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MELBOURNE SPRING RACING CARNIVAL
New Zealand stayer in
'pretty' good condition
From JOHN HOURIGAN in Melbourne
, Outstanding New Zealand stayer
Koiro Trelay is pretty in looks, and that|s.
all right, and "pretty" in condition, and
this is slightly worrying for trainer Eric
Temperton.
By "pretty" in condition Temperton means,
that the horse is doing too well and needs,
another solid run to bring him right to his peak ,
for the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. ,. :A
Naturally Temperton is not complaining
that Koiro (pronounced Core-e-o) Trelay is
thriving at Flemington. Every effort has been1
made, successfully, to make the conditions
and atmosphere like it is back home at
Awapuni, near Palmerston North.
The beautiful dapple-grey has found a mate
in the form of another New Zealand galloper;
Shamrock, who contracted a virus after his1
successful Brisbane campaign and is to miss
intended Melbourne commitments. But
Shamrock also is domiciled at Pat Courtney's
stables and will returning to New Zealand
with Koiro Trelay after the Cup.
Flemington was a hive of industry as usUal
from 5 to 8am yesterday, but by 9am most;
horses were having breakfast and only a few
were seen again being exercised in the after
noon.
Not so Koiro Trelay. After he cleaned his
feed-bin he was taken out for a stroll by
leading New Zealand jumps jockey Michael ,
Gillies, his strapper and constant companion
for the trip. The same routine was adopted ?
after his midday feed.
This is Temperton's method of creating a
feeling of wide open spaces to which the horse
is accustomed back home.
Temperton says the prettiness is worrying,
but by the same token one gets the strong
feeling that the six-year-old's program is right
on target, and the run in the L.K.S. Mackin
non Stakes on Saturday will be the required
conditioner.
Race jockey Phillip Smith arrived on Mon
day night and worked Koiro Trelay over
1,600 m yesterday.
"Usually he is a bad trackworker, but that's
the best he's felt", Smith said. /
The horse will do the same work tomorrow
morning and will sprint up the straight on
Saturday morning. , <
Temperton has adopted exactly the same
program for Koiro Trelay as he did for his
1971 Melbourne Cup winner-Silver Knight.
In fact, Koiro Trelay went one better, than
Silver Knight in that he won the class one
handicap at Otaki before leaving for Australia
on September 30.
In that race, over 2,270 m, Smith was
forced to go to the front a long way from home \
because of the slow pace, but instead of being
a sitting, target his mount toyed with his rivals
and strode away to win comfortably.
Both Silver Knight and Koiro Trelay
finished eighth in the Cox Plate. Silver Knight
then ran second in the Mackinnon, and it
.would, not surprise to see Koiro Trelay run on H
strongly' into a similar position liehind King-*'
ston Town, who will be admirably better
suited under the weight-for-age scale.
A smile comes easy to Temperton, a man
with 36 years training experience, but only his
quiet, assured'manner will be'displayed even
if Koiro Trelay is led into the winner's stall
on Tuesday. .
"I look on the Melbourne Cup as the
greatest race, every New Zealander does, and
I got a thrill to win it, biit .1 don't show my
feelings outwardly",.;he said:
; "It is not always the best horse-that wins,-.
but wheng Silver Knight won, he won on his
merits". . ° 1 . :
Temperton's tiarn-type stable estab
lishment on 12.14 ^hectares, is about 2.5 km
from Awapuni racecourse.
Up to 40 horses are in work, with another
20 in the spelling paddocks. Many are
jumpers, for Temperton has had considerable
success with-them ... "I love jumpers .. .
though they give you more heartaches".
This affinity for jumpers, no doubt dating
back to his riding days whenhe rode over the
fences for the top jumping stable of Jim
Waller, is a key to his success.
"I teach all my horses to jump as three
year-olds .. . Koiro Trelay was , schooled by
Gillies over fences", he said.
"It is. not as easy to'teach'an; old horse to
jump, but it's useful to turn stayers ' into
jumpers after they have .been weighted out of
flat races, providing they have had that initial
schooling.
"The jumping helps in the development of
their muscles ... one of New Zealand's
greatest trainers, Hazlett, who had Kurdistan,
taught his horses to, jump ,as two-year-olds.
"Eiffel Tower won a Wellington Cup and
.later won a Great Northern Hurdle and Grand
National.
"If Koiro Trelay had not made the grade
on the flat then he would have been put over
the fences".
"We. waited for him'to. mature knowing
that he would produce the ability that has
since carried him to victory in the New
Zealand and Wellington Cups", Temperton
said.
Koiro. Trelay ran. third in .the Wellington
Cup as a four-year-old, beaten a half-length
and a nose.
He was set for the New Zealand Cup,
which he won effortlessly. Freshened up, he
' !won again ^before taking out: the Wellington
Cup, overcoming difficulties in the process.
Temperton would like to see a fast run race
. on firm ground on Tuesday. .
Koiro.Trelay has filled out in the neck and
shoulders since the Wellington Cup and looks
a tower of strength. :
He cost his owner, Texan Dave Canning,
, only about $800. Canning bought, the mare
Corrieann very cheaply and put her to Trelay
as a second choice. She was to be put to
Mellay but the sire was injured. Trelay died
recently; and Koiro Trelay now is a most
valuable stallion.
Temperton intends to retire inside two
years, but before that hopes to become the
second New Zealand trainer to prepare more
than.-1,000 winners in his" career (Cochrane
was the first). Temperton is 47 short of the
mark at present.
.As a jockey his greatest thrill was to win
the Great Northern and as a trainer he has
. won most, of .the big races in New Zealand.
To win a second Melbourne Cup would high
light an already highly successful career.
"This year's Cup is shaping up as the best
ever run", Temperton said.
"The handicapper has done a wonderful
job, he has treated every horse well and that's
good for racing.
"I'm satisfied. He has given my horse only
half a kilo for winning the Wellington Cup,
? and when you compare Kingston Town's
weight'with Gunsynd in 1972 then Kingston
Town also is well in".
Temperton gives Kingston Town a top
chance taking a line through Gunsynd and his
[Temperton's] good mare, Magnifique.
"Gunsynd beat my mare by a half-length
in the Cox Plate and he was a neck behind
her in the Cup", he said.
Koiro Trelay strides out in trackwork at Flemington last week during preparation for his tilt at the Melbourne Cup. Help
Koiro Trelay strides out in trackwork at Flemington last week during
preparation for his tilt at the Melbourne Cup.
$