Cowan on target for vintage term

Press, 8 June 1989, Page 45

Cowan on target for vintage term

By DAVID MCCARTHY

The Washdyke horseman Alex “Snooky” Cowan is experiencing a record winter as a jumps rider so far and with average luck and a couple of right choices it could be a vintage one before the season is over.

Cowan won the Otago Hurdles on Beau Geste on Monday, the third time he has won the race (Final Surge and Walldon Pond were earlier successful), and the Beaufort Sea gelding is now set for the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton in August.

Cowan may also look to upcoming steeplechases with some optimism. He has ridden four individual winners over the big fences so far this season. Next Lot has won two including the Southland Steeplechase, Beaufort Star two, Mr Monty one, and Maquis, which missed Wingatui because of a minor setback, was an impressive winner of the Otago Hunt Cup from Graham Trustrum’s stable.

It is when some of these clash, possibly in the Homeby at Riccarton on July 1 that Cowan could oe posed with a problem.

It will be complicated by the presence of a horse Cowan has yet to ride this season, Ocean Guard, which is being prepared for the Grand National Steeplechase after winning the Grand National Hurdles last year in the hands of Willie Harnett.

Cowan has been associated with Ocean Guard in his steeplechase racing to date, however, being successful on the horse at Waimate last July followed by a third at Oamaru.

Cowan is keen to continue that association and Ocean Guard, which has his next start over hurdles at the Eastern Southland meeting next Tuesday, is likely to be his National choice all going well. Cowan has ridden eleven winners already this term. He has ridden 165 winners altogether and his average to rides in recent seasons has been among the highest in the country. He has won twenty steeplechase races but a Grand National has eluded him so far. His best result is a second on Master Bijou two years ago. A Nescafe Steeplechase on Rock Crystal, Homeby wins on Master Bijou and Rock Crystal and a Koral

on Master Bijou have been among his biggest successes. Rex Cochrane will base four jumpers and at least two flat horses at Wai-

mate this winter. Ocean Guard, Beaufort Star and Next Lot will be tackling the big fences, Next Lot also being a National hope, and Imperial Guy is

the stable’s ace to repeat last year’s National Hurdle win when he will be ridden by Shane Anderton. He will run in the final of the DB Hurdling Series at Gore next Tuesday and has already won it with points to date.

Free Call and Haul Quest are the flat runners based at Waimate. Cochrane has used his former home town often in the past but will be absent from the base for two weeks later this month on holiday in Australia.

"I think it’s the first time my wife Bette and I have been away without a horse following us since I started training,” Cochrane quipped on Monday. The Cochrane horses will be cared for by Judith Johnson in Waimate during the trainer’s absence. Beau Geste may give Southland stables a strong hand at National time judging by his win in the Otago Hurdles on Monday. The Canterbury-bred Beaufort Sea gelding has kept improving through the jumping season for Ascot Park trainer, Jack Gordon, and Cowan has struck up a particularly good relationship with the horse.

“Snooky” has ridden him eight times now for five wins and three plac-

ings. You can’t ask for much more than that,” said Beau Geste's owner, Stan Jarvis, a long-time administrator of the Otago Racing Club after Beau Geste's win.

“Our aim all along has been the Grand National and this is a big step along the way.”

Mr Jarvis who has raced a number of horses over the years, bought Beau Geste for $3OOO at the South Island Sale in 1984. His dam, Gemastra. raced on lease from the North Island by Peter Jones, was a winner for the Riccarton trainer and on her retirement she was bought by Inglewood Stud who offered Beau Geste at the sale. Beau Geste was educated by “Mouse” Kennedy at Wingatui and won two races on the flat for him beating Joe Ninety on the second occasion. The horse had some temperament problems and later went to Jack Gordon who won another flat race with him before he turned to hurdling.

Beau Geste has won five in that role this season. His second to Free Bijou in the Spreydon Brush Hurdles at Riccarton last August suggests the Grand National course could be within his compass.