Marlborough Is Fit And Ready To Take On The World
The Age
Tuesday January 30, 2001
The connections of Australia's finest jumper, Marlborough, had several reasons to be thrilled over the weekend, but it was the news yesterday that he had been selected to take on the world in April that prompted the biggest cheer.
At Sandown on Saturday, Marlborough, in his first start for almost 12 months following a tendon injury, flashed home late to win. But celebrations were kept to a minimum as the horse had to subsequently prove he had not reinjured himself.
On Sunday, trainer Jim Houlahan and managing part-owner Kevin Coughlan were relieved to find that Marlborough had pulled up well from his Sandown run.
Then, yesterday morning, Coughlan received the news he had been waiting for. The Japan Racing Association had invited Marlborough to represent Australia in the world's richest jumps race - the $2.7million Nakiyama Grand Jump on April14.
``His legs are beautiful after his run at Sandown," Coughlan said. ``There is no heat, no thickening, so we've just got to get through the next five weeks of him doing two or three miles a day."
Marlborough will first tackle the lead-up race, the Pegasus Jump - worth about $550,000 - in Japan on March24, but as he must serve seven days in quarantine in Japan, he will need to leave our shores on March12.
Marlborough will face some of the world's great steeplechasers, including unbeaten New Zealander Rand.
© 2001 The Age
