Mark Hanover holds out Casino Lord

Press, 28 April 1989, Page 38

Mark Hanover holds out Casino Lord

PA Hamilton The top two-year-old Mark Hanover broke the two-minute barrier in winning the $10,200 Sires’ Stakes Heat at the Morrinsville Trotting Club’s meeting at Cambridge Raceway on Wednesday evening. The gelding was raced one out one back from the outset and had to pull out every reserve of strength to hold out Casino Lord, which stormed home from the rear, by a nose. Both horses were ac-

credited with 1:59.9 for the mobile mile, clipping one-tenth of a second off Tight Connection’s record set last season. The unlucky runner was Mark Hanover’s stablemate Christopher Vance, which trailed the pacemaker Nerotic but was unable to secure a clear run in the straight, finishing fourth. The well-supported Call Me Al battled gamely into third after being given every chance in’ the oneone trail. Cherbourg, a Pukekohe filly fresh from her stun-

ning win in last week’s Waikato Oaks, earned a start in the $120,000 D.B. Fillies’ Final when she won the last heat. After settling in • the rear her driver James Stormont took her wide at the turn where she quickly led and rallied well to hold out a determined late bit from the outsider Fast Spender. Showtime Girl, having her first start since her disappointing Waikato Oaks run, fought on well for third. Cherbourg recorded an impressive 2:00.9.