Not So Classic
Illawarra Mercury
Tuesday April 1, 2003
ILLAWARRA Turf Club officials may have to consider the future of their feature race after only six horses accepted to run in the $125,000 Tory Toyota Illawarra 2YO Classic at Kembla Grange tomorrow.
While ITC executive chairman Peter De Vries remained upbeat about a field headlined by Gai Waterhouse's Golden Slipper fancy Secret Land, the number continued a disappointing trend in Group and Listed juvenile events in recent weeks.
Only six horses accepted to run in the $83,000 Gosford Slipper on February 19 before 10 youngsters contested the $200,000 Silver Slipper at Rosehill 10 days later.
The same number lined up in the $100,000 Kindergarten Stakes at Warwick Farm on March 15, leading into the Sweet Embrace and Skyline Stakes at Canterbury on March 22.
Those races, both carrying $140,000, attracted only eight runners each.
Last Saturday's Reisling Stakes bucked the trend a little with 12 accepting for a race the Sydney Turf Club beefed up to $300,000.
Unfortunately, the Todman Stakes ($140,000) on the same day at Rosehill drew only six horses.
ITC racing manager Michael Craig was disappointed that less than a third of the nominated horses had elected to run in the Classic.
But Craig said his club, also offering to pay the $15,000 final Golden Slipper acceptance fee for any horse that runs in the Classic and Slipper, had done all it could to promote the race.
``We put on the race to entice people to come but we can't twist their arms," he said.
``There were six horses that were engaged at Rosehill last weekend so they (connections) were obviously in two minds which way to go.
``They've all gone the other way."
Amazingly, Aim For Gold, Christie's Girl, Fragmentation, Magic Owl, Resistor, Spur Me On, Sunset Run and Winestock all ignored the Classic in preference to other races.
``I spoke to (trainer) Tony McEvoy to ask if Fragmentation was coming but he said she's had some treatment which had kept her out," Craig said.
``I also spoke to Terry O'Sullivan about Winestock last Thursday and he said he'd have to hold a meeting with his owners because they were tossing up whether to run in the Classic or the Pago Pago (Saturday)," Michael Craig said.
``And Resistor is also going to the Pago Pago."
John Payne, owner of Classic outsider Hurry Murray, said he felt for the club and its major supporters.
``I think it's terrible for all the work they've done that a race like this only received six acceptors," he said.
But Waterhouse's racing manager Steve Brem said: ``We think it (field size) is the best news we've heard all day."
© 2003 Illawarra Mercury