Galiano Doubt If Kembla Grange Is A Bog

Illawarra Mercury

Thursday March 8, 2001

By DAVE MURRAY

New Zealand trainer Paul O'Sullivan intends to scratch topweight Galiano from today's $70,000 Tory Toyota Kembla Grange Cup (2000m) if overnight rain further downgrades an already sodden track.

O'Sullivan recently paid a late entry for the former Kiwi galloper into the $2.5million Doncaster Handicap at Randwick on April 14 and won't risk running the gelding on a bog with 57kg.

Galiano, who was allotted a postage stamp 49kg when Doncaster weights were issued this week, is the form galloper of today's race, having won two of his past three starts in Sydney.

A surprise (20/1) first-up winner at Rosehill on January 13, the sparingly raced five-year-old finished third to Silver Castle at Randwick over 1400m before a stunning last-start win there on dead ground over 1600m.

Galiano rocketed home from second last on the turn to beat Nazareth, convincing O'Sullivan to pay up for the Doncaster.

Currently in New Zealand and not expected back until the weekend, O'Sullivan originally pencilled the Kembla Cup into Galiano's preparation but does have a contingency plan.

``He does handle wet tracks but he's got a lot of weight tomorrow so we'll wait and see in the morning," stable spokeswoman Annalese Trollope said.

``Glen Boss will ride but we're not 100 per cent sure yet. It depends on how heavy it gets.

``He could end up running on Saturday at Warwick Farm in the Chipping Norton (1600m)."

A winner of six of only 13 career starts, Galiano's head and not his legs had kept him from making more racetrack appearances, according to Trollope.

``We only bought him as a tried horse last year so we've only had him for about five starts," she said.

``He's very immature in the head, a big kid like one that's had too much red cordial."

``He's a nice horse but that's just the way he is and I think the breed goes (better) when they're a bit older, anyway," Trollope said.

A son of English stallion Bassenthwaite, Galiano also won on a dead track over 1400m in New Zealand last May before joining the O'Sullivan camp.

Meanwhile, Illawarra Turf Club racing manager Michael Craig said the cup meeting would go ahead unless substantial rain fell on the course overnight.

The ITC was forced to cancel Saturday's South Sydney program after 75mm drenched the track late last week.

The club has since moved the running rail in 6m to the true position and closely monitored the course's condition.

``The track will be heavy and it's unlikely to improve, but we'd need a fair bit of rain overnight to threaten the meeting," Craig said yesterday afternoon.

``Our curator Dave Anderson will get a horse to gallop on the track about six o'clock then walk the course so we'll have a reading about 7am."

© 2001 Illawarra Mercury

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