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BONNIE'S CHANCE

Bonnie's Chance, who ranks as one of the greatest mares ever to complete in NZ, has gone into honourable retirement.

The champion Majestic Chance-Bonnie Countess mare had her last start at Addington on December 30, and went out on a high note when she took the NZ Standarbred Breeders' stakes for the third successive year. Locked up three back on the fence behind Hilarious Guest and Jilaire's Chance, it was late in the straight before the gap opened along the rails which enabled Bonnie's Chance to sneak through and claim a length victory over Hilarious Guest in 2:01.2.

Following that race, trainer-driver Richard Brosnan said he was tempted to have another tilt at the Auckland Cup in February, the only major race which has eluded her. But a week later, the decision was taken, after consultation with owners Mesdames Bonnie McGarry and Karen Grice, to retire her. "It was a hard decision to make, but for the good of the horse it was the right one," Richard Brosnan said last week.

Bonnie's Chance, who has been troubled with leg problems for some time now, retires with $357,000 in stakes, second only to another grand mare, Delightful Lady, on the list of stakes winners to race solely in NZ. She started 75 times for 32 wins and 20 placings, including the 1982 NZ Cup. Her victory over Hands Down in 1:56.2 for the mile at Washdyke makes her the equal fastest miler (with Lord Module) in a race in NZ, and she shares with Steel Jaw the record for a mobile 2600 metres at Addington - 3:15.4.

Bonnie's Chance has been served by Lordship and had gone 21 days at the time of her December 30 win at Addington. He dam, Bonnie Countess, recently foaled a colt to the Albatross stallion Sholty Imp, and is to be mated with Lordship.



Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 10Jan84

Owners Bonnie McGarry (with cup) and Karen Grice with Richard Brosnan

1982 NZ TROTTING CUP

Bonnie's Chance, who so often had to be content with the runner-up spot in the big ones last season, savoured the sweet taste of victory when she romped away with the NZ Cup at Addington last Tuesday.

While she had proved no match for Armalight last year, this time it was Bonnie's Chance who made it a one horse race to the line. Ironically, in the 1981 contest Bonnie's Chance was favoured but Armalight surprised everyone. Last Tuesday, Armalight was all the rage and a shadow had hung over Bonnie's Chance.

There is little doubt about the class of either mare, but this year the Cup belonged to "Katy". It didn't look that way on paper though. Armalight and Hands Down, the only horses handicapped after previous wins in the event, were disputing favouritism the minute the tote opened. However, it was not their day. Armalight didn't produce the fantastic final 800 metre sprint that thrilled the 1981 crowd and Hands Down was knocked silly by Ben, who broke for no reason with only 1100 metres of the race completed. Peter Jones was noticeably disappointed afterwards.

Armalight made a brilliant beginning at the start and was soon in touch with the leaders, while Hands Down, after bobbling for a few strides, tacked on to the end of the bunch before too long. Bonnie's Chance was the early leader, but down the straight the first time Cyllarus wasn't to be denied and took up the running. As expected, Hilarious Guest was also in search of the lead though and she took over 400 metres later. It was about this stage that Hands Down disappeared out the back, losing any chance. Ben was later disqualified from fourth place for causing the incident, but his driver, Graham Reaks, was found not guilty of any offence as he made every endeavour to avoid the incident.

The running was the same for the remainder of the race. Hilarious Guest from Armalight in the open, Cyllarus and Quiet Win trailing, Glen Moria the rails and Bonnie's Chance the outer, and El Regale and Ben completing the bunch. Champion trotter Scotch Tar got in touch with the field during the middle stages but dropped away again when the pressure went on after missing away at the start.

As the field headed down the back straight, everyone half expected Armalight and Bob Negus to wave goodbye again, but it wasn't to be. In fact, before the home turn, it was obvious Bonnie's Chance was going to have the last say, although the way she asserted her superiority caught many by surprise. Up four wide around Quiet Win on the turn, Bonnie's Chance just careered away. Her winning margin was seven lengths.

