Rain dampens Gibbs’ Sydney hopes

Press, 1 April 1989, Page 17

Rain dampens Gibbs’ Sydney hopes

NZPA Sydney The Matamata trainer Jim Gibbs, already disappointed at having to withdraw Regal City from the Television New Zealand Stakes at Ellerslie today, was more despondent yesterday as rain dampened his hopes of a Sydney Cup success.

Gibbs has two runners in the sAustsoo,ooo race over 3200 m at Randwick — Auckland Cup winner, Spyglass, and Dark Moments. A third stayer from Gibbs’ stable, Sounds Like Fun, failed to shape up for the Sydney Cup and will be retired to stud. After a few days of dry weather which saw the Randwick track improve for the A.J.C. Oaks on Wednesday, heavy showers fell yesterday and more were forecast.

“It doesn’t look too good for us,” Gibbs said.

"Dark Moments wants a decent track and although Spyglass won the Auckland Cup on a track rated ‘dead’, she doesn’t like it too heavy.” Apart from his weather worries, Gibbs was pleased with the way both horses have worked since their lead-up races in Sydney, Spyglass finishing eighth to Poetic Prince in the Tancred Stakes (2400 m and Dark Moments fourth behind Just Trish in the Chairman's Superfecta (2600 m at Randwick. While the rain may harm the chances of the Gibbs pair and Apollo Run, it will certainly boost the hopes of several Cup runners including the grand old New

Zealand stayer, Lord Reims, and Zamakima.

The latter was quoted as 5-1 joint favourite with Apollo Run before the rain set in and as a son of Zamazaan — like Lord Reims — he should be able to handle the wet. Zamakima has won two races on dead tracks, including the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2500 m at Flemington last spring, and finished a distant second to Beau Zam on a slow track recently in the weight-for-age Segenhoe Stakes (2000 m at Rosehill.

Lord Reims is the king of the mudlarks, twice capitalising on a soft Morphettville track to win the last two Adelaide Cups (3200 m and also the Caulfield Cup (2400 m on a bog track.

Nine of his 11 victories have been on wet tracks, most of them heavy. Lord Reims is the topweight for the Sydney Cup, but his former New Zealand jockey Nigel Tiley was confident about his prospects after his final workout on Thursday, even before any sign of rain. The seven-year-old gelding covered a mile over the inside grass at Rosehill in 1:37.75.

"That was pleasing work and he is ready to run a big race in the Cup,” Tiley said. “He’s certainly improved since the Tancred Stakes.”

Lord Reims a fast-finishing fourth in the Tancred Stakes at Rosehill on March 18 was particularly creditable, considering his trainer, Cliff Fenwick, discovered

afterwards that a twisted plate had resulted in a nail piercing his sole and straining a leg. Both injuries have responded to treatment, the Takanini trainer said.

But Lord Reims was in the wars again on Tuesday when he turned up for trackwork at Rosehill to find the course proper had been closed — despite a

LEGEND: D — disqualified. F — fell. L — lost rider. X — spelled for at least 3 months, b — beaten favourite last start, c — won on the course, d— won at the distance, w—- — in wet going, (a) — apprentice jockey.

previous assurance from the track manager that it would be open for Lord Reims to gallop. Lord Reims had to use the Equitrack on the outside of the course to work.

“The Equitrack tends to get the horse down on his heels and he is a bit flexible in the pastern, so he stripped one heel,” Fenwick said.

Jetbet: 14 Race 1 TF SYDNEY CUP 5.10 $Aust500,000; three-year-old anc I up; 3200m 1 6974 Lord Reims 7 57 N. Tiley 2 2492 Dandy Andy 21 55 H. White 3 1009 Saratov 16 54.5 R. Quinton 4 1458 Spyglass 3 54.5 G. Cooksley 5 0826 Zamakima 1 54 L. Dittman 6 3535 Apollo Run 20 53.5 R. S. Dye 7 2734 Dark Moments 8 53.5 M. Coleman 8 7014 Round The World 18 53.5 J. Marshell 9 8353 Tawrrific 13 53 D. Gauchi 10 9000 Rising Fear 17 52 L. Olsen 11 2618 Concordance 6 51 M. Clarke 12 4521 Coshking 11 51 B. Hibberd 13 1441 Just Irish 19 50.5 K. Russell 14 5497 Ironic Lady 22 50 D. Beadman 15 8115 Marlotta 14 50 D. Firth 16 4132 Carole’s Girl 12 49.5 N. Campton 17 2330 Regal Chela 10 49 N. Rae 18 2562 Palace Revolt 5 48.5 K. Moses 19 6203 Power Of Destiny 4 48 N. Paine 20 X730 Rebel Yell 9 48 M. Fitzgerald (a) 21 2211 D'Avignon 2 48 J. de Belin

22 0936 Prince Avila 15 50 Emergencies: D’Avignon, Prince Avila. Race 2 TF 5.50 FRANK PACKER PLATE SAustl 00,000; three-vear-old; 2000m 1 0422 Royal Pardon 1 54 L. Olsen 2 4051 Nanutarra 8 54 K. Moses 3 0435 Outgun 10 54 L. Dittman 4 7774 Brinney 4 54 G. Duffy 5 5452 Mint Machine 2 54 C. Carmody 6 4421 Knight Ot India 3 54 D. Beadman 7 7509 Back Home 11 54 N. Rae 8 4364 Gold Mace 7 54 J. Innes 9 7032 Kiristar 9 54 M. de Montfort 10 0701 Stelandic 5 54 D. Gauci 11 4122 Courtalista 12 52.5 R. S. Dye 12 1270 Waikiki 6 52.5 M. Coleman Race 3 TF 6.30 ALL-AGED STAKES $Aust200,000; weight-for-age; 1600m 1 50X3 Kensei 12 57.5 R. Thompson 2 2219 Wong 8 57.5 N. Tiley 3 1X71 Card Shark 2 57.5 D. Beadman 4 6217 Eye Of The Sky 11 57.5 W. Harris 5 1213 Beau Zam 7 57 J. Marshall 6 3120 Flotilla 9 57 L. Dittman 7 3303 Lygon Arms 4 57 L. Olsen 8 2212 Super Impose 6 57 D. Gauchi 9 1711 Jondolar 13 57 D. Walsh 10 5482 Tjarra 5 56 R. S. Dye 11 2X72 Hazy Pond 10 56 J. Didham (a) 12 8513 Blazing Sword 1 54 H. White 13 3313 Flight Schedule 3 54 K. Russell