 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1982
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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| Hilarious Guest (inner) fights off Portfolio |
As far as Peter Jones was concerned, there was only one horse he had to worry about in the $50,000 New Zealand Derby. That was the Noodlum colt Portfolio, trained by his father at Templeton and driven by the older Jones in the big race.
And so it proved at the end of the 2600 metres. Peter and Hilarious Guest got to the line first alright, but they had just a head to spare over Portfolio. They had been one-two all the way. Peter Jones had Maurice Vermeulen's filly away well - she did put in a few skips but, as Jones said later, "that's probably the best beginning she's ever made" - and rushed her straight to the lead. There she stayed, pressing on relentlessly and making it almost impossible for the others to catch her. And she wasn't dawdling at any stage. She went to the line in 3:20.9, a tenth of a second inside Noodlum's eight-year-old 3:21 record for the age group and inside Motu Prince's 3:21.1 race mark.
"When I still had Portfolio on my back turning for home, I didn't think there was any way I could beat him. There is really nothing between them. There are great stayers," Jones said afterwards. She had to be a good stayer. Even with the pace on throughout, she came her last mile in close to even time.
The deeds of Hilarious Guest are well known. She's raced and won over all distances and after winning the New Zealand Juvenile Championship - among her seven wins as a baby - was voted last season's top of her age. The Derby win was the Hilarious Way-New Guest filly's twelfth and it took her stake tally to well over the $80,000 mark.
Portfolio had put up a tremendous performance to take out a 3200 event on the grass at Ashburton a few days before the Derby. He proved then he had everything needed to turn in a top run in the big race, especially after having lost a lot of ground soon after the start, and powering home in the straight. Even in the Derby itself, Derek Jones thought he was on a winner, for a while anyway. "I thought I could get to her at one point but she was too good. We were just outstayed."
Mel's Boy and the favourite Enterprise finished almost two lengths and a neck behind the first two home. Jack Smolenski said later that Mel's Boy's little break at the start had put paid to his chances. Normally a good beginner from the stand, Mel's Boy was unsettled when the tape went and, once under way, had to be content to sit five and later four places back on the fence in a small field. He was running on at the end. "He ran a good race," Smolenski said. "But you can't give away any start when they're going at that pace."
Peter Shand, driver of Enterprise, had no excuses to offer. "The only problem was they went too quick. You can't come from behind and beat them when they keep up that speed. Still, it was a good run. He kept on going, anyway." Fifth home Guest of Honour made up a ton of ground in the straight after being tucked away at the rear all the way and his was an eye-catching run. But for the others there could be no excuses. They were well beaten by that big filly flying in front.
Hilarious Guest was the only filly in the race and there was no way she was going to be outshone by the boys. It had been a long time since the last time a filly had won - 1963 when Bellijily took the honours.
Credit: Graham Ingram writing in NZ Trotting Calendar