A Treble For Nikolic To Savour While The Pumper Shows Lloyd It's A Long Way From Dubai To Sydney

Sun Herald

Sunday January 27, 2008

Max Presnell

FINE, hard, competitive riding, featuring Dan Nikolic and reminiscent of the good ol' days returned to Royal Randwick on Australia Day.

Nikolic produced tactical excellence yesterday and fine judgment of pace, while Jim Cassidy again confirmed that when it comes to pumping, nobody does it better.

South Africans, alas, suffered badly with the improved standard. Glyn Schofield had a program to forget, starting with Nuclear Sky in the Randwick Betting Auditorium Handicap. Not that Nuclear Sky was strongly fancied, but he made an enormous pest of himself around the leader, Buzzy Henry, and raised the ire not only of punters, but Racing NSW stewards.

One irate Buzzy Henry supporter figured Schofield should get an award named after a prominent South African, hardly Charlize Theron. Chief steward Ray Murrihy grilled him about his nuisance value, stressing the speed of the first 1000 metre section was a fast 59.4 seconds.

Schofield argued he was was handling a staying type and tried to avoid a sit and sprint by applying pressure, but Murrihy countered it left Nuclear Sky "with no petrol left" at the finish, sapped Buzzy Henry, with Blake Shinn up, and set the race up for Nikolic on favourite God's Own.

Only two weeks back, Murrihy was critical of jockeys being allowed to "get away with murder" due to the lack of pressure being applied to leaders. Anyway, the Schofield inquiry was adjourned.

Schofield also suffered at the hands of Nikolic when he produced a bold take-no-prisoners performance on Hoystar when, shortly after straightening, he shut the gate on the South African's mount, Scorched Earth, which finished just behind the placegetters in a buffeting go. However the damage was done to Scorched Earth when Schofield had the glimpse of clear running on Hoystar. Nikolic took it away like a falling guillotine, cutting Scorched Earth out of at least the runner-up's spot.

Earlier, Nikolic had kicked home a winning double for Bart Cummings, who's on a boat cruise in New Zealand to ready himself for the looming Karaka sales.

Apart from God's Own, Nikolic was particularly impressive on Xavier in the Run Property Handicap. On face value, Nash Rawiller gave up the initiative on Kingda Ka and allowed Nikolic to make his own pace. Conceding five kilograms to Xavier and Nikolic and letting him do his own thing is like playing poker with a cardsharp using his own pack.

Later, however, Rawiller told stewards Kingda Ka had hit his head on the starting stalls and "struggled" early in the race. Murrihy mentioned to him that if he had any doubts about whether a mount is damaged he should inform the starter.

After the race the official vet reported a minor laceration in the horse's nose that barely broke the skin.

Surprisingly Xavier's best win dividend Australia-wide on the tote was $6.30, but he started at nearly double with bookmakers. Asked about the discrepancy, leading rails bookmaker Robbie Waterhouse opined it was the religious significance. God's Own all up Xavier. "The Catholics backed Xavier," he quipped.

Prayer was very much in vogue for those who supported Dubai To Sydney in the Hyland Race Colours Handicap when Typhoon Fury, with the South African Jeff Lloyd up, loomed up and looked certain to forge clear. Lloyd allowed the two-year-old to stretch to his fullest but Cassidy over the latter stages applied his pump, still more effective than the pushing, cajoling and trying to nurse.

Apart the Nikolic treble, and Cassidy on Dubai to Sydney, another New Zealander, Larry Cassidy, took the Australia Day Cup on El Meroo.

Rawiller (She's Meaner), and Shinn's usual winner, on Raqas, before apprentice Matthew Palmer received maximum benefit from his 2kg claim on Referees in the Hahn Super Dry Handicap.

Thus not one local figured in the return to excellence. We could claim "The Pumper" but he'd probably break out into a haka to leave no doubt from whence he came.

© 2008 Sun Herald

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