"We went a bit sooner than I wanted to go, but it was a case of now or never," Brosnan admitted afterwards. Bonnie's Chance had been flushed out by Ben, but it hardly mattered. Armalight was game in defeat, holding on to beat Quiet Win by a length and a half, while Ben was two lengths away, shading Cyllarus and El Regale.

Bonnie's Chance recorded a respectable 4:09 for thw 3200 metre journey, but the event was never the gruelling two-miler it was expected to be.

Richard Brosnan took over the training of Bonnie's Chance almost exactly two years ago when she was on the verge of cup class. For him, she's lined up 31 times for 15 wins and 11 placings. The $60,000 stake and $1100 cup elevated her earnings to almost $250,000 for owners Bonnie McGarry and Karen Grice.

Credit: Frank Marrion writing in the NZ Trotting Calendar

Bonnie's Chance holds out Armalight

1982 BENSON & HEDGES NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Bonnie's Chance became the 20th horse, and the fifth in succession, to take out the NZ Cup - NZ Free-For-All double when she took out the 1982 Free-For-All. The Kerrytown queen's victory came after a hard-fought tussle with two previous double winners - Armalight and Hands Down - and was without question one of the most courageous efforts posted by the mare.

One of the first out, Bonnie's Chance became awkwardly placed as positions changed in the first 1200 metres, at which point trainer-driver Richard Brosnan had to push out three wide and set off after Hands Down, who was on a forward run up towards the pacemaker Zabadak. Hands Down was sitting on Zabadak's wheel from the 900 metres, leaving Bonnie's Chance parked three wide, but she dashed past Hands Down soon after straightening up.

Once clear, Bonnie's Chance had to find more reserves to hold of the rapidly improving Armalight, who had threaded her way forward from a second line draw to be in behind the leaders on the home turn. Armalight tried to overhaul Bonnie's Chance, but was forced wider on the track as the Cup winner drifted out in the run home, and was half a length back at the finish. Hands Down, who was left struggling when Bonnie's Chance dashed to the lead at the top of the straight, rallied again to get within three quarters of a length of Armalight, then there was a big gap to Remote, who lost her position with a round to go and had to battle on gamely from the back. Tarlad did best of the others.

Bonnie's Chance clocked an outstanding 2:28.5 for the mobile 2000 metres, a mile rate of 1:59.6. Considering the runners had to contend with a strong head wind twice down the Addington straight, it was a particularly meritorious performance.

Credit: Tony Williams writing in NZ Trotting Calendar

Met President Murray Taylor, his wife Rana with Norm Lang

1983 NZ TROTTING CUP

Sydney-trained Steel Jaw demonstrated just why he has been tagged the "Mittagong Mauler" in his home country when he eclipsed his nine rivals in the 1983 NZ Cup.

Steel Jaw, in the hands of trainer Norm Lang who trains the horse at Mittagong, some 100 kilometres south-west of Sydney, left the cream of New Zealand's pacers struggling in his wake as he coasted to the line nine and a half lengths clear of Camelot and Bonnie's Chance in the $100,000 Addington feature.

Steel Jaw set a race and New Zealand record in winning, running the 3200 metres in 4:05.3, a tick over a second better than Hands Down's record and five tenths of a second inside Delightful Lady's previous New Zealand best.

The celebrations surrounding the victory were quickly dampened, however, when Ossie Marr, part owner of Steel Jaw, overcome with the sensational success of his horse, collapsed shortly after the presentation. Quick action by the St John Ambulance brigade on course saved Mr Marr's condition from worsening and he was rushed into the intensive care unit of Christchurch Hospital.

Steel Jaw became the find of the early season in Australia when, after a change of ownership and trainer, he strung together 15 straight successes. Formerly owned and trained in Victoria, Steel Jaw was bought by Ossie Marr and life-time friend Stan Everett for only $5500 "including postage", said Mr Marr, meaning the transportation of the horse to Sydney. A novice class pacer (maiden) when purchased, Steel Jaw had recorded only a second and third in 11 outings. The sale was negotiated without either Mr Marr or Mr Everett seeing the horse. The two owners placed their trust in the judgement of a close friend, Peter Sandford, who had first brought the horse to their attention. It is a decision they have no regretted.

