THREE RUNNERS BY LE FILOU IN WELLINGTON CUP

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30338, 14 January 1964, Page 4

THREE RUNNERS BY LE FILOU IN WELLINGTON CUP

“The Press" Special Service

WELLINGTON, Jan. 13. The stock of Le Filou, which was imported to New Zealand in 1951, have enjoyed much success in our rich staying races recently, but one of the biggest prizes, the Wellington Cup, has eluded them. This year it could be different. In a field which history will never regard as a vintage one, Le Filou is represented by three runners—the Auckland Cup winner, Senor, Gay Filou and Fair Filou. Gay Filou, from Ricearton, which won the President’s Handicap at the Pahiatua meeting on Saturday, might be the best prospect of the three. Senor has the record book to contend with and Fair Filou has no form to recommend him at two miles. Gay Filpu’s'standing now is that of a good stayer. If he should win the Wellington Cup, particularly by an impresive margin, he would enhance his status considerably and compensate his connexions for what might have been their bad luck, if not his. There have been times when Gay Filou seemed to be on the way to the top among stayers. He has started in Wellington, Auckland and New Zealand Cups with a background of form which suggested he would be hard to beat Most times he has raced up to that form, but each time he has been beaten. Gay Filou had his first middle-distance success at the Wellington summer meeting in 1962, when he won the

Te Marua High-weight and the Ruapehu Hack Handicap. He completed his racing in hack class successfully by winning with 9-7 over a mile and a quarter at Ricearton a month later. The following month he was back at Trentham where he ran third in the Thompson Handicap over a mile then easily won the President’s Hanaisap over a mile and a half. He later took the C.J.C. Great Autumn Handicap over the same distance. Last season Gay Filou com. peted almost invariably in the best company, but he did not win. He was second, beaten a neck, in the W.R.C. Harcourt Stakes; second, beaten a length in the Queen Elizabeth Handicap at Paeroa; third in the New Zealand Cup, the Canterbury Cup, the A.R.C. Queen Elizabeth Handicap apd Clifford Plate; fourth in the C.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap, the Auckland Cup and the CJ.C. Queen Elizabeth Handicap. Proven Stayer With this record behind him he has proved his staying ability. He has the added advantage of having been prepared exclusively for the Wellington Cup since November. His trainer, I. McClure, had him set for the Auckland Cup, but just before he was to have left Riccarton with Melodic, Gey Filou ricked a knee and Melodic went north alone. Since then McClure's objective has been the Wellington Cup. Last Saturday Gay Filou

won well. His opponents were not the best middledistance horses currently racing, but he beat them effortlessly. ” Apart from Ilumquh, there does not appear to be a wellperformed horse in the Wellington Cup which Senor did hot beat in the Auckland Cup. If Ilumquh does not prove Senor’s toughest opponent, the fact that he is an Auckland Cup winner might. Not since 1930, the year of Concentrate, has an Auckland Cup winner gone on to take the Wellington Cup three weeks later, and then the Wellington Cup was run over a mile and a half. Beaumaris won the two races, but at Trentham he was three and at Ellerslie he was four. Naturally, the argument against the quality of this year’s field works for Senor as much as any other runner. Fair Filou finished eighth in the Auckland Cup, the best part of 10 lengths from Senor and with little of consequence behind him. In a restricted career he has proved himself an exceptional galloper up to a mile and a half in all conditions, but he has not been equal to running out tw 0 miles.

Everyone likes to see a horse as good as Great Sensation keep on winning, but such monopolies must end and it is not entirely a matter for regret that Cassock’s grip on the cup through his great son has been broken. If Le Filou should be Cassock’s successor, he will be a worthy one.