As in Auckland the year before, Gammalite was to have the luck with him when the Grand Final barrier positions were drawn. This time he drew the three alley and bookmakers immediately installed him 2/1-on favourite. Justifying this, Gammalite was in front after fifty metres and after dictating all the terms was home with three to four metres to spare in 3:22.5 for the 2600 metres, a 2:03.0 mile rate. Nothing got a look in as Gammalite sprinted the last 800 metres in 57.8 seconds. Thor Lobell was a fighting 2nd which was his best effort of the series with Bundanoon finishing 3rd. Black Irish was 4th, a nose in front of Our Mana, whose rocky run was made no easier by the flourishing whip of Black Irish's driver Chris Lewis, who was subsequently reprimanded for using his whip outside the confines of his sulky.
In this clip, as Wally Foreman is closing it out, the guy wearing the white cap behind his right shoulder is me. We were over from Auckland on holiday staying with my mother-in-law and I went to all four nights of the carnival.