By BARRY STREET
"This is Grovana's year."
That was trainer Stephen Autridge's prediction yesterday after watching replays of Grovana's stylish return to form in the main race at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Autridge was at Trentham, saddling Singalong for second in the New Zealand Oaks, but was thrilled by what he saw on television of the Lion Red Handicap.
The race was only the second of Grovana's 5-year-old campaign, which will include mainly weight-for-age events for fillies and mares.
All going well, she could also turn out a "nice horse" for the Easter Handicap at Ellerslie in mid-April.
Whatever the slow-maturing Grovana achieved as a three and 4-year-old, Autridge says, she should surpass this season because she is so much stronger.
That says a fair amount because in her final race last season she managed a group-three third behind Zapeace and Centamira in a weight-for-age 1600m for fillies and mares at Te Rapa.
Grovana scored on Saturday by a short neck and a long head from Justine and Sir Lancelot, each of whom rushed home almost abreast in centre of the track, to relegate the favourite, For The Roses, to fourth.
For The Roses, seeking a fourth win in succession, had seemed the winner when stealing a break along the rails inside the final 200m.
Second favourite Volkaire and Bahnhof Zoo, nominees for the group one Thorndon Mile at Trentham next Saturday, were disappointments.
Volkaire managed only fifth and Bahnhof Zoo weakened to second last after pacemaking.
Grovana is bred to be good, by Grosvenor from the well-performed Impasada, and is raced by veteran Matamata owner Eric Hopson.
Hopson had a star performer more than 40 years ago, Anacapri, who won Wanganui and Taranaki Cups and was runner-up to Foglia d'Oro in the 1959 New Zealand Cup.
After that Hopson became a client of the Dave O'Sullivan stable at Matamata, an association which racked up more than 100 wins with horses like Anderil, Wandell, Chrisada and Optician.
A former Matamata galloper now in the Craig and Frank Ritchie stable at Takanini also indicated on Saturday that 200l could be his year.
Lord Of Illusion, fourth in the Bayer Classic at Otaki last season, ran fifth over 1200m at Avondale last month in his first start for the Ritchies, then fifth to Borelli over 1400m at the Auckland Cup carnival at Ellerslie.
He improved sufficiently to win the Speights Pride of the South Handicap over 1400m at Ellerslie by a length and three-quarters from two relative outsiders, Courting Debt and Nudge.
Favourite Tantamount blotted her copybook by having a go at the starting gates and then taking a backward step just as the tapes flew.
She also encountered traffic problems.
Lord Of Illusion did not get the best of the start, either, not surprisingly since he drew No 14.
But a shrewd ride by Matthew Williamson helped to overcome that.
Lord Of Illusion advanced quickly three wide to a more comfortable one-one position rounding the first turn and was "up and travelling" for Williamson into the home straight.
Thereafter he lengthened stride impressively to have the race in safe keeping with all of 200m to run.
Neither Craig nor Frank Ritchie saw the race live.
Craig was at Trentham with Nobodywantsme, trying to qualify in the Anniversary Handicap for next Saturday's Thorndon Mile, and his father was honouring a long-standing promise to be master of ceremonies at a wedding.
Both were suitably impressed, however, by what they saw on television.
"We were lucky to get the horse just as he was reaching full maturity," Frank Ritchie said yesterday.
"He'd always shown a touch of class but was kind of long and lanky and in need of more time.
"The development in him this season has made him quite handsome.
"The longer Craig and I have had him the more we've felt he could go over more ground, to about 2000m.
"He couldn't quite get 1600m last season because he wasn't then strong enough."
A test of Lord Of Illusion's distance range may come next Saturday week, Ritchie said, in a class-three 1600m at Te Rapa.
"We are looking at that or a class-three 1400m at Ellerslie the following Tuesday."
Nobodywantsme, having missed out by centimetres (fifth) after a game front-running effort in the Anniversary, will now probably attempt next Saturday's Douro Cup at Trentham.
Racing: Stylish victory shows a stronger Grovana could make 2001 hers
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