Doomben failure, success at Moonee Valley

Press, 2 May 1988, Page 27

Doomben failure, success at Moonee Valley

NZPA Sydney New. Zealand’s threepronged attack on the sAustsoo,ooo Rothmans 100,000 drew a blank at Doomben on Saturday, as leading Sydney jockey, John Marshall, scored his third successive win in the Group One sprint aboard Campaign King. But while Our Poetic Prince, My Arctic Wolf and Catering King finished among the also rans in Brisbane, another New Zealand galloper, Argonaut Style, returned to winning form at Moonee Valley in Melbourne to boost his Adelaide Cup hopes. Campaign King, carrying topweight of 58kg, emerged from the middle of the field and stormed past the favourite and early leader Snippets. He then overhauled Rancho Ruler in last few strides to win by a head, with Rendoo two and a quarter lengths away third. Master trainer, Bart Cummings, who prepared both Broad Reach and Campaign King, announced after Saturday’s race that it would probably be Campaign King’s last handicap, race.

“The handicappers are certain to restrict him to weight-for-age races from now on,” he said. Our Poetic Prince was the first of the New Zealand trio home, in seventh place. Catering King was eleventh and My Arctic Wolf was the biggest disappointment, after his Doomben win the previous week, when he beat only two home in 18th place. Snippets, the smart sprinter which now heads off to stud after a career of nine wins from 14 starts, faded after charging to the lead from his wide barrier. Our Poetic Prince started just inside Snippets in barrier number 18 and also found the extra ground too demanding, according to jockey, Noel Harris. “From the wide barrier I was left out in no-man’s land,” he said. My Arctic Wolf’s rider Larry Olsen was at a loss to explain the four-year-old’s form reversal after winning the Courier Mail Cup (1200 m the previous week. "So good one week, so bad the next,” Olsen said. Catering King was not

disgraced in his first race of his current Australian campaign, but just could not kick on in the straight. The five-year-old gelding’s next start is expected to be in a fortnight in the BATC Sprint (1200 m which he won last year.

Argonaut Style’s camp was in a confident mood after his win in the Accurate Choice Handicap (2600 m at Moonee Valley. The five-year-old had not won a race since the AJC St Leger at Randwick a year ago, but came up trumps thanks to some superb tactical riding by Harry White. In the middle stages White kept Argonaut Style at the back of the field inside co-favourite Temple Walk. White waited for Temple Walk to make her move, followed her before shifting in for some cover and, at the end of the back straight, hooked Argonaut Style to the outside.

Temple Walk tired in the home straight and Argonaut Style beat off a challenge from Fayette County by one and a half lengths. t