By BARRY STREET
From a Great Northern carnival point of view, there was not much to enthuse about the two feature jumps races at Te Rapa on Saturday.
Ten-year-old Stacey Jones led all the way and proved too slick for favourite Esprit Du Nord and Sir Avion in the Dunstan Waikato Hurdles but is not a certain starter in the $50,000 TV Guide Hurdles at Ellerslie on Saturday week.
Similarly, 9-year-old Silver Archer was never headed and outclassed his rivals by 26 lengths in the Ecolab Waikato Steeplechase but is not considered a Mercedes Great Northern Steeplechase type.
Silver Archer's nifty jumping was probably the most spectacular since a tearaway Loghrae, trained by Laurie Laxon and ridden by Brett McDonald, held a 150m lead with a round to go and won easing down by eight lengths in the 1983 Waikato Steeplechase.
Against Silver Archer, though, for the $100,000 Great Northern on June 4 is a dicky shoulder which may not withstand three trips over the famed Ellerslie hill.
Ace jumps jockey Eddie Lamb, who returned home to Palmerston North last Thursday after winning the Iroquois Hurdle in the United States on the New Zealand grey Rand, was disappointed at not having rides at Te Rapa on Saturday.
It also disappointed him that no up-and-coming jumpers made impressions against the old-timers.
"I thought that the likes of Hooter Bedford, who'd won two of his first three hurdles races, might put their hands up," Lamb said. "None did.
"Even so, I want to be a part of the action at the northern carnival."
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Jockey Tony Allan reckons he could have pulled the right rein since his return to race riding after a year's suspension in Singapore.
During the four months he has been back in action, with satisfactory results of 22 wins, Allan has moved from Matamata, become Cambridge based and struck up a rapport with prominent owner-trainer-breeder Jim Campin.
Thus he has become the regular track and race rider of a 17.1 hands Revolution, built on the same massive lines as Allan's Melbourne Cup winner, Empire Rose.
Revolution, bred by Campin by Deputy Governor from Touch Wood and unraced until he was a fully-developed 4-year-old, won his 1200m maiden debut at Hastings recently by 3 1/4 lengths.
On Saturday he was even more impressive scoring by 4 1/4 lengths over 1400m at Te Rapa in 1:30.21 - nearly two seconds faster than the premier-quality 1400m winner Mattstar.
Revolution may never produce the stamina of Empire Rose but has every sign of becoming a powerful galloper.
"The track at Hastings had a cut in it and didn't allow horses to accelerate," Allan said yesterday.
"But Revolution did accelerate after he jumped out behind other horses and I angled him into the clear.
"I know it was only a mid-week field of maidens he beat, but I'd have to say he was super impressive.
"Yesterday the track was heavier and nearly all horses were getting bogged down. Not Revolution.
"I wouldn't say he was a wet tracker, but he felt strong. He seems something special."
Racing: Tearaway Silver Archer leaves all in his wake
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