Steel Jaw is five. He is by the American import Gaviland from the unraced mare Ardeer and was bred by S G Harrison and Mrs M Maxwell of Leeton, New South Wales.
While Steel Jaw is a true Australian, he does have a slight New Zealand connection. His dam's sire, Danny Hanover, was bred in New Zealand.

He raced with distinction in and around Sydney and won a heat of the 1959 New South Wales Derby. He was by Smokey Hanover. Mr Marr and Mr Everett took charge of Steel Jaw in March and he started racing for them in May. Within four and a half months he was racing against the best pacers in Australia. He strung together 15 straight wins before the $1M pacer Gammilite broke his sequence at Harold Park late in September. Steel Jaw was only third that night - Willadios, a rival in last week's Cup - splitting the two. At his next start Steel Jaw faced up against Popular Alm at the grand opening of the new Albion Park complex. He was not disgraced in running second, after racing without a trail all the way, running his mile in just over 1:56.

Disaster nearly struck at his penultimate outing to the Cup when Steel Jaw was involved in a skirmish which saw him lose driver Norm Lang after 200 metres of a mile event at Harold Park on October 26. "I thought the trip was off when that happened," said Ossie Marr. "He's a clever horse, he clipped the gig and tipped Norm out, but, after going without a driver for a couple of hundred metres, pulled himself up and waited to be picked up by the clerk of the course." That Steel Jaw suffered on injury was apparent in his Cup victory.

Steel Jaw arrived in Christchurch last Thursday week, along with Willadios and Scotch Notch. He gave an indication of his ability when worked over 3200 metres on the Sunday prior to the Cup. That workout was completed in around 4:14 for the distance and the horse was then given barrier practice from a stand. In the 18 starts Steel Jaw has had from Norm Lang's stable, all have been mobiles and there was a train of thought that suggested the horse may not be capable of beginning with the field. At the pre-Cup dinner at Addington on Monday night, Norm Lang was asked whether the horse could improve on the time. "He could go a couple of seconds faster," was Lang's answer, which brought a round of laughter from the gathering.

Steel Jaw showed just how much he could improve on that time in the Cup. He was the best away from the start - Hands Down breaking with Camelot, and Our Mana was slow to find his feet after striking trouble. Steel Jaw led at the bell from Sun Seeker trailing, Hands Down without cover, Willadios three back, Derby one out one back, Enterprize, Camelot, Bonnie's Chance, Our Mana and Ben. Steel Jaw appeared to be pulling from the 1600 metres to the 600 but Norm Lang said after it was just "a very tight hold." When given his head, Steel Jaw raced away from his rivals and before the pair swung into line they had already established a winning break. It was increased as they ran to the line. "He went well all the way," said Lang after, "Hands Down tried to kick us along at the half way but I said "no way" to his driver when he asked for the lead."

There was no excuses for the beaten runners. Camelot provided the other feature of the race, coming from second last at the 500 metres for second. He lost ground at the start but driver Robin Butt said there was no way he could have won anyhow. If they hadn't brought him over we might have won the race," he added. Bonnie's Chance was a game third. She made up a good deal of ground over the final stages but was no match for the winner. Ben was a useful fourth, this time holding the placing - he was disqualified from a similar placing last year.

