ALASKA WINS THIRD N.Z. CUP FOR OWNER

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30593, 9 November 1964, Page 5

ALASKA WINS THIRD N.Z. CUP FOR OWNER

Powerful Late Burst To Shade Kumai The light-weight Alaska overcame difficulties in the running to win the New Zealand Cup on Saturday for his absentee Gisborne owner, Mr E. N. Fitzgerald.

Mr Fitzgerald attended the Napier Park meeting at Hastings to watch his Hylander race and to listen to the Cup broadcast from Riccarton.

Hylander failed, but Alaska gave his owner-breeder some pleasant listening by winning the Canterbury Jockey Club’s richest race in one of the most spectacular cup finishes ever. Alaska beat the top-weight Kumai by a neck, and Palisade and Calvados were inches back in the next two places.

Alaska was still eligible for hack races when he paraded for Saturday’s race.

But this was his second graduation to open company. His first graduation came last spring when he won a hack race at Trentham and he was brought to the New Zealand Cup meeting to run out his nominations in the lower grade. He became a hack again when the limit was raised and he raced in that grade at the Wellington spring meeting last month, being runner-up at both appearances, once behind Prince Murat, the highweight winner at Riccarton on Saturday. Until Alaska’s powerful late burst carried him into contention in the Cup it was an all-Otago affair. Close to home Kumai was being chai-

lenged left and right by Palisade and Calvados, and it was very late when J. A. Messent brought Alaska along with the most brilliant challenge of all. Strong Record

Messent had had his difficulties in finding racing room for Alaska, but it all worked out well at the end for his connexions, and Mr Fitzgerald has now won his third New Zealand Cup. First came Golden Souvenir in 1945. The other one was Gold Scheme, which was one of Golden Souvenir’s best sons, and won as a four-year-old in 1953. Alaska was prepared for his Cup victory by the Awapuni trainer, M. B. Andrews. Andrews came into racing as an apprentice to the late J. J. Waller. So did J. P. Carter, who trains the 1964 Melbourne Cup winner. Polo Prince.

In 1943, when he was 15 years old, Mervyn Andrews won the New Zealand Cup on Classform and seven years later, when he was a top jumping rider, he won nearly everything in sight at a Grand National meeting mainly through the deeds of Dawn March (Grand National Steeples) and Gay Fellow (Grand National Hurdles, Sydenham Hurdles, and Jumpers’ Flat). Stonyhurst Family Alaska is by Tsaoko and was the first living foal left by the Boissier mare Noumea. Fracas, the third dam of Noumea, won several races including the Challenge Stakes and the Jockey Club Handicap at Riccarton for the late Sir Charles Clifford. The cup was run on a slightly easy track, one that

was drying throughout the day.

Big Bill took over the pacemaking straight away and D. J. Anderton quickly had Kumai over in the trailing position with Beginner’s Luck on his right. R. J. Skelton had also found a rails run behind Kumai for the veteran Great Sensation, but Palisade was pulling hard out in the open for a time in the first run through the home straight. The pace did not look very solid but it quickened when they left the straight. A mile out Tasman Lad’s backers could have been only hoping for the best. One of R. J. Jury’s stirrup leathers had slipped soon after the start and the Takanini gelding was running forward three wide behind Big Bill. Jury could not do much about it, and Tasman Lad kept going to join Big Bill in front going to the five furlongs. Anderton still had Kumai beautifully placed on the inside but Palisade had become awkwardly placed further back on the inside. At that stage Alaska was far back in the field, close to his bracketed mate Fleeting Moment. Brought Wider Kumai was taken away from the rails on the home turn to make his bid for the lead past the tiring Big Bill.

A moment later J. R. Dowling had found a rails run for Palisade, and Calvados was being brought forward wider out with a likely-looking run. Kumai, gamely responding to every vigorous call made on him, started the last furlong with a slight lead but Alaska’s late challenge a little wider out proved irresistible. There was a neck between winner and runner-up, then a head to Palisade, half a neck to Calvados, and threequarters of a length to Fleeting Moment, which was late getting clear.

Jockey Is Suspended (N.Z. Press Association) HASTINGS, November 8. The jockey, C. A. Bowry, was suspended for a week until 5 p.m. on November 14 after an inquiry into the running of the Trial Plate at Hastings on Saturday. Bowry rode Nasa Fair, and was found to have caused interference to Prowler and Justify about half a furlong after the start. In the same race the winner. Lucky Rebel, was Inclined to move in under pressure during the run home, but Bowry, who was on the inside of Lucky Rebel, said his mount had had his chance, and the result of the race was not affected. Over the concluding stages of the Taradale Hack Handicap there was little room for Sail Away (Bowry) to improve between Valentino and Fair Deal, and Sail Away was held up momentarily on several occasions. The committee decided no action was necessary, but ordered that Bowry be shown the film of the incidents. Tax Free bounded into the air when the starting gates opened for the Stewards’ Handicap and lost several lengths. Halfway down the straight the eventual winner. Plush, was checked when trying to push between Brenda Lee and Money, and had to be switched to the outside. No rider was at fault.