Jenny
Barnes

Oakbank
2002

26/03/02 Heroes and Warriors - Onkaparinga Cup

Returning as a six-year-old in late November Hollinger was unplaced in two runs before having a further two months off. After running well back over 1100m at Morphettville behind Newmarket winner Lockley's Tradition and Brinkman on February 8, 1986 Hollinger won an Open Handicap over 1500m at Murtoa a week later. He was then beaten a long neck by Barkado in the Naracoorte Cup. Unplaced in the Listed Tattersall's Cup Hollinger was then second over 1800m at Morphettville as he prepared for a return to Oakbank. In his second attempt at the Onkaparinga Cup Hollinger was sent out as 2/1 favourite and recorded another hard fought win defeating Tax Rebate by a long neck with ¾ length to Believable third. He was then second behind Arctic Vision in the Hamilton Cup, second to Final Triumph in the Group 3 Birthday Cup and second to Mint Master in the Warrnambool Cup. Aimed at the 1986 Adelaide Cup Hollinger was third to Foxseal and Sir Geraint in the West End Export Stakes then 5th to future Caulfield Cup winner Mr Lomody, Sydney Cup winner Late Show and Mint Master in the Adelaide Cup. Hollinger was then spelled for the Spring.

Hollinger returned as a seven-year-old running second in the Angus Tyson Trophy over 1200m at Morphettville only a length from the winner Danish Saint. Two fourths followed before a short unsuccessful campaign in Melbourne. Returning to Adelaide Hollinger was second to Malaga Don in the Red Handed Handicap at Morphettville on Melbourne Cup day before soon heading for a spell. Resuming in mid March he was third at Murtoa and then third in the Country Cup at Naracoorte. Hollinger then finished six lengths from the winner in the Group 3 Birthday Cup as he prepared to head back to Oakbank for a third attempt at the Onkaparinga Cup. Sent out at 8/1 and ridden by Bill Sharp Hollinger appreciated returning to the circuit but Disco Gambler was too good winning by 1 ½ lengths from Hollinger with Bourbon Boy third. After running at Warrnambool Hollinger went for a break. He returned with two unplaced runs at Victoria Park before being pulled up after stumbling near the 600m in an Open Handicap at Morphettville. Given a let up Hollinger was cleared of injury and returned to Morphettville for the Labour Day Cup, a Listed race over 2400m. Hollinger ran third beaten less than a length by Alfarazdq and Legana. He then headed to a series of Country Cups where he won the Nhill Cup over 2100m by 3 ½ lengths while conceding 5kg to the runner up Jazilada with Poppa Street third. A short let up followed before Hollinger lined up in the OJ Smith Challenge Stakes at Cheltenham. He finished well back as Saratov blitzed the field by six lengths from Sly Habit and De Lante. A week later Hollinger gained revenge in winning the Group 3 Port Adelaide Cup at Morphettville over 2400m from Saratov with Pure Sheikh third and Sly Habit fourth. He was then fourth at Victoria Park and fourth at Morphettville before heading back to Melbourne. Unplaced in several runs he then targeted Oakbank again. Now eight-years-old Hollinger was trying to make history as the only triple winner of the Onkaparinga Cup. Sent out at 35/10 for the 2150m Listed event Hollinger fought out a close finish with De Lante before being declared the winner by a half neck with four lengths back to Peace Token third. It had taken him five years but Hollinger had completed the treble. After three further runs he went for a spell.

The nine-year-old started his next campaign with a third at Stawell before being unplaced at Ballarat in the Gold Nugget Stakes. He was then second at Warracknabeal behind Codicil before running sixth in the Horsham Cup behind Flying Eskimo. Eight days later he was third at Donald before a fifth in the Donald Cup. Victory followed at Warracknabeal before a second place at Nhill as Hollinger prepared to head back to Adelaide for the Christmas Carnival. Hollinger was fifth in the OJ Smith Challenge and third beaten less than two lengths to Jolly Good Thought and Wizzimo in the Port Adelaide Cup again run at Cheltenham. He then went for a 8 month spell.

Hollinger had three runs during July where he failed to find form and after running fourth behind Sunny Bennett over 1900m at Warracknabeal as a ten-year-old in August Hollinger was retired. Hollinger had 102 race starts for 19 wins 15 seconds and 12 thirds and remains the only horse to win the Onkaparinga Cup three times.

The final of the Onkaparinga Cup heroes and warriors is the grand campaigner Frenzel Rhomb. Sharing a name with a popular rock band Frenzel Rhomb has gathered a sizeable fan club over the last few years and it all began at Oakbank. Sired by Undercut from the Lord Seymour mare Country Glow Frenzel Rhomb was trained by John Hickmott of Murray Bridge.