Our Mana and Derby were next home. Our Mana lost ground at the start. He made a brief run at the leaders 600 metres out but only battled in the straight, while Derby appeared to have every chance though he was hampered by the tiring Hands Down about 150 metres out. However, he was a beaten horse at that stage. Enterprise was seventh after having every chance. Hands Down was next. Peter Jones tried to wrest the lead from Steel Jaw after improving three wide at the 2300 metres. He was left without cover from that point on and was a beaten horse 400 metres out. Sun Seeker, after enjoying a perfect run in the trail, dropped out to beat to beat only the other Australian, Willadios, home. Brian Hancock, trainer-driver of Willadios, said he had no excuses. "We didn't seem to be going that fast," he said when noting the time. He added that he thought Steel Jaw was improving with every run and that he did not think the horse would be too far inferior to Popular Alm. "We Aussies got the quinella," he added, "first and last."

The day was a good one for Australia. As Ossie Marr said at the presentation, "You came over and pinched our Cup last week (Kiwi - Melbourne Cup), now we've come over and pinched your one."

Steel Jaw's success was of even more significance for Ossie Marr. Tuesday was his seventieth birthday and there is no better way to celebrate such an occasion than with victory in such a prestigious event as the NZ Cup. A retired grocer, Mr Marr has raced a few horses over the years. Elegant Jamie won 25 odd races for him and he also has a good pacer in Black Peter who won 10 races from Norm Lang's stable last season. He added that there was another horse, Dazzling Diamond, a three-year-old, ready to win more races in his colours as well.

Steel Jaw's other owner, Stan Everett, 50, could not make the trip because of business commitments. However, said Mr Marr, he was sure his partner would be over the moon with the news of the success. "I'm usually a $20 punter," said Mr Marr, "but this time I put $50 on him, so I suppose you could say we were a bit confident he could win."


Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar

Camelot holds out Hands Down

1983 BENSON & HEDGES NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

Constant pressure, applied for 1800 of the 2000 metres in the Benson & Hedges NZ Free-For-All, brought about the downfall of the NZ Cup winner Steel Jaw at Addington. This time rival drivers were awake to the talents of Steel Jaw, and set about putting the pressure on right from the start.

Driver Norm Lang sent Steel Jaw in search of the lead from an outside barrier draw, but Stampede, Bonnie's Chance and Our Mana all went with him, forcing the Australian to cut out the first 400 metres in 26 seconds. From then on, it was no rest as Enterprise and Bonnie's Chance re-applied pressure with a round to go, and kept it on through the first mile in 1:57.2.

In the meantime, Robin Butt, driver of New Zealand Cup runner-up Camelot, and Peter Jones, driver of beaten Cup favourite Hands Down, were biding their time. As Steel Jaw, Bonnie's Chance and Enterprise began to show signs of strain on the home turn, Camelot swept up wide with Hands Down on his outer. These two drew clear and settled down to a torrid battle, which Camelot won by a long head.

There was no more delighted man on the course than Camelot's owner, Dr Harry Crofts, who had travelled all the way from Saudi Arabia to see the Cup carnival. Though Friday's win was Camelot's eleventh win, it was the first time Harry had seen one of them. Camelot's main mission now is the $180,000 Auckland Cup in February, with possibly a tilt at the Adelaide Inter-Dominion to follow the same month.

Hands Down, showed all his old fight, was gallant in defeat, while Stortford Lodge, who only graduated to such exalted company with a win on Cup Day, fought on gamely for his third though over three lengths back. Northern visitor Ben made up a lot of ground for a close fourth after settling back, while Enterprise, trapped three wide for most of the way, fought on gallantly for fifth. Not surprisingly, the others who took part in the hectic early battle with Steel Jaw had little left at the finish, Our Mana finished seventh, Stampede eighth, Bonnie's Chance ninth and Steel Jaw tenth.

Norm Lang admitted to being a little disappointed with the Cup winner's run. "Yes, he was a bit disappointing, even though he was under such pressure all the way," he said.

Camelot paced the mobile 2000 metres in 2:27.2, a mile rate of 1:58.5.


Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar

1983 PAN AM MILE

Just how deperately unlucky Bonnie's Chance was not to have taken a prominent part in the finish to the Auckland Cup a week earlier was emphasised when she strode away to an easy win in the Pan Am Mile at Addington Raceway on Saturday.

