St. Andrews Takes Third Launceston Cup

Wednesday, 26 February 2003 00:00

Crowd favourite St. Andrews rewrote the history books when he down the favourite Arena Valadora to win today's Group Three $195,000 AAMI Launceston Cup (2400m).

The George Blacker owned and trained gelding had previously won the Launceston Cup in 2000 and 2002, while he finished second in 2001.

Thanks to a lovely ride from underrated Victorian based jockey Noel Callow, St. Andrews was able to hold out Arena Valadora while the one paced South Australian stayer Saturday Fever tried hard in third place.

"He has been a great horse to us and done a great job out there again today," winning trainer George Blacker said.

"He's a great stayer and he's very easy to train."

"A couple of horses came over with a big reputation and they run into a horse like this," Blacker added.

Last year St. Andrews won both the Hobart and Launceston Cups, not bad for a horse who cost his connections a mere $200.

Blacker sent his son John to buy St. Andrews as a weanling when he was offered in 1995. At the time George was in Queensland on holidays and the youngster was offered at a dispersal following the death of George's owner Peter Burleigh.

Thanks to today's win St. Andrews' prize earnings shot to over a half a million dollars. From 47 starts, the gelding is the winner of eleven races as well as having 16 minor placings for stakes of $592,921.

St. Andrews only hit the track as a four-year-old after a career as a lead pony for the Blacker stable. The gelding by Aliocha showed promise as a leady pony and Blacker decided to throw the unknown quantity into work.

Last start Hobart Cup winner Jeune's Mark had little luck after being trapped wide for much of the race and weakened over the concluding stages.

The Mike Moroney trained The Mighty Lions got back a little worse than midfield and failed to run on well enough to ever loom as a chance of finishing in the top three placings.

Leading Adelaide rider Jason Holder described the run of Glitzy Guru in the Cup as "disappointing." The well bred mare had to be used up a little earlier that wishes, but she failed to go with the placegetters at the finish to knock up in a midfield position.

PIC - Quentin Lang.