Palezza passes test

Press, 10 July 1989, Page 30

Palezza passes test

By

DAVID McCARTHY

in Wellington

The Canterbury-bred Palezza could add a further dimension to the success of his sire, Palatable, when he lines up in the Grand National Hurdles at Riccarton on August 9.

Trainerrrider Tony Gillies has been aiming Palezza at the Canterbury Jockey Club’s feature for some time, subject to the gelding passing the “acid test” of measuring up to the best in the Trentham Hurdles at the Wellington Racing Club’s meeting on Saturday. Palezza did that in emphatic enough style to surprise even Gillies who thought the hot favourite, King Joseph, was “unbeatable" before the race. The nuggety Palezza, typical of the stock of his Riccarton-based sire, was always travelling well behind King Joseph and Arak Attack and he cleared right away to win by twenty lengths. Palezza

will have one more race before Riccarton but it won’t be in the Wellington Hurdles next Saturday. Instead Gillies will run the horse at Levin on July 26 to give his charge experience at brush hurdling. Palezza was bought by his owners, Phil Brown and Frank Hilliar, as part of a package deal through Don Peddie, of Ashburton, at the time that the Ped-die-owned Schweppeshire Lad was being sent north to the Ancroft Stud which Brown manages. His dam Belezza, a winner at 1200 m for a Riccarton trainer and breeder, Boyd Buzan, was part of the deal. She had been bought cheaply by Jim Lalor, at the 1983 South Island Sale, from

the Buzan family and Lalor handled Palezza before his sale north for $3OOO. Palezza made an early start to his jumping career, having his first hurdle race as an August four-year-old almost two years ago. “He always looked likely as a jumper but he had a fall early on and the owners went off a hurdling career. He won a couple on the flat after that and they were even less keen. But it’s as a hurdler I’ve had high hopes for him,” said Gillies, a brother-in-law of Phil Brown. Palatable, while a great success at stud, has had few jumpers to hit the headlines. Applicate was

his only winner in the role last season. Palezza’s speed on the flat stood well to him On the quite firm inside jumping course at Trentham and will be a valuable asset at Riccarton. He belongs to a useful family which includes several well known West Coast performers such as Paratonnerre.

King Joseph folded quickly when Gillies made his move on the winner about 1200 m out. A veterinary examination after the race failed to find anything amiss with the odds-on favourite though his rider, John McGifford, said the horse felt totally different from how he did at his previous outing.