall, Wren’s Pal, Franciann. Race 6 T 2.20 NESCAFE CLASSIC $4500; apprentice riders; 1575m 1 7230 McCaffrey 9

2 6743 Durham Light 17 ... . . G. Edmond 56.5 3 14 Grayreign 4 . B. Sargent 56.5 4 6732 Pride of Armagh 16 . . . . P. Mutch 56.5. 5 0013 Quisiera 18 M. Coleman 56.5 6 0731 Beauwyn 13 . N. Carlyon56.0 7 91 Lord Zirito 14 . . ,T. Allan56.0 8 061 Niptids 6 W. Satherley 56.0 9 6002 Sky Purla 10 . . . .C. Otto 56.0 10 0555 Night Stick 2 . S. Treweek 55.5 115108 Just Reward 15 . . . D. Lang 55.5 12 0707 Avon’s Punch 5 . V. Dawson 55.0 13 1009 Suzami 3 . <J. Archer 55.0 14 6086 Vandenberg 8 C. Treymane 55.0' 15 0750 Rhapsody Rose 12 . . . . . D. Saxton 53.0 16 Connaught Raider 7 . . .H. Malcolm 53.0 17 6000 Trust Philly 11 53.0 18 0900 Rosklll King 1 55.0 Emergencies: Rhapsody Rose, Connaught Raider, Trust Philly, Rosklll King. Race 7 D 2.50 TVNZ $5500; 2000m 1 6001 Maggie Bee 7 . .R. McKay 57.0 2 0417 Run for Cover 2 ... . . C. Dowling 55.0 3 5110 Fury’s Grit 4 . . D. Peake 52.5 4 2403 Waggis 5 L. O’Sullivan 52.5 5 94 Count Fuego 6 . . G. Grylls52.0 6 Leading Seaman 8. F. Kempthome 51.5 7 7200 Medium Dry 11 . . J. Collett 51.5 8 1835 Meliayllng 10 . D. Hughes 51.5 9 2386 Sweet Bird 1 . . . T. Allan 51.5 10 0800 Barovani 3 . T. Sneddon 51.0 11 0860 Herbie’s Dream 9. . . . . N. Carlyon51.0 Race 8 T 3.20 OLYMPIC SWISS $4500; 1300m 1 6996 The Cowboy 4 L. O’Sullivan 57.0 2 8663 Band Leader 13 . . G. Grylls55.0 3 0310 Majestic Lad 6 . . . B. York 54.5 4 1263 Mystere 5 . . D. Peake 54.5 5 9684 Blazing Ace 11 . . J. Archer 54.0 6 0805 Mr Shogun 2 ,E. Harrison 54.0 7 8668 My Torpedo 12 . .P. Fearon 54.0 8 8870 Biddy’s Star 9 . .D. Healey 53.5 9 6900 Giadell 3 ... A. Craig 53.5 10 2212 Gold Lancer 15. . . F. Kempthome 53.5 11 6069 Guardsman 1 ..... . . B. Sargent 53.5 12 7047 Sugar Plum Lady 10. . . . .J. Hayes 53.5 13 5307 Starfleet 8 . .R. McKay 53.0 14 4071 Lorretta Jane 16 ... . . . . T. Allan 52.5 15 0867 Amrita 17 '. 52.0 16 5088 Royal Rosa 7 L. Ballantyne 52.0 17 0 Bubbling Boy 14 ... . 51.0 Emergencies: Amrita, Royal I Rosa, Bubbling Boy. Race 9 D 3.50 AIR NEW ZEALAND $7000; 1300m 1 0124 Apricot Road 9 . G. Stewart 57.0 2 8833 Old Nick 4 . . R. Vance 56.0 3 4067 Paul’s Gold 7 . . D. Peake 56.0 4 1222 Avon’s Lord 5 55.5 5 5642 Blazing Fury 10 . . J. Collett 52.0 6 8745 Glenstrae 2 L. O’Sullivan 52.0 7 7330 Groat Chevalier 6 . . . W. Satherley 51.5 8 0006 Turanganui 8 . .P. Fearon 51.5 9 3405 Chuckka Khan 3 . . . . 51.0 10 2277 Phar Habit 1 . . . T. Allan 51.0 Race 10 TF 4.20 FAREWELL $4500; 2100m 1 8431 Mon Danseur 2 . . R. Saxton 55.0 2 3264 Nga Rimu 11 . B. Sargent 54.5 3 0246 Our Jessica 10 . . R. Mckay 54.5 4 5256 Dimerino 17 L. O’Sullivan 54.0 5 000 Epergne 6 M. Coleman 53.5 6 0709 Pearl's Paul 4 . . .R. Whitt53.5 7 0048 Azastar 8 . . . T. Allan 53.0 8 0800 Rubic Cube 5 . N. Carlyon53.0 9 0800 Sky Walker 9 . . G. Grylls53.0 10 0004 Avon Time 14 D. Southworth 52.5 11 0073 Lord Moses 12 . T. Sneddon 52.5 12 0073 Radio Girl 3 T. Reddaway52.5 13 4000 San Ferian 18 W. Satherley 52.5 14 0030 Whisky Lass 7 . . . B. York 52.5 15 9643 Adonis 1 . . J. Collett 51.5 16 7089 Heaven’s Star 13... . 51.5 17 0006 Disuji 16 . . D. Morris 51.0 18 7007 Fiioan 15 . . G. Butler 51.0