Yangtze Wins Caulfield Cup In Slow Time

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

Yangtze Wins Caulfield Cup In Slow Time

(NJS. Pres] Association—Copyright) MELBOURNE, October 18. The winner of yesterday’s Caulfield Cup, the South Australian three-year-old, Yangtze, will not run in the Melbourne Cup on November 2. After this announcement by Y angtze s connexions yesterday, bookmakers slashed the price of the New Zealand gelding, Elkayel, which finished strongly into third place behind Yangtze.

In fact six New Zealand horses are now the first six favourites on Melbourne Cup charts, after sweeping changes which followed yesterday’s racing. The highly rated New Zealand stayer, Bon Filou, which did not race yesterday, is now the clear favourite. Behind Bon Filou come Elkayel, Sir Dane, Royal Duty, Sybeau and Gold Chick.

In the Caulfield Cup yesterday Yangtze (14/1) led almost all the way in the £A20,000 one-and-a-half-mile handicap to defeat another three-year-old, Royal Sovereign (25/1) by a head. Elkayel (14/1) was two lengths away, third. It was the slowest Caulfield Cup since 1917, the time being 2min 36 2-ssec. The Cup was run in almost deathly silence because of a power breakdown which prevented a course broadcast of the event. Thousands of spectators missed seeing the Cup because of the breakdown. Bookmakers continued to bet on the race until nearly the home turn, when they realised from the screaming that the race had started. The winner, Yangtze, has proved himself to be one of the best three-year-olds in Australia, as last Saturday he also bad won the Caulfield Guineas (one mile). After his Guineas win, his four owners exercised the option in their lease to buy Yangtze outright They paid 3000 guineas (Aust.) to own the colt. WILL NOT START

Three Adelaide doctors share in the ownership of Yangtze. They are Dr. G. W. E. Aitken, Dr. D. E. Craven and Dr. I. K. Fuler. They race the gelding in partnership with an Adelaide businessman, Mr R. G. S. Driver. Immediately after yesterday’s race, the trainer, R. Dini, conferred with the owners and announced that Yangtze would definitely not run in the Melbourne Cup. “He will ran in the Victoria Derby at Flemington next Saturday week and then will go back home to Adelaide,’’ Dini said. “I think it would be asking too much now to ask him to run in the Melbourne Cup.” Yangtze was ridden in both his wins by the South Australian apprentice, John Stocker. Elkayel (by Fox Myth from Land Queen), having his second start in Australia, came home strongly yesterday after being a fair way back in the early stages. When the field settled down, Elkayel was one of the last three and did not start to improve his position until nearing the half-mile. He then raced up to be sixth at the home turn and was running on strongly in third place at the finish. NO COMPLAINTS His jockey, Grenville Hughes, said he had no complaint* after the race. He had a perfect run and battled on well without ever looking likely to win. There was a very heavy plunge on the Auckland-owned and bred Sir Dane which was backed in from 5/1 to be favourite at 7/2 at one stage of the betting, but eased slightly to start at 4/1. Jockey Roy Higgins said that he had to ride Sir Dane “upside down" to keep a reasonable position. "In fact, I had to ride him to suit the Caulfield track not the horse," Higgins said. “He made a dash from the halfmile, but was beaten on the home turn.

At this stage Sir Dane was fourth behind Yangtze, Contempler and Royal Sovereign, but soon tired in the straight and finished ninth.

Sir Dane, by Summertime out of Casa, is a four-year-old brown horse. He is owned by Messrs D. R. Cameron and H. L. Rees and the executors of the estate of the late Mrs D. R. Cameron. Another South Australian entry, Contempler, which had been the overnight favourite, eased in the course betting to start second favourite at 6/1.

His jockey, Jim Johnson, was fighting hard against Contempler in the early stages in an effort to restrain Mm behind the leaders. The horse finally .settled down going along the back of the course where he was in fourth place.

