“Roughest” Caulfield Cup To Bore Head

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30884, 18 October 1965, Page 5

“Roughest” Caulfield Cup To Bore Head

(N.Z. Press Assn. —Copi/riphD MELBOURNE.

A Queensland “gift horse,” Bore Head, gave bookmakers one of their best cup days on record when he won the Caulfield Cup at Caulfield on Saturday.

Bore Head, starting at 14/1, fought on gamely over the last furlong to defeat the New Zealand-bred, Ziema, by half a length, with Craftsman third and another New Zealand-bred runner, Matloch, in fourth place. The race was one of the roughest run Caulfield Cups on record and at the end of its stewards opened three separate inquiries into interference. After hearing some evidence, they adjourned the. inquiries until next Friday.

Outsiders have now won the four major races run so far this spring—the.A.J.C. Derby, the Epsom Handicap, the Metropolitan Handicap and now the Caulfield Cup.

The stewards repprted that Royal Duty had to be checked nearing the nine furlong mark to avoid the heels of Matloch and in doing so hampered another New Zealander, Sail Away. After the race the New Zealand jockey, W. D. Skelton, who rode Sail Away—he finished last in the field of 20—said it was the roughest race in which he had ever ridden.

Another New Zealand jockey, L. McCutcheon, on Royal Duty, said his mount had met with a great deal of trouble during the running.

This was Bore Head’s second visit to Melbourne to run in the Caulfield Cup. Last year, however, he had to be withdrawn when he fretted badly in the weeks before the race. His trainer, a former leading jockey, R. Dillon, brought down a stablemate as a “travelling compaion” for Bore Head this year with excellent results. At his two previous starts in Melbourne Bore Head had finished second to Matloch and second to Captain Blue. MADE HIS RUN His jockey, F. Clarke, was advised by the stewards after he had ridden Bore Head into second place behind Captain Blue in the Herbert Power Handicap the previous week, to make his run earlier, even if it meant covering extra ground. In the cup Clarke heeded the advice and he had Bore Head well positioned from the jump and was one of the leaders swinging into the straight. At one stage Bore Head was not going to be brought to Melbourne. His connexions thought he had been harshily handicapped when the weights for the two cups came out. Bore Head carried 8-9 on Saturday and has two pounds less in the Melbourne Cup on November 2. He can be rehandicapped up to 101 b for his Caulfield win, however. He has already been given an extra 71b for tlie Moonee Valley Cup on Saturday.

Bore Head was about seventh or eighth in the early stages and held that position to the halfmile, where Yantze was leading from the Epsom winner, Even Better, and Derby winner, Prince Grant, which was followed by Brabham, Craftsman and Ziema.

At this stage the favourite, Captain Blue, was back in ninth place with his jockey, J. Johnson. desperately trying to get

clear to make a run, while Valuate and Strauss were well back in the field.

Bore Head had moved into fourth place at the home turn and, continuing his run in the straight, proved too solid for Ziema over the closing stages. The second place-getter, Ziema, continued the run of bad luck for his trainer, B. Cummings, of Adelaide. The run started on Thursday when one of Cummings' horses, The Dip, was eliminated by the V.A.T.C. committee.

Yesterday another of his horses, the heavily-backed shortpriced favourite, Light Fingers, suffered ripped muscles in the shoulder and had to be scratched from the race.

Ziema improved a great deal on his previous run when he was beaten favourite in the Metropolitan at Randwick. He was handy behind the leaders, made a fast run to be second to Yangtze at the home turn and fought back doggedly in the straight but could not hold the winner over the closing stages. THIRD WIN OUT

Craftsman did not have much luck in running and finished solidly wide out for a great third.

Five horses figured in a photofinish for the fourth placing. They were Matloch, Captain Blue, Red William and Prince Grant.

Matloch, after being well back at the half-mile and then forced to travel wide, .finished brilliantly to fail by inches to get third money. He earned £lOOO for finishing fourth.

Captain Blue weakened into fifth place after looking a likely winner at the top of the straight. Red William came home solidly for a close sixth, inches In front of the A.J.C. Derby wnner, the New Zealand-bred colt, Prince Grant.

Prince Grant’s run was a great trial for the Victoria Derby. After being checked near the furlong he responded to hard riding and was doing as well as any other horse on the post. He went to the post full of running, and it was a highly promising effort.

Valuate, which had solid backing at 7/1, finished ninth, but at no stage looked a likely winner. Valuate was one of the last in early furlongs and when improving was forced right off the track. Mr Chaplain accepted the cheque for first money of £13,000 and the gold cup valued at £4OO SECOND LINE After the win Bore Head has been promoted to second line of the market for the Melbourne Cup. Craftsman is now the outright favourite. Until Saturday, Craftsman and Sail Away were equal favourite, but bookmakers have now eased Sail Away to the fourth line at a price double his original quote. Sharing the second line in the Melbourne Cup market is Matloch. The “Thousand Guineas,” the second feature event on the card, went to Gipsy Queen. The filly cost 175 guineas as a yearling. Her win on Saturday was worth £3412 10s and was her eleventh in 17 starts. She will now be set for the Oaks, one mile and a half, run at Flemington two days after the Melbourne Cup. Gipsy Queen led for the last six furlongs and won easing up by a length and a half from the 40/1 chance. Royal Dress, with Citius, the favourite, finishing a neck away in third place. Results: CAULFIELD CUP, £20,000 and gold cup of £400; Urn. BORE HEAD (Double Bore— Mauna Kea) 8-9 F. Clarke 1 ZIEMA (Summertime —Najmi) 8-6 J. Miller 2 CRAFTSMAN (Better BoyBlue Gisy) 9-6 P. Hyland 3 MATLOCH (Balloch—Ganymede) 7-13 W. A. Smith 4 Twenty started. Half length, half length. Time, 2:28 3-10. Betting: 14/1 Bore Head, 12/1 Ziema, 7/1 Craftsman, 7/1 Matloch. THOUSAND GUINEAS, £5250; Im. GIPSY QUEEN (Diablerets— Leonie Eleanor) 8-5 A. Burton 1 ROYAL DRESS (Better BoySilver Gown) 8-5 P. Hyland 2 CITIUS (Star Kingdom—Rich And Rare) 8-5 R. Higgins 3 Twelve started. Length and a half, neck. Time, 1:36 3-5. Betting: 7/4 Gipsy Queen, 40/1 Royal Dress, 7/4 Citius.

OTAKI TROTTING CLUB (Inc.) OWNERS and TRAINERS are reminded that NOMINATIONS for All Events CLOSE with the Secretary at the club’s office on MONDAY, OCTOBER 18, 1965, at 4 P.M.

J. E. ROSOMAN, Secretary. Telephone 8129. Otaki. P.O. Box 42, Otaki.