Hooray Henry gains just deserts

Press, 26 September 1989, Page 33

Hooray Henry gains just deserts

By

David McCarthy

Hooray Henry, a seven-year-old fed on a diet of charcoal and yoghurt for two months to keep him alive as a youngster, broke maidens at his seventh start at Orari yesterday. Hooray Henry gave Riccarton trainer Pam Robson her first success since she set up training on her own account toward the end of last season. She trained previously in partnership with Ron McCann, who handed in his training licence to concentrate on riding. Hooray Henry is raced by Mrs Penny Hargreaves, an English-based daughter of Margaret and the late Colin Austin, for whom Ron McCann trained and rode Godsend. Mrs Hargreaves paid just $7OO for

Hooray Henry as a youngster at the South Island Sale. He was bred by Graeme Jackson, at Timaru. “He got blood poisoning when he was young and we thought he would die. We fed him charcoal and yoghurt four times a day for two months,” Jackson recalled. Hooray Henry had been freshened for yesterday’s race after some useful form over the winter months. With Riverain and Bijou Leigh, he produced a trifecta dividend of more than 6000/1, but that was dwarfed by Globe Hill’s success over Captain Bart and Main Course in the Anderson and Rooney Welter. Globe Hill was the rank outsider, Captain Bart next in the public’s esteem and Main Course the ninth place favourite in the 14-strong field.

The trifecta dividend was declared at $52,394.75, although the pool was half ' that amount, the one successful ticket being a 50c investment. 1 The largest trifecta in New Zealand 1 was the $103,832.65 posted at the Maramarua Hunt meeting in May, 1988. ' First winner The Richmond trainer, Mrs Anne Bell, ' gained her first training success when ; Little Bo Peep ran away from Pallette i and Swanilda in her maiden event, in ; which another substantial trifecta price was posted. i Mrs Bell, a former assistant to Nelson i trainer John Healey, leased Little Bo • Peep from Mr Ted Howarth, of Waika- < nae, earlier this year. ! The Godavari mare, whose sire has i

returned to Canterbury this season, had two starts as a two-year-old for Eddie Dickinson. She was well placed on the inner by Damian Browne and sped away to win easily. Another impressive Richmond-trained winner was Brother Bill, which led all the way in the third 1200 m maiden. Brother Bill is trained by Robert Thomas, who was raised in Barbados and came to New Zealand some years ago. Thomas has been training for two years in Nelson and holds a permit. He had success last season with Jihad and High Goal and the latter is preparing for a fresh campaign. • Brother Bill failed to fire on a summer campaign on the West Coast, but has strengthened and improved since, according to his trainer.