Balciano wins Metropolitan
NZPA-AAP Sydney The former top jockey, Neville Voigt, returned to the scene of two of his major riding triumphs when he trained Balciano to win the sAust2so,ooo The Metropolitan (2600 m at Randwick yesterday. Voigt previously rode Hayai to victory in 1983 and Tails to success in the 1969 Metropolitan. Yesterday was Voigt’s greatest training success since retiring from riding three years ago. Balciano (9-2) coasted to the line for an easy two and three-quarter length win from the fast-finishing Kensei (11-2) with his stablemate. The Brotherhood (25-1), a length and three quarters away third in a course record time of 2:40.8.
Voigt, aged 43, will now attempt to repeat Hayai’s great double in 1983 — The Metropolitan-Caul-
field Cup — with Balciano.
Balciano, a son of Balmerino, is raced by Allan Marel, Clive Fagg, Garry Colman, Noel Cornford, Julien Saoyen and Max Harrison. They paid sAust3soo each for him as a yearling. "We were perfect strangers until we answered an ad in the paper,” Harrison said. They recently refused an offer of sAust3oo,ooo for Balciano. Balciano has now raced 19 times for five wins and 5Au5t257,780 prizemoney. The feature of yesterday’s success was Peter Cook’s brilliant ride on Balciano, which started from the difficult No. 16 barrier. Cook skilfully eased Balciano after turning out of the straight for the first time and in an incredibly short space of time had the four-year-old
fifth on the rails. Balciano raced kindly throughout and approaching the 600 m mark Cook urged him to the lead from the tiring leaders, Purple Mantra and Orb. Balciano rounded the home turn a clear leader and started the final 200 m with a five-length break. Balciano carried 50.5 kg and has the same weight in the Caulfield Cup, but is liable to a penalty of up to 4.5 kg. He has 49.5 kg in the Melbourne Cup. “The Melbourne Cup is a big thing to take on. I’ll have to think about it,” Voigt said. The shock of the race was the performance of the 4-1 favourite, Ostensible, which tired to finish 17th. His jockey, Malcolm Johnston, said the imported horse had no chance after he got his tongue over the bit in the early stages.
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Press, 6 October 1987, Page 53
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371Balciano wins Metropolitan Press, 6 October 1987, Page 53
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