Royal Leigh Too Fast For Rivals

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30587, 2 November 1964, Page 4

Royal Leigh Too Fast For Rivals

Royal Leigh gave the New Zealand Cup lightweight Golden Vanity and six others a sound beating in the J. F. Buchanan Memorial Handicap at Motukarara on Saturday.

Royal Leigh was capably and skilfully ridden by the Riccarton apprentice, J. Messent, who showed good judgement of pace on a front-runner.

Messent allowed Royal Leigh to run the first furlong with the zest of a sprinter but he soon eased him in front and just let him bowl along in the lead on a comfortable rein until the home turn. Then before the straight entrance he hustled Royal Leigh along and he was soon beyond challenging distance. Golden Vanity, which pulled fairly hard in third place on the inner, seemed to be left flat-footed when the pace was stepped up. She dropped hack to second-last, just ahead of Count Pedro, near the straight entrance but made steady progress alongside the rails in the last furlong. Golden Vanity was still two lengths from Royal Leigh at the end. She out-finished a group comprising Personify, Marlow and Foxy Boy, the popular fancy. Next home, in a gap, was Count Pedro, whose effort was not a very encouraging New Zealand Cup trial. Royal Leigh, an eight-year-old Callander gelding prepared at Riccarton by P. H. Jones for Mr F. G. Watson, was me of the less fancied runners in the Buchanan Memorial after failing to show form of worth in four earlier races this season. The best he had managed as a seven-

year-old was two open sprint wins and his only previous success over a middle distance was in the Oamaru Winter Cup in June of last year. On Saturday Royal Leigh was the 6/7 favourite of eight. He paid £l7 and £4 14s 6d for a win-and-place and carried 1963| 10s tickets in a double pool amounting to £22,044 15s. Newbrook gained his first win as a five-year-old and enhanced his prospects for next Saturday’s Stewards’ Handicap when he outran the open sprinters in the second leg, the Le Bons Handicap, in the colours of his Riccarton trainer, J. S. Shaw. Newbrook came out best in a tight finish with Vitamise, General Gilbert and Deladana, three other Stewards’ Handicap candidates. The Royal Leigh-Newbrook combination returned a double dividend of £l4O 19s for £l. This was shared by the holders <rf 517 5s tickets. Although the meeting was held in fine, sunny weather and the track was firm and fast, the attendance was only fair. All The Way Win Royal Leigh was out by three lengths at the end of a furlong in the J. F. Buchanan Memorial Handicap. As the field left the straight with a mile left to go Foxy Boy on the inner and Marlow led the chase. Golden Vanity, pulling hard, was next on the inner of Meandering, then came Personify two lengths away, with a similar gap to Sailorman and Count Pedro together. Except that Foxy Boy and Marlow had closed the gap

on Royal Leigh there were no changes in positions as they ran into the back.

Royal Leigh was still out by a length from Foxy Boy and Marlow as they ran into the last half-mile. Golden Vanity still tracked Foxy Boy on the inner of Meandering. Sailorman and Personify were next, beginning to improve their positions, and Count Pedro still ran at the rear.

Royal Leigh spurted away from the others near the straight entrance and was out by three lengths from Golden Vanity, Foxy Boy, and Marlow, which were bunched and leading the chase. Although Golden Vanity battled on well she never got within challenging distance of Royal Leigh, which won by two lengths. Golden Vanity beat Personify by half a length for second and Marlow was half a length away fourth. He beat Foxy Boy by a similar margin. There was a gap of three lengths and a half then to Count Pedro, a length and a half to Sailorman, and a similar gap to Meandering. Close Finish Four Stewards’ Handicap candidates, Newbrook, Vitamise, General Gilbert and Deladana, finished in that order in a head-and-head and half a neck finish to the Le Bons Handicap. Running Into the last halfmile Newbrook was three wide and half a length back on Picca Leigh which was at the girth of the pacemaker, Gabbler. General Gilbert was trailing these three, then came Deladana, with Vitamise Improving past Fairlane. Picca Leigh and Newbrook were together in front at the straight entrance with General Gilbert, Vitamise, and Deladana leading the chase. Picca Leigh came to the end of her run near the furlong. A little closer to home Newbrook had to cope with solid challenges from Vitamise and General Gilbert, but he stalled them both off.