RACING Royal Bid Easily Wins Geraldine Cup

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30558, 29 September 1964, Page 4

RACING Royal Bid Easily Wins Geraldine Cup

Royal Bid easily mastered 10 rivals with top weight of 840 in the Geraldine Cup at Orari yesterday. Having only his second start and his first over a middle distance since he joined V. D. Clutterbuck’s Riccarton stable, Royal Bid won by a length and a half from The Toff, but there was a delay while an inquiry was held into alleged interference by the winner to Avast near the half-mile.

Only place dividends i were paid out after the race, and it was about an hour later before it was announced that the judicial committee had decided not to alter the platings. Royal Bid, winner of three races for his Southland owner, Mr L. B. McKenzie, last season, when trained in Invercargill by D. V. Pankhurst, joined Clutterbuck’s stable just before the Grand National meeting. He will now be prepared for races at Trentham next month. F. H Skelton had Royal Bid at the back of the field for a start in the Geraldine Cup, but was dissatisfied with a slack pace and took the handsome chestnut forward to second about half way through the race. Skelton allowed the Howe gelding to run past Tidal Wave into a clear lead after passing the half-mile, and none of the others was able to make a run at them from the home turn.

Gold View came out on top in a spectacular finish to the President’s Handicap, the second leg of the double. Her brilliant late challenge gave her a neck victory over the favourite, Cranbrook. A length and a half would have covered the next five horses. General Gilbert was the other dividend-payer. This broke a long run of outs for Gold View, which is owned by Mr H. M. Courts, of Fairlie, and trained on the course by L. H. Pratt

She failed to win a race last season, but she won the President’s Handicap at the Geraldine meeting two years ago when having her first start on the course. She also won two other races that season. Royal Bid carried £12,541 10s of the £49,917 10s invested on the double. The Royal Bid-Gold View combination carried 3795 5s tickets and returned £43 9s 6d for £l. The favourite, Cranbrook, carried 15,991 tickets. The meeting was held in fine weather and they raced on a firm track. On-course the totalisator handled £30,231, compared with £26,781 10s last year, an increase of £3449 10s. Cup Running Tidal Wave passed Silver Kingdom to lead into the last mile fa the Geraldine Cup. Avast joined Silver Kingdom in the trailing position, and Central Flight, Hullabaloo, and The Toff made a line of three next. Royal Bid, the tail-ender for a start, was then making a sharp run forward on the outside. It carried him up to second at the five furlongs. A furlong later he was alongside Tidal Wave, and he went clear almost immediately. Silver Kingdom dropped out quickly a moment later. Avast, Tidal Wave, Castle Flight, and The Toff were closest to Royal Bid on the home turn, bitt the top weight led them a hopeless chase, winning with a bit in hand by a length and a half. The Toff beat Avast by two

lengths and a half for second, and then there was a length to Morris Francis, one of the tail-end group until late in the race. Central Flight was fifth by a nose from Gay Defoe, and the Washdyke veteran was a length and half clear of the place favourite, Ashleigh, which tailed the field for a good way. Hullabaloo, Tidal Wave, and Silver Kingdom were next and the tail-ender was Meandering, winner of this race last year. Second Leg Sailorman and Julloch were the slowest from the stalls and Newbrook and Gold View also gave a bit of ground at the start of the President’s Handicap. Castle Flight and Approval led them in a quick rush for positions and passed the halfmile abreast clear of The Wanderer and General Gilbert. Bold Venture, Cranbrook, and the improving Gold View were handiest of the others. General Gilbert left the inside to go out after the leaders near the home turn. Cranbrook came wider, and Gold View joined in with a solid run through the middle. Gold View won going away by a neck from Cranbrook. General Gilbert was half a neck back third and half a length in advance of the weakening Castle Flight Approval was half a head back fifth, and then there were necks to Newbrook and Canadiana. The others, led in by Bold Venture, were beaten off.