She tore out of the mobile barrier and was two lengths clear after a few strides. Then she relaxed and coasted over the first half of the race in little worse than 1min. After that she applied the pressure and, without being asked for an effort, she passed the post four lengths and a half in front of Dundas and Quiet Win. She returned 1:57.6, her last 800m in 57.4s, to become the first horse to win the prestigious sprint for a second time.

Patrick O'Reilly jun, has now driven the outstanding daughter of Majestic Chance and Bonnie Countess on two occasions for decisive wins. His other drive behind her was last season when she won the New Brighton Cup. "She's just terrific," commented O'Reilly. "I was worried when she pulled fiercely in her preliminary, but she settled and raced kindly. Richard (her trainer, Richard Brosnan) told me to give her as easy a run as possible. I just let her make her own way round to the half-way point and let her run home from there. It was just no effort to her. I reckon she could have bettered her time by a second and a half if not more had I pushed her a bit early," he added.

Bonnie's Chance has now had 64 starts for 28 wins and 18 placings worth $308,620 for Mrs Bonnie McGarry, of Timaru, and Mrs Karen Grice of Invercargill. There is a chance she might race at Washdyke on March 2 before going back to Alexandra Park for the Benson and Hedges Inter-Dominion series. The two most experienced open class horses in the field, Dundas and Quiet Win, led the futile chase after Bonnie's Chance. Dundas came from four places back to cut Quiet Win, which tracked Bonnie's Chance, by a short length for second.

There was much criticism of the inclusion of Diamond Moose and Our Mana in the field, but they fully justified their places. Diamond Moose gave Robin Butt an awkward drive when he raced fiercely on the rails. He clipped a wheel of Quiet Win's sulky near the 900m and the latter dragged a punctured tyre from that point. He surged gamely over the final stages to take fourth and earn $950, a neck in front of the C6 horse, Our Mana, which paced a remarkable race, considering his lack of experience. He raced in the open for the whole mile and kept on fighting to the line.

Norton, from a wide draw, was well off the pace and he made up many lengths in the run home for sixth, with the others never in contention. The performance of Diamond Moose, Our Mana and Norton showed they will be among the top pacers next season.

Credit: G K Yule writing in The Press 21 Feb 1983

1981 BENSON & HEDGES NZ FREE-FOR-ALL

"I reckon someone must have pinched the motor out of my car and put it into that horse... and I've got a big car." With those few words John Noble probably summed up the feelings of the other drivers who, like him, had finished away down the track in Armalight's world-shattering Free-For-All last Friday.

There was something slightly unreal about the NZ Cup winner's performance in the $25,000 Benson and Hedges event. In winning in 2:23.5 she smashed the mighty Robalan's world record time for the mobile 2000 metres by 3.1 seconds. And yet all the way she just looked as though she was cruising.

Everyone remembers that day back in November 1974 when Robalan crushed a top field in the Free-For-All to set the new standard - and the effort Lord Module had to put up to get within a tick of that time a couple of years ago. But visualise those three running their times in an imaginary simultaneous race...and then think again about Brent Smith's champion mare out in front at the line, 16 lengths to the good of Robalan on his day. That's some feat of imagination. But that's how it would have been.

In actual fact on Friday, she had a 'mere' three lengths on Bonnie's Chance and Superior Chance. But the victory was as complete as her seven length win in the NZ Cup only three days before. "Yes, we were under a bit more pressure out there today. We only won by three lengths," driver Bob Negus commented as he came off the track.

But the pressure, in reality, was on the other thirteen starters right from the time the mobile gate took off. Negus hunted Armalight into the lead after a hundred metres and set about demoralising the others with a 1:54.2 first mile. She bowled along in front of Superior Chance on the rails, northerner John Tudor on his outer and Richard Brosnan and Bonnie's Chance in the perfect possie one out and one back. Trio, El Regale, Cyllarus and Gammalite, three wide, were next, their drivers probably wondering when Negus was going to relent a little and let off the pressure. In fact, he gave the mare a bit of a spell into the backstraight the last time...only a little breather, mind, but it was sufficient to enable them to sprint the last bit home in around 57 seconds with Negus using only the reins to tell her she was in a race.

