 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1985
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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The John Brandon NZ Derby winner will be invited to contest the $50,000 Australian Derby at Gloucester Park, Perth in May. Along with Great Northern Derby winner Nardinski, Placid Victor will be invited to line up against the State Derby winners in Australia in the Australian Derby.
The son of current boom sire Vance Hanover clearly oustayed his ten rivals in the $80,000 NZ Derby and showed just how unlucky he was not to pick up the $102,500 bonus for winning all three races in the John Brandon Series at the meeting. He was just held out by Nardinski in the 2000 metre event on the middle night after winning on the first night.
Raced by Mrs Lyndy Wilson and trained for her by Sandy Purdon at Pukekohe, Placid Victor earned $52,000 for his win in the Derby, taking his earnings to $108,635, the result of seven wins, one second and four thirds from just 19 starts. Berima, the dam of Placid Victor, was purchased by Mrs Wilson's husband Ross for $600 from Waiuku studmaster Dave Jessop, and a mating with Jessop's highly successful sire Vance Hanover produced a colt of genuine staying ability. "He's getting better with age and he should be an even better horse next year," said driver Maurice McKendry after the Derby. "Today's run suited him - he got a good drag round and, being an out and out stayer, was suited by the fast pace." Placid Victor paced a race-record 3:16.4 in winning by a length and a quarter, only .7 of a second outside Roydon Glen's New Zealand record.
Maurice McKendry allowed Placid Victor to drop back in the early running and did not make a move until he latched onto the back of Chipaluck who started to move forward from the 1000 metres. Placid Victor sat three wide in the second line to the home turn, and McKendry didn't take off until he saw place favourite Nardinski bottled up on the rails and unlikely to get a run until late. That turned out to be the case and as Placid Victor strode to an easy length and a quarter win it was left to outsider Gold Sovereign to charge home late for second nearly three lengths clear of Loveridge.
Loveridge maintained his placed record in the series with his third, rushing up to sit in the open from the 800 metres and holding on well. Nardinski was two lengths back fourth and, though denied a run until the race was all but over, trainer-driver Jack Smolenski didn't think that altered the result much. "He didn't feel as sharp today and he wouldn't have beaten the winner anyway," Smolenski said. Placid Victor's stablemate Fredrick fought on well ahead of second favourite Samson, who, in spite of being pushed back on the home turn and running on for sixth, didn't really fire, according to driver Ricky May. Pacemaker Kevs Choice was at the head of the remainder.
Credit: Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar