Trainer's Weighty Woes For Prince
The Age
Wednesday July 4, 2001
Jim Houlahan may not quite agree, but his latest star hurdler Classic Prince has been rated a one-kilogram better horse than his most recent Grand National Hurdle winners Moon Chase and Marlborough when weights for Saturday's National were released yesterday.
Houlahan, 88, won an amazing seven Grand National Hurdles during the 1990s, but only one - Sharp As (69.5kg in 1990) - was asked to carry more than Classic Prince, who was allotted 68kg yesterday by Racing Victoria handicapper Gordon Rees.
Houlahan said he thought his horse would get one kilogram less and added that the extra weight over 4000metres had dinted his confidence of another National victory.
``It's a hell of a lot of weight to carry over such a long journey. It's a tough ask and he's got a very hard job in front of him now," Houlahan said.
``But he's a very good horse. He's tough and he's fit and he'll give it his best shot." With 68kg, Classic Prince has been asked to carry 4.5kg more than his nearest rival Nautilism - a rise of 1.5kg for their last meeting in a hurdle race in last month's Australian Hurdle, when Classic Prince had only a two-length margin over his arch-rival.
If successful on Saturday, Classic Prince will carry the heaviest weight to victory in the National since Hip Flask won with 69.5kg nine years ago.
Houlahan would not be drawn on whether he believed that Classic Prince is a better horse than Moon Chase, who won in 1998 with 67kg and Marlborough, who carried the same weight the following year. ``We'll wait for Saturday before we can properly compare them," Houlahan said.
Classic Prince is also rated a kilogram better than two of Houlahan's most famous National winners Fun Verdict in 1993 and Tennessee Blue in 1994.
``They were all great horses but the thing about this one is that he hasn't done it yet. His form has been very good but he's got to now go on and win a National to prove himself," Houlahan said.
Rees said he was pleased with the way the weights panned out and believed Classic Prince was a two-kilogram better horse than Moon Chase or Marlborough.
``On what Moon Chase and Marlborough carried in the lead-up to the National, Classic Prince is probably two kilograms superior than those two, but I've given him just one kilogram more," Rees said.
Michael Freedman, deputising for his brother Lee, said the stable was happy with the 63.5kg for Nautilism. ``That's about what we expected. He's 4.5kg from Jim's horse and that's probably the right mark," he said.
LINDSAY PARK has earmarked next year's Golden Slipper Stakes in Sydney as a priority for the new season after heading the entries for the $2.5million race at the close of nominations yesterday.
Lindsay Park's trainer Tony McEvoy yesterday nominated a staggering 118yearlings for the Slipper next March - some 40 more than last year. The massive training operation, which was begun by the late Colin Hayes in the early 1960s, has not won the world's richest two-year-old race since Rory's Jester saluted in 1985.
Gai Waterhouse, who trifectaed the Golden Slipper this year, entered 96yearlings - 13 more than this year - while John Hawkes' numbers were reduced from 114 to 91.
© 2001 The Age