Bonnie's Chance had to go around John Tudor soon after turning for home but, in spite of a big run, could get no closer than three lengths, with a half head to Superior Chance, who stuck to his hopeless task well. Daylight was next. Gammalite, all the way from Melbourne to meet a horse who must be unbeatable in her current form, battled away resolutely for fourth just ahead of Hands Down, winner of the event last year.

The first four all finished inside Robalan's record by at least a second, providing a spectacle not one of the 20,000 plus crowd at Addington will forget for a long time. The official mile rate for the event was a withering 1:55.6, sufficiently fast to just about win any of the major American races on the big mile tracks, and not much slower than Lord Module's 1:54.9 mile time trial. Staggering!

According to Negus, the track was perfect for the race. "It was lightning fast." And besides, "the race was only once round. I couldn't really make any mistakes, could I?" he joked, savouring the euphoria of the moment.

Richard Brosnan had no excuse for coming only second, in spite of driving a near perfect race. "How could you take anything away from the winner? You couldn't," he said. He never at any stage thought he could have caught Armalight with his mare. "We were flat all the way." Bill Denton was quietly chuffed with the way Superior Chance had gone. "His was a good honest race. He's always good from the gate, but it was a bit of a change to get a good run." Gammalite's driver Bruce Clark could only shake his head at the performance of the winner but confirmed the tough visitor had battled on well. Peter Jones, in the spotlight with Hands Down after their Cup - Free-For-All double last season, was pleased enough with the run of his horse. He'd stayed back until just after the 800 metres and "was still making ground at the end. But you haven't got a show when they go that quick up front," was his slightly understated assessment.

Lord Module was the other horse in the race to have taken out the feature double...two years ago when he himself was unbeatable. But on Friday, yet again, he gave his backers no hope of getting any sort of return by refusing absolutely to move off with the others. The stipendary stewards later advised a worried Cecil Devine his horse would have to trial twice before being allowed to start next in a mobile event. Those trials took place satisfactorily yesterday and he will probably line up in the Allan Matson on Saturday night when he will have Armalight to contend with again. If she does line up, she'll be after win number 15 from just 21 starts.



Credit: Graham Ingram writing in the NZ Trotting Calendar

A jubilant Brent Smith and his wife Carol with Met President Murray Taylor and his wife Rana

1981 NZ TROTTING CUP

A few weeks ago, Brent Smith confessed he had one ambition: to win the New Zealand Cup with Armalight to prove he owned the best horse in the country. No, he wasn't worried that she might be up against the likes of Delightful Lady or Bonnie's Chance or, at that stage, Hands Down. His mare would match any of them. And so, last Tuesday, it proved. Delightful Lady wasn't there but the others were.... and they weren't just beaten. They were thrashed.

Armalight won the $100,000 New Zealand Cup by an ever widening seven lengths after siting in the open outside the pacemaker for all the journey. Apart, that is, from the last 800 metres when Bob Negus sprinted her into the lead and sailed home to greet the judge in a 57 second last section, a phenomenal effort.

"That just proves it," the young Christchurch owner-trainer said as he waited for his mare to come back to scale. "She's a real champion." You couldn't really argue with that. To win the country's most presitious two mile test on only a three-race build-up, and to be a mare in season at the same time, takes a talent a little out of the ordinary.

Nineteen starts now she's had, counting the Cup, and she's won thirteen and been placed in five for stakes of close to $140,000. She was a champion three-year-old...and now at five, it looks as though she'll further cement her claim to the "champion" tag.

