LEAD STORY: Conjuring up comeback

ANENDRA SINGH
GANDALF'S archetypical wizardry is well known to millions, thanks to New Zealand filmmaker Peter Jackson's slick work in The Lord of the Rings.
But there's another, NZB Gandalf, who is on course to enchant millions in a few months if he steps into another ring - the Beijing Olympic arena in Hong Kong.
How well the 10-year-old gelding performs depends on the incantations of his master conjurer, Mark Todd, akin to the rapport that exists between a magician and his stage assistant.
Yesterday at Takapau, Todd gave a glimpse of a peerless rider of yesteryear who has, among other world-class titles, won two gold medals for New Zealand at Olympics and had the Arran Station faithful humming in anticipation of a dream Olympic comeback.
It's Gandalf or bust. Nevertheless, Todd threw caution to the wind after finding the credentials to compete at the next stage of qualifying for the Olympics _ the international three-star event to be staged in Puhinui on March 13-14.
``It's very early days yet. Our main goal is the Olympics in August and if we can get there it's going to be an uphill battle because we've got a lot to do in a short time. I'm confident we can learn from this and go on to improve a lot,' Todd told SportToday.
The rider's campaign yesterday began on the heels of several firsts.
It was the first time he had tackled the Arran Station course that chairwoman of selectors Mary Darby had designed. It was also the first time he had mounted two of the three horses he had ridden - Judge's Decision and Tom Collins - since coming out of an eight-year self-imposed exile.
``It's the first event I've done for a long time so I probably didn't give the horse [Judge's Decision] the best ride. He was probably used as cannon fodder for me,' he said of the Justice [Lowell] Goddard part-owned horse who had two refusals on the crosscountry course yesterday afternoon.
Natalie Page, of Levin, who lent Tom Collins to Todd for the weekend, was delighted to see the Rider of the Century take her mount through the rain-deprived 4200m course in a time of 5min 38sec to clinch first place.
``It was a great opportunity to have someone like Mark Todd ride the horse. But it was also quite nerve-racking watching somebody ride your horse and get it right,' said Page, who offered Tom Collins after Darby approached her when Heelan Tompkins' horses weren't prepared in time.
Todd and wife Carolyn only bought Gandalf recently and yesterday was the first time he had put the horse through the spin-dry cycle of competitions.
``I've only had Gandalf for three weeks. Even when I was doing it [riding] full time I don't think I've ever ridden three strange horses in an event before,' he said of the only horse qualified for the Olympics.
``He's a bit spooky and that's something we'll just have to work on. Whether I'm feeding him too much or what ...'
With 10 horses in yesterday's advanced class Todd was riding three of them and felt he hadn't had enough time to warm up the horses properly.
``You know, there's pressure and there's no pressure. I got into this hoping to qualify in the very last minute. I'm not putting any pressure on myself or the horse. If it happens, it happens; if it doesn't, it doesn't.'
The Todds will be based in Waikato this week as another event in Rotorua beckons before the all-important Puhinui one.
After mulling over a comeback, he didn't lack the motivation to have another go.
Fresh in his mind were his children's remarks a while ago that they had never been to the Olympics with him in his heyday.
``It all just happened very quickly in a matter of couple of weeks and here we are.'
But there's no room for complacency for Todd, who's back on the drawing board.
``It's a start from scratch. It's not just about New Zealand. You have to meet an Olympic qualifying criteria.
``I have to obviously be better than others in the New Zealand team to gain selection. I'm not even on the list right now,' Todd said.
``I've been there and done everything. If I don't get to the Olympics it won't be the end of the world for me,' said Todd, who felt he was physically fit with his involvement with horse racing activities at his Rangiora property.