Crown Star predicted to be one to beat in Grand National

Press, 28 July 1986, Page 34

Crown Star predicted to be one to beat in Grand National

By

J. J. BOYLE

“What beats Crown Star wins the National.”

The North Island jockey Stephen Jenkins made that prediction after the Pyne Gould Guinness Homeby Steeplechase at the Christchurch Hunt Club’s meeting at Riccarton on Saturday.

Jenkins supplied the only North Island presence in the race by riding Leading Ridge into third behind his Waimate stablemate Master Bijou and the Southland-trained Sir Zatopek. Jenkins regarded Leading Ridge’s performance as a reasonably good National trial but like hundreds of others he felt the Cambridge owned and trained Crown Star was well on target for a second victory in the big one at Riccarton on August 9 after a highly efficient performance to win the Riddiford at Trentham on July 12. If Leading Ridge had escaped the attentions of Silver Bayou up front for a long way, the Homeby could have been a notable

quinella for the stable of the Waimate hunting enthusiast, Bert Cousins. But by most methods of reckoning Sir Zatopek’s performance to come from far back for second was the best Grand National trial to come out of the Homeby. Sir Zatopek was the Homeby favourite and his late charge to enliven what was already a splendid contest reassured everyone, especially his Southland trainer Kelly Thompson, of continued good progress by the Thoreau gelding since the short rest to which he was treated after his fourth in the Nescafe Steeplechase at Ellerslie. Master Bijou’s successful partner on Saturday was “Snooky” Cowan, who

won the Nescafe on Rock Crystal. Cowan has now had three rides in the Homeby for two wins, the first of them on Rock Crystal two years ago, and a third. Cowan was given the ride on Master Bijou at the request of a North Island syndicate interested in buying the Noble Bijou gelding. "A good wee jumper,” was Cowan’s assessment of Saturday’s winner. “I was content to let Leading Ridge and Silver Bayou cut at each other in front, and sat back. Bert Cousins told me Master Bijou has a sharp run if a fairly short one, and when I set him alight he went to the leaders quickly.” Bymai was the disappointment of Saturday’s feature race. The runner-

up in the last two Homebys, the rising 12-year-old this time dropped away from a contending position in the last 1800 metres and beat only Free To Choose,. which had ran off at the 'second last fence but - was taken back to complete the course. Bymai’s trainer, Brian Anderton, will have Mr Stuart Sidey’s Sobig gelding examined by a veterinary surgeon today. “He’s been too good a friend to me to take a risk with,” Brian Anderton said on Saturday. “If he is not 100 per cent we will forget about the National. But I’m inclined to think his setback with a gashed leg at Tlmaru could have been responsible for that disappointing run today.”