ROMAN CONSUL A G.N. DERBY FANCY

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30943, 27 December 1965, Page 4

ROMAN CONSUL A G.N. DERBY FANCY

"The Frets” Special Service

AUCKLAND.

A great weight of TA.B. money might well make Roman Consul, a Woodville visitor, the favourite for the Great Northern Derby at Ellerslie today. His meeting with Peterman and the other locals promises the best Derby for years.

Roman Consul has already won the NewZealand Derby. If successful again today he will achieve a distinction reserved in recent years for the likes of Syntax, Dalray and Passive.

Dalray scored his wins in 1951-52, Syntax in 1955-56 and Passive in 1956-57. In those days the Great Northern Derby was run on New Year’s Day, the third day of the Auckland summer meeting. It became a first-day event, on Boxing Day, when the summer programme was rearranged to allow the running of the cup on New Year’s Day. Roman Consul, from all accounts was an impressive winner in the New Zealand Derby, managing the speed to keep up in a very fast first half-mile and outlasting his opponents clearly. Peterman and Urupukapuka, from the Waikato, are able to claim weight-for-age wins over a mile and a quarter and Urupukapuka, as well, won the Waikato Guineas over 10 furlongs. Since he won at Riccarton Roman Consul has had one race, a middle-distance handicap at Te Aroha on December 11, when he finished sixth. He galloped hard and well since coming to Ellerslie early last week, with a grasp of the right-handed way of going which must greatly please his connexions. FAST PROGRESS Roman Consul and Peterman were non winners until this season so they have made great progress between two and three years. Roman Consul is a tall, dark bay gelding, by Agricola from Gipsy Dancer and Peterman is a chestnut by De Filou from Lady Macbeth. Peterman came through hack company in fine form and won the Queen Elizabeth 11 Plate, at Pukekohe on December 18, in his very first race further than a mile.

None of the three-year-olds match Peterman for consistency and over the Derby course, a mile and a half, it might take a very good one to beat him for stamina.

Urupukapuka has a strong claim to be the leading three-year-old of the spring and early summer. She won like a stayer in the Foxbridge Plate and the Waikato Guineas and was genrally regarded as being “short of a gallop” when beaten in the Queen Elizabeth 11 Plate. Meanwhile, Urupukapuka has galloped well in her training at Cambridge, encouraging great hopes that she will be right at her best again for the Derby. Terrific, an Ellerslie colt, and Fairfleet, a Ally from Matamata, have shown ability well out of the ordinary. Either, with further slight improvement, would be up to a Derby win. Terrific will be ridden by G. F. Hughes, who won on Syntax and Mainbrace and knows Ellerslie as well as anyone.

Golden Defoe tightened his grip on favouritism for the first leg of the T.A.B. double, the £4OOO Queen Elizabeth Handicap, with a rousing gallop at Te Rapa last Thursday. His hardest opponents seem likely to be Ravenwood, Arbroath, Kandy and Old and Bold. i These five horses are in the Auckland Cup for which the Queen Elizabeth Handicap has come to be regarded as a good guide. With the scratching of Amura the second leg of the T.A.B. double, the Newmarket Handicap, has become very open. Mansize, Tuam, Impresario, Special Request and Hilldale are among the notable candidates.

The footing at Ellerslie yesterday was excellent The weather forecast is favourable and the conditions all round are highly favourable.

Selections: — Noon.—Ponsonby Highweight: Arakhan, Kowloon, All Smoke. 12.40 p.m.—Breeders’ Plate: His Majesty. Valiant Rebel. Valiant Knight. 1.28 p.m.—Queen Elizabeth Handicap: Golden Defoe. Ravenwood. Arbroath.

