RACING Leg Injury Did Not Stop Royal Bid

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30623, 14 December 1964, Page 4

RACING Leg Injury Did Not Stop Royal Bid

Royal Bid damaged a hock after being loaded in a float at Riccarton on Saturday morning, but the trouble was not serious enough to stop him from winning the Hororata Cup a few hours later.

Royal Bid won easily under top weight of 8-10, meeting opposition only from Vitamise over the last five furlongs.

Royal Bid will now be prepared for the Jamesc Hazlett Gold Cup and the Dunedin Cup at Wingatui. His Southland owner, Mr L. B. McKenzie, would also like to see his chestnut start in the Invercargill Gold Cup at New Year but much will depend on how Royal Bid, often a poor traveller, thrives earlier on the holiday circuit.

The Riccarton trainer, V. D. Clutterbuck, plans to nominate Royal Bid for the Wellington Cup and a start in the two-miler is likely if the chestnut shows beforehand that he can run along quietly back in his fields. Easily unsettled in his races, Royal Bid started to pull hard after a slight bump in the early stages of the Hororata Cup, and F. H. Skelton did not “fight" him, taking him forward to contend for the lead while the pace was slow early in the race. L. McGuire tried to steal the race with Vitamise going along the back, but F. H. Skelton managed to stay fairly handy in second position with Royal Bid, whose superior stamina paid off in the last furlong or so. Skelton’s Double Skelton, one of Riccarton’s ' more experienced riders, but one not able to get much riding because of his weight, also won the H. A. Knight Memorial on Approval. Winners of this “Skelton

double” received £2l 5s 6d for £l, 3217 5s tickets being held on the Royal Bid-Ap-proval combination. Royal Bid carried £4379 10s of the doubles pool of £20,218 ss. Approval is the first winner prepared by E. B. Skelton, another member of the famous racing family. Errol Skelton did most of his race riding in jumping races and high-weights. Earlier this year he started training at Riccarton and Approval joined his stable only a few weeks before his Hororata victory. Approval is owned by Mr J. M. Hetherington. He is an eight-year-old gelding by Alonzo from Queen’s Command. Lost Ground Fieldmaster lost five lengths at the start of the Hororata Cup and St. Malo drifted slightly. Royal Bid, which had drawn towards the outside, pulled his way forward to contend for the lead with Picright and Brown Brocade run-

ning through the straight for the first time. He was clear at the seven furlongs, but two furlongs later he had been passed by Vitamise, which opened up a lead of three lengths for a time. Royal Bid reduced Vitamise’s lead to a length and a half after passing the halfmile. St. Maio was then dropping back through the field, and Foxy Boy also looked well beaten. Vitamise still led Royal Bid by a length and a half when they were close to the home turn. All the others were battling vainly trying to draw closer. Brown Brocade led them in a gap of three lengths. Royal Bid ranged up to Vitamise when they straightened up and had the race won at the furlong. He drew out to win decisively by a length. Brown Brocade was third in a gap of four lengths. Fieldmaster made ground and passed tired horses in the last three furlongs for fourth, just beating Marlow. The others straggled in at intervals. Foxy Boy was eighth after a rough run. Second Leg Approval had the early speed to stay close to the pace from the start in the H. A. Knight Memorial. He was in the third line behind Gabbler, General Gilbert and Canadians going to the five furlongs, got closer to the lead on the turn, and had it safely won at the furlong. Apache and Tirana made ground strongly in the last two furlongs for the minor places. Apache was not far behind Approval at the half-mile, but Timna had to show speed to get to the middle of the field after a slow start.

A head separated Apache and Timna, and then there was another head to Canadiana, and three-quarters of a length to General Gilbert, which failed to last it out after ranging up to challenge Canadiana in front on the home turn.

Picca Leigh was another head back sixth, and was a length in advance of Yankinmie, one of the last away. After leading for a time Gabbler dropped out to finish eighth.