Convincing win no effort to That’s That

Press, 3 February 1987, Page 26

Convincing win no effort to That’s That

By

G. K. YULE

That’s That showed that he was coming back to the form which gave him high ranking among the two-year-olds last season when he won most convincingly in the Mac’s Gold Lager Handicap at Richmond Park yesterday. A dominating favourite paying 51.55 for a win, That’s That was beaten out by Special Miss and as the lead changed he was pushed back to fourth on the rails. Robert Dunn shifted him one off the fence with 1600 m left and he was still giving the pacemaker, Sycamore, a handy start with 600 m to run. He was pushed four wide as he started to improve, but he was not far from Sycamore on straightening up. For a few strides inside the final 200 m it looked as though That’s That might be tested, but when Dunn gave him more rein, he soon put the issue beyond doubt, crossing the line with his ears pricked and with an advantage of one length. He paced his last

400 m in little worse than 28s.

According to Dunn, That’s That was travelling comfortably all the way. “It was no effort to him really. He felt tremendous all the way,’’ he commented. That’s That will now go to Addington on Friday to race against his own age group.

Sycamore was all out to hold second by a head from Special Miss, which made progress along the inner. Radiant King, which drifted at the start, came on gamely for fourth two lengths away, shading Sure He Can. That’s That completed a fine meeting for his Kaikoura part-owner, Bernard Rundle, who earlier in the day experienced his first success as a trainer with Innocent Guy in the Neale and Haddow Pace.

Rundle races the three-year-old son of Clever Innocence and So Happy in partnership with his wife, Ann, and their son, Matthew.

Robert Dunn trained Innocent Guy until about

four months ago, but he would not settle into the team environment “He behaved like a spoiled kid and Robert advised me to try him myself as he felt the horse was homesick,” said Rundle.

Innocent Guy drew the second line and he was a fair way off the pace when he settled into position. He maintained a determined run in the straight and was clear by half a length from Revolution, which made up a big stretch of ground in the straight

Besta Kara was a useful third, ahead of Real Alba. Kotare Pewter qualified to start in the main races at the Marlborough meeting next week-end when he outfinished Medicine Man in a tight finish to the National Insurance Handicap. The hot favourite, Con Brio, set the pace, but was pressured by Janizary in the back straight. He was under pressure early in the run home, with challenges coming from many rivals.

Kotare Pewter, after being beyond mid-field

for most of the way, did best to win by a length and a quarter, with Medicine Man taking second by a neck from I’m No Angel and Hurry Home, which dead-heated for third, just ahead of Janizary.

Medicine Man and Hurry Home are both trained by lan Cameron who won the previous event, the Tenderkist Handicap with the talented three-year-old trotter, Directorship. There was much to enthuse over about his performance as he was well off the pace early and had to put in a determined run in the straight to catch Some Event and beat him by a head. Paul Armbro, which looked a big threat 100 m out, tired a shade to third, ahead of Wychingham Knight, which did well after an early break. Directorship is raced by Mr Allan Elderton, of Waimate and is a gelding by Lordship from Del May. He has the New Zealand Trotting Stakes as his main mission in the autumn.