Old Man To Chase Second Balaklava Cup

Saturday, 10 August 2002 00:00

Evergreen middle distance performer Old Man will chase his second Balaklava Cup win after today winning The Phantom Handicap (1600m) at Sandown.

Old Man sat back in the field with cover in the early stages before sweeping down the outside to beat Classic Benbara and Foreign Affair. The hot favourite Green Pick was close up in fourth place.

Now an eight-year-old, the John Hawkes trained Old Man, has only raced in South Australia one when he scored a dead heat win in the 1999 listed Balaklava Cup.

"We sent him over there to win the Cup that year," Melbourne foreman John Hawkes said. "He should have won the race outright but he ran all over the place in the straight and virtually threw it away."

In the 1999 Balaklava Cup Old Man started a short priced favourite and was always travelling handy before hitting the line locked together with Old Tawney.

Wayne Hawkes, the son of leading Sydney based trainer John, said the gelding was a well named galloper nowadays.

"Back when he was a two-year-old he was terribly named, but he seems much better name out there today," he said with a smile.

Hawkes added the stable has mande another bright start to the season. Last year the stable won eight metro races in August and set up a handy early lead in the premiership in which they finished a close second on July 31. Old Man's win was the second already this season.