Gennaker causes upset

Press, 27 September 1988, Page 37

Gennaker causes upset

NZPA-AAP Sydney Gennaker, the horse which does everything wrong, earned a start in the A.J.C. Spring Champion Stakes after causing an upset in the sAust2oo,ooo weight-for-age Tooheys George Main Stakes (1600 m at Randwick on Saturday. The three-year-old gelding, which had only won a maiden race at Kembla Grange, flashed home to win by a long neck from Balciano (11-4) with Merimbula Bay (15-2) a nose away in third place. Jockey, Shane Dye, had Gennaker (10-1) at the

rear of the field for most of the race. Gennaker then unleashed a brilliant final sprint to catch Balciano on the line. “I was going to spell Gennaker after this,” said his Rosehill trainer, Dr Geoff Chapman, who had earlier success with Temple Front in the Brian Crowley Stakes (1200 m “He does so many things wrong and just doesn’t know what to do in a race. “I don’t think he will get 2400 m but as he is fit, I will probably let him start in the Spring Champion Stakes.”

The $250,000 Spring Champion Stakes (2000 m will be run at Randwick next Saturday. “I think Gennaker is a 1600 m horse,” said Dr Chapman. “His mother was only a 1000 m sprinter and he is not mature enough at this stage.” The race was weakened when Campaign King was an early-morning scratching because of a high temperature. This left the Tommy Smith-trained Wonder Dancer the (11-8) favourite.