RACING FORM FOR ANOTHER CUP WIN

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30634, 28 December 1964, Page 5

RACING FORM FOR ANOTHER CUP WIN

Royal Estate Was Great Victor In Hazlett

Royal Estate probably earned favouritism for the Dunedin Cup today when he won the James Hazlett Gold Cup brilliantly at Wingatui on Saturday.

Mrs H. G. McLeod’s five-year-old entire, a close relation of the good stayer Akbar, made the others look a very ordinary lot when he kicked away inside the last furlong to his winning margin of five lengths.

His Imin 37 4-ssec was close to a record gallop for a mile on the course. That, backed by a second to Palisade in the C.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap at the New Zealand Cup meeting last month, gives him a second-to-none chance of mastering a mile and a half in today’s £2OOO race. Royal Estate's position of favouritism strengthened when connexions of Palisade decided to pass the Dunedin Cup by with last year’s winner.

Palisade made a big staying run—he was third to 'last early—for his second in the James Hazlett Gold Cup. He finished three-quarters of a length ahead of Royal Bid, another to make a big run very wide around the home turn.

Royal Bid, one of only two Canterbury-trained horses in today’s cup field, likes lots of racing room and it should be possible to ride him to suit his style of going today He looks a stronger prospect than Valuate, which had his final race trial for the Dunedin Cup in the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap on Saturday.

Valuate ran fourth but he was beaten off behind Woodcock and Golden Glen, which had a hard battle close to home. Woodcock got there by inches from the fasterfinishing Gore chestnut, and has now won the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap twice.

After winning this race a year ago Woodcock ran Palisade close in the Dunedin Cup. The race Woodcock won on Saturday was a muddling affair. No-one, it seemed, wanted the pacemaking, but something had to be in front and Panther. Brown Brocade, and Friar's Birthday had brief turns, before Woodcock pulled his way slightly ahead at the five furlongs. Pulled Hard The Riccarton apprentice, J. Messent, who rode Woodcock, said that the Mosgiel horse had been pulling so hard that he had had trouble keeping him off the heels of other horses when they were towards the middle of the field early. Messent said later that he decided to try and get to the front and get over to the inside to save ground, but R. J. Skelton had kept Friar’s Birthday up on the inside to keep Woodcock two wide. Friar’s Birthday tired of this duel outside the furlong and weakened to sixth.

Friar’s Birthday’s rider, R. J. Skelton, found it a galling experience getting a back view of Woodcock winning. Skelton was offered the ride on Woodcock after winning on the Underwood gelding at Invercargill in November, but he decided to continue his association with Friar's Birthday.

Friar’s Birthday, which pulled his way forward quickly on the outside of the field between the mile and the seven furlongs, will not run in the Dunedin Cup. Lost Position Golden Glen appeared to be at a greater disadvantage than most of the others when the leaders slowed the field down early. Golden Glen was nicely placed close to the pace for a start, but he was behind the middle of the field at the half mile and his dogged run down the outside for his close second was a sound Dunedin Cup trial. Calvados was an expensive favourite in the Dunedin Jockey Club Handicap. He finished eighth, making no progress from the middle in the last half mile, but the false pace was all against him and he looked as If the run would do him no end of good.

On his form at a mile and a half and beyond he rates a sound Dunedin Cup chance today. Eiffel Tower finished his racing preparation for the Dunedin Cup with a run in the President’s Intermediate Handicap, one mile, on Saturday. He finished better than anything for second under 8-9 and should be a light-weight to reckon with over the Dunedin Cup distance, which he is bred to master.

His second on Saturday was his third such placing in successive starts. The others were behind Woodcock and Friar’s Birthday in longer races at Invercargill last month.