The Bishop proves early season form with game win in Bayer Classic

Press, 27 November 1986, Page 39

The Bishop proves early season form with game win in Bayer Classic

NZPA Wellington The underrated Musical Phantasy colt, The Bishop, proved his early season Guineas form when he scored a game win in the Levin Racing Club's $145,000 Bayer Classic (1600 m at Levin yesterday. The Don Couchmantrained colt collected the Wanganui and Wellington guineas before yesterday’s huge payday, but was allowed to go out an 18-1 chance. Rider Maree Lyndon said the horse had appreciated the drop in class from Saturday’s Waikato Guineas and was an obvious chance on more familiar territory.

“He’s a good horse; he has to be,” Lyndon said after scoring her second win in the event Princess Dram won for her in 1984.

“He’s won two guineas and how many horses manage that? “You know Steely Dan’s brilliant, Arctic Wolf’s brilliant — but they had every chance today.

"The best horse won." Lyndon said The Bishop

was unsuited by the torrid pace and had bad luck in the running in his lead-up run in the Waikato Guineas on Saturday “He got knocked back early and was trapped wide up at Te Rapa but basically he was run off his feet,” Lyndon said.

"The races are just run differently down here; they just don’t go as hard early.

“Look at his guineas times — 1:40 at Wanganui and 1:41 at Trentham. He showed a bit more speed today but it was nowhere near the 1:34 they clocked in the Waikato Guineas.”

Lyndon said The Bishop was highly seasoned and adept on the tight-turning Levin circuit which she believed may have thrown some of his rivals.

“I think some of them get a bit disorientated coming around the turns. He's used to them.”

The Bishop earned $93,000 for his Hawera owners Gordon, Pat and Donald Smart yesterday. The colt was bought by Couchman, experiencing a lucrative season, for $4500

at last year’s Waikato Yearling Sale. “I liked the look of him, his type,” Couchman said. “In fact I left the sales with the only two Musical Phantasys in it without even knowing it.” Couchman’s runners have earned $NZ240,000 and SAustl 30,000 to date this season. Saturday’s Waikato Gold Cup winner. The Filbert, has been his stable’s other big moneyspinner. The Bishop scored by three-quarters of a length from the fast finishing Margarella and Precocious Lad, separated by a nose at the finish post.

Fourth across the line was Mickey’s Town, which dead-heated with Shannon. They were followed in by the pacemaking Steely Dan. Arctic Wolf, which shared favouritism with Steely Dan, finished seventh.

Trainer Margaret Bull was stunned by Margarella’s effort. “She is the gamest horse I’ve had anything to do with,” Bull, trainer of the Levin Cup winner Magnitude, said.

“She shows absolutely nothing on the track but on raceday just tries her heart out.”

Jockey Earl Harrison was also inspired by Precocious Lad’s stern late bid for third, his first show of true form this season.

“It was a brilliant run, a top Derby trial,” Harrison said.

Mickey’s Town ran in to traffic problems on the turn, and by the time jockey Grant Cooksley had rebalanced him “the race was all but over”. Trainer Bruce Marsh was slightly disappointed with Shannon’s effort, while the favoured duo also failed to meet expectations.

Trainer Tony Gillies said Steely Dan, which finished only a length and a half off the winner, had put up a good effort. He believes the horse may be tired and will give him a short spell.

Rider David Walsh said Arctic Wolf failed to settle, pulling for the first half of the race.

“He didn’t feel right,” Walsh said. “He had no kick in the straight.”