Armalight, by Timely Knight out of a Sapling Stakes and Oaks winner in Ar Miss, was off the racing scene from May 1980 until only a few weeks ago. She was badly frightened after training one day, took off and was lucky to escape injuries serious enough to permanently end her career on the track. It's been a long road back. But the patience and perseverence have paid off. She's been in work again since March for Smith - she's the only horse he trains - and she's been to the trials probably half a dozen times this season. Not a racing build-up, one would have thought, to fit a horse to become the first mare since Loyal Nurse away back in 1949. But Smith, an amateur trainer when he is not working in the load-out dock at the City Abattoir, obviously knew what he was doing.

He said after the event he knew she "would go a big race. But you can't be too confident in the New Zealand Cup, especially after seeing what Hands Down did to us from 25 metres behind at Kaikoura," he confessed.

A few minutes later he held the shimmering gold trophy aloft to the cheers of the 19,000 Addington crowd and told them his pride and joy had come into season only the day before. "I could have sent her to the stud tomorrow," he said. That probably depended on whether she'd won or lost. Instead, though, he'd line her up on the later days of the meeting.

With Smith on the victory platform was his wife Carol who a few minutes earlier had, in spite of the tension and joy of her moment of victory, told reporters "she's a great mare. She always tries." That Armalight tries all the time was substantiated by Bob Negus, probably as happy a man as there was on course. Now fifty, Negus has been driving horses for 27 years and never before has he taken part in the Cup. "I've been waiting for a drive in the Cup, but it's been a case of having to wait," he said. And then the wry confession: "I couldn't have driven the horse worse, parked out like that. Being in front wouldn't have been much better but I couldn't get there. Alec Milne wouldn't let me. Still, she's a top mare and she takes her racing and training very seriously...like a good pupil at school. You've got to hand it to Brent. He's made a great job of her. He's done everything he can to make sure everything's right."

It was Negus who drove Armalight to her first win two seasons ago at Westport, and he's driven her in most of her races since. He, too, came in for his share of the public praise from Smith for all his help in making Armalight the champion she is. "I'm just an amateur in all ways," he said. "I've got to thank Bob for all he's done to help me."

It's raceday history now that Armalight won the Cup with a superb 4:08.7 run, a mile rate of just a tick over 2:05. And it's history, too, that Bonnie's Chance and odds-on favourite Hands Down were her closest rivals, a neck apart, at the line. Their drivers, Richard Brosnan and Peter Jones, had no excuses. Bonnie's Chance was in the trail behind Watbro only to be pushed back to last when that horse packed it in at the 400 metres. With the other nine in front of him, and Armalight lengths clear, Brosnan had to take his mare way out to the middle of the track to get a run, but it was all too late. "Another round and we might have caught her," he said. "Still, second is better than third ... and a lot better than sixth. Maybe next year ..." Brosnan said Bonnie's Chance had begun well to settle in the trail. He thought Watbro might have stuck on a little longer but instead he just plodded on while the others improved round him.

Hands Down, on the other hand, was, as usual, content to sit at the back on the outer of the bunch until the 1200 metres. Jones took him forward from there with a big run to be three wide outside Glen Moria with 400 metres to go. They headed the chase after Armalight in the straight but "just wasn't good enough on the day" to make it two Cups in a row. "Kaikoura proved he was fit enough, but today Armalight was too good," Jones said.

Idolmite, three back on the outer most of the way, stuck on for fourth ahead of the Aussie, Gammalite. The winner of 40 of his 71 starts before crossing the Tasmen for the Cup meeting, Gammalite didn't get much of a chance to show his true worth. He and northern hope John Tudor broke at the start, "and I just can't explain that at all," driver Bruce Clarke said later. "He's always reliable from a stand." And then, when he went to improve from the back with 1100 metres to go, the gap wasn't there between El Regale and John Tudor and he momentarily locked wheels with John Noble's drive. Once clear he too was up wide for the rest of the trip and battled away to collect the $3,000 fifth stake. "It was a good run. I'm not complaining," Clarke said. The other five were well beaten. There could have been no excuses.

On the day, it was Armalight all the way. It was her day.

Credit: Graham Ingram writing in NZ Trotting Calendar