Hayes smarting with Almaarad

Press, 11 September 1989, Page 33

Hayes smarting with Almaarad

NZPA-AAP Melbourne Trainer Colin Hayes was smarting after imported stayer Almaarad was beaten in a controversial photo-finish in the sAust3ol,ooo Craiglee Stakes (1600 m at Flemington on Saturday. Almaarad (10-1), having his first Australian start in the weight-for-age race, went down by a short half head to classy galloper Apollo Run, which drifted from 12-1 to 20-1. While it was an impressive win by Apollo Run, baldy-faced Almaarad, ridden by Garry Clarke, looked unlucky when he appeared to suffer interference from the 2-1 favourite, Super Impose, half-way up the home straight. Clarke said Almaarad would have won had he not suffered the interference. In spite of his erratic racing, Super Impose, ridden by Darren Gauci, finished only a half-neck away third. . “Super Impose was all over Almaarad in the straight and it could have bordered on foul riding by Gauci,” Hayes said. Gauci said he felt Super Impose was going to win, but the horse died on his run and. ducked in. “I pulled him off Almaarad/ but that horse possibly should have won;” Gauci said. .. Almaarad arrived in Australia last auttimn for the Tancred International Stakes at Rosehill, but missed the race through injury. He was having his first run since finishing second in Ireland last October. Almaarad, a seven-year-old Ela-Mana-Mou stallion, has started 21 times and won nine races. “He’s not a miler and he showed strength at the end of the race,” Hayes said. “He looked a little bit unlucky. We will take him back to Lindsay Park now

and get him ready for the Underwood Stakes on Show Day,” he said. By coincidence, At Talaq, Hayes’ last Melbourne Cup winner, ran second in the Craiglee Stakes in 1986. Apollo Run will also start in the sAust2so,ooo Underwood Stakes (2000 m at Caulfield on September 28. The five-year-old capped a successful week for Cranbourne trainer Colin Alderson, who trained Ballarat Miners’ Cup winner Sea Legend and Seymour Cup winner Cosign last Tuesday and Wednesday respectively. Apollo Run ran fourth in the Melbourne Cup last year, but Alderson said the horse is even better this spring. “He is stronger, more relaxed and more tractable than last year,” Alderson said. “I thought he had a fair bit of fitness on the others and we used that to our advantage. Apollo Run was second most of the way and shot clear in the straight before holding off strong challenges from Almaarad and Super Impose. Jockey Gary Willetts said he was confident Apollo Run would win on the home turn. “When I let him down he was striding out beautifully and he really found plenty when I hit him with the whip,” Willetts said. Fizzer The clash between champion Melbourne filly Courtza and boom Sydney gelding Patronise proved to be a real fizzer when Courtza outclassed her opposition with a runaway win in the $A251,000 Ascot Vale Stakes. Courtza opened the favourite in the betting at 138, just shading Patronise at 7-4. But after a flood of money came for

Patronise, who started 138 favourite, Courtza suprisingly drifted out to 13-4, before starting at 31. However, the supporters of Patronise were well off the mark when he could manage to only beat one runner home. Flamboyant owner Nick Columb was full of praise for his champion filly. Harry White, who replaced the suspended Shane Dye, could not believe how easily Courtza won. “She is the best filly I’ve ever ridden,” he said. “She won hands and heels in 1:10, so I don’t know what she had . left.” Courtza has won $Au5t1,659,300 in stake money from four wins in seven starts. “She’ll run in the Veuve Clicquot, then the Moonee Valley Stakes, the Caulfield Guineas, the Cox Plate and the Victoria Derby,” Mr Columb said. Bookmakers probably took risks with Courtza today because she was beaten into fifth place by Our Westminster in the weight-for-age Manikato Stakes (1160 m at Moonee Valley when resuming on August 19. Mr Columb explained the Blue Diamond-Golden Slipper winner needed the run that day, “Ross (trainer Ross McDonald) couldn’t put the work into her and she needed the run.” Courtza had the race to herself over the last 200 m and went on to score by lengths from Queensland colt Prince Salieri (25-1), with Tango Master (16-1) a further two lengths away third. Mr Columb said Harry White was an excellent replacement rider for Shane Dye, who watched Courtza win at Flemington, but Dye would be back on her next Saturday in the sAust2so,soo Veuve Clicquot (1200 m at Moonee Valley.