Guineas Win For His Grace

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30575, 19 October 1964, Page 4

Guineas Win For His Grace

His Grace, a close relation of the Royal Auckland Cup winner, Coaltown, came up with a performance to' match his looks to win the Wellington Guineas at Trentham on Saturday.

This was his seventh win and his fourth in succession this season in the colours of Mr and Mrs A. E. Preston, of Wellington.

Mr Preston is a steward of the Wellington Racing Club. His Grace, the first of three winners ridden on Saturday by J. T. Anderson, is an attractive chestnut colt by Knight's Romance from Bambina (Ruthless —Ascoli) a younger sister of Coaltown. He ranged up alongside Rio in the second line on the home turn, led into the last furlong and, while Anderson was unable to slacken his efforts on him that far out the Otaki colt showed he was clearly superior on a soft track by drawing away to a winning lead of two and ahalf lengths.

His Grace settled all doubts about his ability to "vet” a mile, but the Wellington Guineas result did.little to clear

the picture for the staying classics.

HU Grace shapes as -if he will achieve most as a sprintermiler, and none behind him on Saturday looked first-class Derby material.

Clipjoint, a lightly-framed filly from Ellerslie, led the chase after Hie Grace at the end.

She finished two lengths and a quarter in advance of the long shot Wizard, which came from far back to shade Rio. Wizard, a moderate fourth against hacks at Stratford at hU previous start was the eleventh favourite and paid £ll 10s for a place. Rio, unbeaten in two earlier starts, one the Hawke’s Bay Guineas earlier in the season, tried hard to justify his favouritism, but a mile on an easy track was too much for him.

He missed the start slightly from the inside, but dashed through quickly to' take a trailing position in a furlong or so. He passed the pacemaking Outspan and Sobig near the home turn, but HU Grace was holding him safely a furlong out. Sobig pulled hard in front on a track not completely to his liking and dropoed out to finish eighth iust ahead of the fillies, Trial Offer and Status Symbol.