Angland Validates All The Faith Placed In Him

Sun Herald

Sunday January 14, 2007

Max Presnell

HORSES run for Tye Angland, the gifted 17-year-old former bull rider, but Validated in the Bourbon Hotel Handicap at Rosehill yesterday was an exception.

Validated, the $1.75 favourite, paddled up the straight, giving the impression nothing less than a tow truck would make him go faster. He ended up last, beaten 7.4 lengths, in the six-horse field.

The run was in sharp contrast to that of stablemate Prince Arthur, trained by Bart Cummings, in the Underwood Cup.

From a wide gate, Prince Arthur was at least three wide throughout. Middle-distance types doing it so tough rarely score on good tracks, but the stallion answered Angland's every call and outstayed his rivals.

The fact that Cummings used the 2kg-claiming apprentice in a non-claiming race is testimony to the ability of the teenager.

Perhaps those downed by Prince Arthur were hardly tenacious, but it was a fine effort from both horse and rider.

The win gave Angland a winning treble, having previously scored on Junebug (Well Being Handicap) and Jack's Girl (Bank Hotel Handicap).

Yes, it was the "B" team at Rosehill yesterday, with senior riders Darren Beadman, Glen Boss, Chris Munce, Jim Cassidy, Hugh Bowman and Zac Purton riding on the Gold Coast.

But Josh Parr, the other talented apprentice, was also in scintillating form and he, too, landed three winners.

While essentially back-markers made Angland's day, Parr gave an outstanding exhibition of jump-and-run expertise, getting mounts mobile quickly and across from wide barriers, a skill usually developed through greater experience.

Coming from a 14 gate, he never gave anything a chance on Flaming in the Star City Handicap.

The win complete a treble for Parr and trainer Gai Waterhouse, who earlier combined for wins with Master Magic (Pie Face Handicap) and Montana Sunset (Blue Cattledog Handicap).

Master Magic, in particular, responded to Parr's strength and perseverance after the speedy Ten Of Hearts looked certain to score.

Parr blends perfectly with the speed, bone and muscle attributes of the Waterhouse horses.

Being a 1987 "foal", Parr is two years older than Angland, who came into racing after considerable experience with bulls.

"I started riding bulls when I was six," Angland said.

He has now ridden 29 winners in town, 55 on the provincial circuit and 86 on country tracks, but trails Parr, whose win on Flaming took his tally to 34 (city), 65 (provincial) and 107 (country). Both trail Tim Clark (63, 94, 192). Angland comes out of his time in 2009, while Parr completes his indentures in November next year, which should add young talent to the Sydney ranks for a considerable time.

The promise showed by Angland and Parr impresses Racing NSW chief steward Ray Murrihy, who described the improvement in Angland as phenomenal.

"Clark came from the country with a thorough grounding in the country, with around 100 winners, but Tye has had to compete and learn around Sydney," Murrihy said.

Competition is keen and Clark contributed to the downfall of Validated, not that he needed much encouragement to go into reverse. Validated lost his position and Murrihy put it down to him being "roughed up" by Clark's mount, Blokkatoo.