As a two-year-old Frenzel Rhomb had his first barrier trial in finishing 4th of 8 to Tracker over the 1050m course at Oakbank in late March 1996. He debuted with an eighth behind speedsters Maximova and Preacher over 1200m at Murray Bridge six weeks later. A third at Naracoorte followed before two unplaced runs before the distances increased. Frenzel Rhomb was third of 17 runners at Cheltenham over 1413m then second of 14 over 1600m at Morphettville. A fourth at Victoria Park followed before Frenzel Rhomb was spelled. Returning in November he was third over 1200m at Mildura before a sixth at Cheltenham then another third at Morphettville over 1600m behind Badminton Boy and Mustinair with Spirit of Hope fourth. Unplaced at Morphettville Frenzel Rhomb headed to country Victoria where he won an 1800m Maiden Plate at Horsham before heading back to Adelaide. He was third behind future stakeswinners Kipling and Spirit of Hope with Aviate fourth in an 1800m Three-Year-Old Handicap at Cheltenham before defeating Kipling over 2014m at Morphettville by a neck with 3 ½ lengths to Aviate third and Spirit of Hope fourth. Unplaced at Victoria Park Frenzel Rhomb appreciated the return to Morphettville where he was third to Voodoo Beat and Lord Mitch before winning over 2000m from Noble Colony with Spirit of Hope third. Two unplaced runs and Frenzel Rhomb headed to the paddock. After taking a few runs to find fitness Frenzel Rhomb was a close second over 1800m at Morphettville behind Doright before running third in the Clare Cup. A fourth beaten just over a length at Victoria Park followed before he was unplaced in the Listed JRA Trophy won by Spirit of Hope. He was then fourth in the Port Adelaide Cup before being freshened. Frenzel Rhomb returned to form with a second in an Open Handicap at Morphettville and was then fifth in the Barossa Cup at Gawler after striking interference around the turn. A third at Cheltenham over 2450m behind Ferox Chief and Opera Symbol then two close up unplaced runs at Morphettville and Murray Bridge paved the way for a return to Oakbank.

On April 4, 1998 Frenzel Rhomb defeated Rose of Talaq and Prince Charming over 2267m at Cheltenham and then headed to Oakbank a week later. In the straight of the Onkaparinga Cup Frenzel Rhomb looked set for victory but New Zealander Just Anthing finished strongly along the rails to grab first place by a half length with 3 ¾ lengths back to River Kwai in third place. Frenzel Rhomb continued on the Adelaide Cup trail with a fifth behind Heed The Toll in the Rain Lover Plate before finishing third to the same horse in the SA Stakes (now known as the Carlton Draught). In the Adelaide Cup Frenzel Rhomb struck interference in the running and finished midfield less than five lengths behind classy stayers The Hind and Bohemiath. Unplaced in the SA St Leger Frenzel Rhomb was spelled for six months.

The first run of his five-year-old season produced a fifth at Mildura over 1400m before he ran third at 80/1 in an Open Handicap at Cheltenham over 1450m behind Ihtiyati and Akebono with Kipling fourth. Beaten a neck by Amarina over 1800m at Cheltenham Frenzel Rhomb then started at his home track of Murray Bridge. In an Open Handicap over 2200m Frenzel Rhomb defeated Exotic Art and Daybreak Treat with Prince Keystone fourth as he prepared for the OJ Smith Stakes. In a blanket finish to the 2000m Listed race Frenzel Rhomb was fourth behind Mighty Macarno who nosed out Kipling with Vestey third while his jockey Nigel Seymour lost the whip at a vital stage.

Frenzel Rhomb then lined up in the Port Adelaide Cup where he was third to Vestey and Kipling before bolting to victory in an Open Handicap at Victoria Park over 2400m from Legal Hand and Opera Symbol. Frenzel Rhomb was then aimed at the Oakbank Carnival leading to the Adelaide Cup. After a fourth to Shattered Circle he then won an Open Handicap over 2500m at Morphettville from Grand Scenic with Shattered Circle third. Three runs after a short let up Frenzel Rhomb headed back to Oakbank and this time gave nothing else a chance winning the Onkaparinga Cup by nearly two lengths from pacemaker Power Plan with Rose of Talaq third. Back to town he was then second to Shattered Circle in the Rain Lover Plate and fourth in the West End Stakes (Carlton Draught). Under foreboding skies Frenzel Rhomb finished well back in the Adelaide Cup behind Sheer Kingston and Skybeau.

