TRIPLE BEL

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30511, 5 August 1964, Page 4

TRIPLE BEL

Heathcote Won Easily

Triple Bel brilliantly won the Heathcote Handicap for which he was favourite, on the second day of the Canterbury Jockey Club’s Grand National meeting at Riccarton yesterday. The Foxton-owned and trained Belvedere gelding dashed around the field from the half-mile, went clear nearly two furlongs out and won by four lengths. This was Triple Bel’s third start and first win in open company, but with a better run he would have done better than seventh in the Winter Cup on Saturday. He won his last three races as a hack, each time ridden by S. B. Robertson, who also rode him yesterday. A five-year-old gelding by Belvedere from Modernaire, Triple Bel is trained at Foxton by Mr M. S. Coley, who races him in partnership with Mr H. K. Coley.

Noranda, Valuate, Sailorman, and Birthright were the slowest from the stalls. Golden Vanity was hurried along to lead the big field into the second furlong. Closest to her going along the back straight was Coral Chief, Silver Kingdom, Tidal Wave. Zinder, Bridie O’Cally, and Valuate.

Triple Bel had about six behind him near the five furlongs, but he started on a brilliant run around the outside, a run that carried him close to Golden Vanity on the home turn.

Triple Bel went through with his run strongly to have the race won at the furlong. He came to the post four lengths clear but there was a spectacular and close finish for the minor places. Coral Chief beat Silver Kingdom by half a neck for second. Then there was a head to McGregor, half a neck to Golden Vanity, three-quarters of a length to Tidal Wave, half a head to Red View, half a head to For Sure, and half a length to McCool.

New Rule Is Suspended

A decision to suspend the new rule of racing making it obligatory for jockeys to use steel stirrup irons has been made by the president of the New Zealand Racing Conference, Mr G. H. Grigg, according to Mr J. Murchison, secretary of the New Zealand Jockeys’ Association. “At a meeting of the Jockeys’ Association last night the action of the president was commended,” Mr Murchison said yesterday. Representations had been made by the Jockeys’ Association and Mr Grigg in the meantime had made a decision with other available members of the executive of the racing conference to suspend the introduction of the new rule which was passed recently at Wellington at the annual meeting of the Racing Conference.

Cup For Top Jockey

A silver cup for presentation annually to the winner of the jockeys’ premiership has been donated by Mr A. E. Preston, of Wellington, and it will be presented for the first time at Riccarton on Saturday, when the Grand National meeting concludes, to the apprentice jockey, J. R. Dowling, who topped the list during the season just concluded.

The cuip is to be known as the West Derby Challenge Cup.