 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1984
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
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If Dillon Dale's third in the NZ Cup was an outstanding effort, it paled in significance when measured against his success in the Benson and Hedges NZ Free-For-All.
The northerner credited his young Takanini trainer Don Dywer with his most satisfying success to date on his first campaign at Addington. Dwyer felt prior to the Cup Dillon Dale would distinguish himself, and he was right. The seven-year-old Gaines Minbar stallion lost 40 metres at the start, swept up to the lead in the middle stages and fought tenaciously to the wire when headed by Camelot and Our Mana even closer to the post. So the young trainer was out for revenge when he came up against Camelot and Our Mana again in the mobile 2000 metre Free-For-All, and revenge he got, albeit in the hardest possible manner.
When Cup winner Camelot and Te Puke Expects blasted out of the gate, Dillon Dale went off stride. He settled quickly, but was at the tail of the field and in trouble. Further disaster struck at the end of 300 metres when he broke again and his chances looked hopeless. But after a suicidal first quarter in 26.3, Camelot backed the pace off and Dwyer was quick to take advantage. With a round to go, he swept forward and was up outside Camelot at the 1000 metres. The pace quickened appreciably, but Camelot surrendered quickly at the 500 metres when Dillon Dale put his head in front. Under Dwyer's urgings, Dillon Dale opened up a winning break at the top of the straight, and was never seriously tested, winning by a length.
Enterprise, who lost his driver in the Cup, finished gamely after making a run wide on the turn and just took second by a neck from Cup runner-up Our Mana, who had every chance but just battled into third. He only just lasted for third by a nose from the solid finishing Stampede, another to lose his chance along with his driver in the Cup. Stortford Lodge ran on late for fifth clear of Gammalite, whose run was disappointing. He was struggling to stay in touch at the 800 metres and, though sixth home, was only a shadow of the horse who has thrilled New Zealanders on previous visits.
Just as disappointing was Camelot, who stopped badly to ninth. Trainer-driver Robin Butt attributed his defeat to "That first quarter - he's never gone that fast before in his life". Dillon Dale's time for the mobile 2000 metres was 2:28.1, a mile rate of 1:59.2.
Credit: Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar