Big Jack Is Laughin'

Sun Herald

Sunday April 1, 2001

By MAX PRESNELL, ROSEHILL

SEVEN Golden Slippers so far and a major player again. That's what the smile of Big Jack Ingham said after Hosannah, carrying the all cerise of the Woodlands Stud syndicate, flashed up to win the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill Gardens yesterday.

As expected, Gai Waterhouse bubbled in expectation of her first Slipper after the success of Red Hannigan in The Singapore Stakes, one of the final qualifying events for the $2.5 million Golden Slipper at the same venue over 1,200m on Saturday.

Red Hannigan is raced by Eduardo Cojuangco's Gooree Pastoral Syndicate, of which Andrew Baddock is the racing manager. He said the syndicate was chasing its first Golden Slipper with some confidence.

Apart from Red Hannigan, Gooree has Royal Courtship engaged, and Baddock has no doubt he is the best stable hope.

Baddock is delighted with they will have two home-breds in the sprint this year.

But Woodlands, Big Jack and his brother Bob, have had a significant impact on the Golden Slipper for more than 30 years, as they are also shareholders in the Newhaven Park syndicate.

They have home-breds Viscount as well as Hosannah engaged on Saturday.

``She's [Hosannah] a good horse," said John Hawkes, trainer for Woodlands.

Hawkes also has Faiza, making the Warwick Farm-based Slipper team look very formidable.

``The best barrier will win the Slipper, because it is a very even field," Hawkes said.

Hosannah is by Octagonal and she again showed the photogenic qualities of her sire with a dazzling last couple of bounds to snatch the Magic Night from the leader Hanky Panky.

Octagonal was noted for pulling victory out of what appeared certain defeat. Still, Hanky Panky was fresh from only a Wyong win, and the time of Hosannah 1min10.28s fell short of Red Hannigan's 1min9.98s.

But Hosannah gave a considerable start and was very wide on the turn. Perhaps the form of the event is suspect, but not the potential of the winner.

Should she get a clear run and avoid trouble in the helter-skelter of the Slipper a race regarded as one of the roughest Hosannah could figure in the finish.

Red Hannigan, though, had a perfect sit behind the leaders from the four gate and just withstood the late bid of Dash For Cash.

Again the form is questionable.

Normally Red Hannigan leads, but Daniel Beasley wisely elected to stay out of the speed battle and figures this will give them more options on Saturday.

Was this a change of riding tactics that so interests the stewards these days? No, surely just a jockey adjusting to the circumstances of the day.

Red Hannigan's win now means Waterhouse will have six runners in the Golden Slipper Excellerator, Ha Ha, Time Out and Miss Bussell, as well as the Gooree Stud pair.

Wisely, she has Excellerator and Royal Courtship as the top chances but won't discard the others, particularly before the barrier draw.

Big Jack? Well, he's just stoked that Octagonal, in his first season, has a Golden Slipper runner Hosannah which is the winner of three out of four starts.

ROSEHILL RACE 4

Tiger bites bookies

THE Rosehill betting ring was given a shake-up before the N.E. Manion Cup yesterday, with the Lee Freedman-trained stayer Tiger's Eye the target of a substantial plunge.

As the bagmen turned the five-year-old's price out to $4.20, an avalanche of punters flocked to back the eventual winner.

``The money came in three waves," said bookmaker John Kennedy, whose biggest bet was $12,000 to $6,000.

Punters who missed the $4.20 had no hesitation in taking any price they could and by the time post time arrived, Tiger's Eye was returning $2.60.

Supporters never had any cause for concern, with Tiger's Eye cruising to a 21/4-length win for jockey Damien Oliver.

Stable spokesman Michael Freedman said the galloper was now bound for richer spoils.

``The idea was to bring him up here from Melbourne for a crack at the Chairman's Handicap on Doncaster Day," he said.

``From the minute he arrived in the stables he has always shown us plenty, but he had a few feet problems early on.

``But now he is starting to put everything together and the future is looking good for him."

GOLDEN SLIPPER (1,200m)
Rosehill, April 7
13-4     Royal Courtship
4       Excellerator
7       Viscount
10      Faiza
12      Spectatorial, Ha Ha, True Jewels
15      Red Hannigan, Miss Bussell,
        Regal Kiss
25      Shovoff
33      Hosannah
* Market supplied by Bill Hurley