FAST RUN Contempler made a fast run to almost join Yangtze in the lead nearing the home turn, but Yangtze then skipped right away from him and Contempler was beaten into fourth place. The lockey, George Moore, who rode the Sydney honw, Persian Puzzle, summed up his horse’s chances by saying: "If they’d shifted the winning post back half a mHi I might have bad a chance.’’

There was support for the New Zealand horse, Royal Duty, which was backed In from 12/1 to 9/1. He weakened from fifth at the half-mile to finish sixteenth.

His jockey, L. McCutcheon, said his mount had never been going well and gave up quickly when the pressure was on. Light-weight Sybeau, also from New Zealand, started equal second favourite at 6/1. He was the big disappointment of the race. Sybeau finished eighth without ever looking a chance. Sybeau had been the boom horse of the race coming in from 140/1, which had been on offer before he won the Herbert Power Handicap here last SaturThe other New Zealand horse In the race. Gold CMck, ran an even race to finish sixth. John Page, trainer of Royal Sovereign, claimed after the race that his colt would have won if the cup had been run on a firm track. Page said tbat Royal Sovereign (Chatsworth ll—Sabah) would

clash with Yangtze again in the Victoria Derby next Saturday week. AU going well Royal Sovereign then will run in the Melbourne Cup. Melbourne apprentice. Harry White, rode Royal Sovereign In today’s race, but Ray Selkrlg, who earlier this month won the Australian Jockey Club Derby in Sydney on the colt, will ride him again in the Victoria Derby. . Thr»e-year-olds have had a remarkable record in the Caulfield Cup. During the I**4 eight years four of the cup* have been won by thrM-year-otd*starting with Tulloch in 1957, Sir Blink In 1958, and New Zealand-bred Summer Fair in 1961. Royal Sovereign’s rider said his mount had run a great race, but that the winner was just a shade too good. Results: — CAULFIELD CUP, EA20.000 and £A4OOO gold cup; Um.

YANGTZE (Ping Ching—Lady Shaw) 7-5 .. J. Stocker 1 ROYAL SOVERRIGN (Chatsworth ll—Sabah) 7-7 H. Whit* 2 ELKAYEL (N.Z.) (Fox MythLand Queen) 8-5 3 Scratched: New Statesman, Piper’s Sun, Polo Prince, Quite Able.

Twenty started. . Head; two lengths. Tim*. 2:3».1O. Betting; 14/1 Yangtze, 23/1 Royal Soveredgn, 14/1 Elkayel. Other runner* in flntehing order: Contempler 8-6 J. Johnson 4. Red William 7-4 J. Courtney 5, Gold Chick (N.Z.) 8-5 W. A. Smith 6. Summer Regent (N.Z.) 9-3 I. Saunders 7, Sybeau (N.Z.) 7-11 J. Hayes 8, Sir Dane (N.Z.) 8-10 R. Higgins 9, Galerus 8-6 L. Coles 10, Tot Port 8-7 D. Lake 11. Battie Standard 8-0 A. Burton 12, Gatum Gitura 88 P. Hyland 13, Fair Patton 3-11, G. Bishop 14, Red Metal 8-2 N. Mifflin 15, Royal Duty (N.Z.) 8-11 L. N. McCutcheon 16. Park Lane 7-4 K. Langby 17, Summer Fiesta 6-9 F. Treen 18, Persian Puzzle 8-9 G. Moore 19, Pharmacy (N.Z.) 7-12 W. earner 20. ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS. £A5000: Im (for three-year-old AlM**). REVEILLE (Star KingdomEmulation) 8-5 G Moore 1 LIGHT FINGERS (La Filou— Cuddlesome) 8-5 R. Higgins 2 BIRILRIGH (Rashlelgh—Clri Blri) 8-5 . A. Burton 3

Eighteen started. Two and a half lengths: length. Time, 1:40). Betting: 3/1 Reveille, T/3 Light Fingers, 50/1 Birilelgh.