Sent for a 4 ½ month spell Frenzel Rhomb returned with a victory over Dedication Boy and Mighty Macarno in an Open Handicap over 1450m at Cheltenham before running third at Listed level to Brother Maya and Future Ethics over 1600m at Morphettville. Heading to Victoria he was fourth at Flemington to Typhoon and Spirit of Hope before being unplaced in the Ballarat Cup. Returning to South Australia Frenzel Rhomb lined up in the OJ Smith Challenge Stakes where he defeated Stylish Laird and Willy What before heading to the Port Adelaide Cup where he was fourth to King's Landing, Jamestown and Scrupulous. A spell followed before a short Cups campaign. Sixth behind Stormy Jim in an Open Handicap at Cheltenham Frenzel Rhomb was one of many swamped by the finish of Skybeau in the Birthday Cup beaten 1 1/4 lengths into sixth place. Frenzel Rhomb then travelled to Oakbank to defend his Onkaparinga Cup crown. Carrying 56kg Frenzel Rhomb repeated his run of 1999 to win easily by 1 ½ lengths from Odysseus with Oxford Dollar third. He then lined up in the West End (Carlton Draught) Stakes where he dived through along the rails to get to the front right on the post defeating Royal Caliph by a nose with a half length to Oxford Dollar third. Frenzel Rhomb then started in the postponed Adelaide Cup run at Victoria Park but finished well back behind Bohemiath, Karasi and Oxford Dollar.

After a spell Frenzel Rhomb returned to form at his third run in at Morphettville in an Open Handicap where he was second to Odysseus with Tana's Lad third. After a seventh to Apache King in the Benalla Cup Frenzel Rhomb returned to Cheltenham to win an Open Handicap over 2463m from She's Our Blaze and Tana's Lad. He then headed to Melbourne for an unsuccessful three run campaign. Spelled for the autumn of 2001 Frenzel Rhomb followed a similar path to previous years. In the Birthday Cup he was a close third to Our Yangtze River and Mr Selby with Newsflash fourth before trying to emulate Hollinger at Oakbank. Favourite on the tote and the sentimental favourite Frenzel Rhomb tried hard to take the race for the third time. He settled outside the leader but was pulling and trying to race ungenerously. Frenzel Rhomb eventually settled and took the lead on straightening for the run home. Halfway down the straight he looked home but Our Yangtze River was driving hard to the line. In the shadows of the post Our Yangtze Rover gained the upper hand to win by a half head from Frenzel Rhomb with 1 ½ lengths to The Doctor's Son third. Frenzel Rhomb's next run was the Rain Lover Plate where he was second to The Hind. At Morphettville two weeks later it was a race of crowd favourites as Skybeau, Jamestown and Frenzel Rhomb lined up in the Carlton Draught Stakes. The evenly matched field of 15 were tightly packed on straightening with Skybeau powering to the front by the 150m but inside the final 50m Apache King put in his claim to win by 2 ½ lengths from Skybeau with a long neck to The Hind as Frenzel Rhomb finished 12th but under 5 ½ lengths from Apache King. It was then to the Adelaide Cup and despite the muddling pace hard finishers Frenzel Rhomb and Skybeau came around the turn in hot pursuit of the leaders in Native Jazz and Apache King. Apache King proved too good winning by a half length from Native Jazz with The Hind running on for third with Frenzel Rhomb fourth and Skybeau fifth in a field of 16 runners. Frenzel Rhomb then passed the post in third place in the SA St Leger but was upgraded to second with the disqualification of the winner and Rum awarded first place. Heading to Victoria Frenzel Rhomb was fourth beaten a half length behind Break the Bank at Flemington before heading for a spell.

Resuming as an eight-year-old at Cheltenham he finished 6th of 6 over 1363m behind Sir Swayze before 7th of 11 in the Barossa Cup at Gawler. Heading to Victoria Frenzel Rhomb was second over 2000m at Flemington to Just Honor beaten a half length before being well back in the Cranbourne Cup. Fourth to Karasi in the Geelong Cup Frenzel Rhomb then lined up in the Moonee Valley Cup where he crossed the line well back as Rain Gauge strode to victory. Unplaced in a blanket finish to the Saab Quality over 2500m at Flemington Frenzel Rhomb was then unplaced in the Bendigo Cup last November before being spelled. A veteran of 98 starts for 13 wins 11 seconds and 13 thirds Frenzel Rhomb has lined up in the past four Onkaparinga Cups but is yet to race in 2002 and is not entered this year.

Perhaps amongst the entries there is a young horse in the early stages of his career who in following seasons can follow in the footsteps of the those mentioned above.

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