Courageous Luxury Liner will be tough opponent

Press, 29 December 1988, Page 22

Courageous Luxury Liner will be tough opponent

Sepecial correspondent Auckland Luxury Liner will have to work very hard for victory in the $400,000 Auckland Trotting Cup at Alexandra Park tonight, but his great courage and endless stamina should see him through.

Luxury Liner is the obvious favourite for the Ansett New Zealand-sponsored race. His form over 3200 metres is remarkable. The lean staying machine has had nine starts over 3200 metres for six wins and two seconds. Quite simply, Luxury Liner is the greatest staying pacer New Zealand has produced since Cardigan Bay. Luxury Liner’s 3200-metre wins include a Franklin Cup, last season’s Auckland Cup, an Easter Cup and, just last month, the New Zealand Cup at Addington. Luxury Liner’s two second placings over 3200 metres were both in New Zealand Cups — behind Master Mood

(1986) and Ligntning Blue (1987). In the New Zealand Cup last November Luxury Liner had to overcome a 1 flmetre handicap to win. He did so in style, coming back “from the dead” with 200 metres to run to beat the outstanding Australian Maestro. To add lustre to that great success, Luxury Liner went a world record 4:00.45 for the 3200 metres — over 4s

inside his own previous best. For that win Luxury Liner earned a further five-metre penalty and this evening will give a start of 15 metres to all but one — little Master Mood. Can Luxury Liner give some of New Zealand’s best pacers such an advantage and still win? The answer is yes. It would be best to disregard Luxury Liner’s eighth at Alexandra Park on December 23. Forced over a lot of extra ground in a sprint distance, he tired late, but never stopped trying. His driver, Tony Herlihy, was not concerned after that effort. He said Luxury Liner would have gained a great deal of benefit from the run, his first for almost three weeks.

If Luxury Liner is to be beaten it may be by a horse which closely resembles him in appearance and style, the dour stayer Rostriever Hanover. Last Tuesday Rostriever Hanover bounced back to his best with a fine win at Alexandra Park in the City Of Sails Handicap. He looms brightly as Luxury Liner’s main opponent.