| 2.13 p.m.—Goodwood Stakes: First Division— Dee Dee. Mary Poppins. Second division: Rag Doll, Unpainted. 2.58 p.m.—Newmarket Handicap: Mansize, Special Request, Tuam. 3.46 p.m.—Robinson Handicap: Miss Misty, High News, Swift Chick. 4.28 p.m.—G.N. Derby: Peterman. Roman Consul, Urupukapuka. 5.10 p.m. Christmas Handicap: Honestly. Chantal, Miss Eunice. Noon— PONSONBY HIGH-WEIGHT, £1000; Ilf.—Arakhan (9) 10-13: Blue Beard (8) 10-12; All Smoke 114) 10 6: Eisteddfod (11) 10-5; Kowloon (13) 10-1; Ashbourne Blue (4) 8-8; Bombay (12) 9-6: Goldmyth (15), Lee Anne (16) 9-4; Pinza Boy (5) 9-1; Earl Light (3), Good Time (6), Make Way (2). Talla (7). Triple Win (1). Zarashah (10) 9-0. 12.40 p.m.— BREEDERS' PLATE, £1000: two vear-olds; sif. —Bostock (2) 8-6; Reoffered (11) 8-4: Valiant Knight (13) 8-1; His Majesty (16) 8-0; Ahwahnee (12), Valiant Re be) (5) 7-11; Kathey’s Son (15). Royal Personage (9) 7-10; Abbey’s Son (8), Alcantus (18), Count de Cuddles (1) 7-8; Andros (6) Dantana (10) 7-8; Anchorman (3), Fair Account (4), Youanme (7) 7-7. Scratched: Algamar (14), Prince Heroic (20), Irish Rover (19), Great Summit (17). 1.2 S p.m;— QUBEN ELIZABETH HANDICAP, £4000: lim.

Scratched: Tatua (9), Sparkling Maid (18). Fathom (17), Hi Minx (19). Brackets: Ironbark and Lucy Gray, Magician and Upton, Geyser Land and Fathom.

2.13 p.m.— GOODWOOD STAKES, tloop two-year-olds: Sif —First Di»,. slon: Dee Doe (5) 8-4; Mary Fop. pins (11) 8-1: Delta Queen .»> Kalaspira (12). Messene <8). Nero Bella <l4), Sun Again <ll farnu (6) 7-8; Final Lady (3). c,.v Marilyn (13). Proud Vixen ■:> 7-7. Second Division: Rag Doll |7) 8-11; Unpainted (12) 8 2 Gay Garden <9) SO: Dolce Vn. 110) 7-11; Mala Marina (6) Even (5). Flaxsis •!). Hi Lark (II). Star Belle (3) 7-8: Fair zami (2). Foxeda (8). Karin Belle (4) 7-7. Brackets: Kalaspira and Even. Sun Again and Rockev, Proud Vixen and Karin Belle Scratched: Miss Mod <2l. Cor onita (10). Darjeeling <4). Rocketts (IS). 2.58 p.m.— NEWMARKET HANDICAP, £2500; ftf

Ursinus (18), Amura (17). 3.44 p.m.— ROBINSON HANDICAP, £1000: hacks; 7f.—Charter (18) 8 10; King of the Castle (15) s 7. Piakonui (20) 8-6; Te Matai <5l 8-3; Whakamoa (9) SO: Caber Fair (12) 7-12; Punjab: (27) 7-11; High News (9) 7 10; Royal Poet (6), Swift Chick <3). Viola (25) 7-9; Arragon Queen (14), Blue Special (7), Cuckon (10), Mt. Secret (28). Final Raid (13). Sir John (8), Straddle u>, Tori (4), Miss Misty (11) 7-S Brackets: Straddle and Miss Misty, Captain Andy and Belle Helene. Blue Special and Final Ride, Tori and Queen's Pride Scratched: Fontura <2ll, Aqua Pura (24), Great Compan ion (26), Belle Helene (131, Queen's Pride (23), Santander (2), On Safari (22), Captain Andy (17). 4.28 p.m.— GREAT NORTHERN DERBY. £5000; three-year-olds; 11mAdmlral Donnlngton (6). Alltime High (2), Dr. Simon (5). Fans (4), Meadow Lands (S 3. Peterman (3), Roman Consul (7), Terrific (1) 810; FalrOeet (10) Urupukapuka (9) 85. 5.10 p.m.— CHRISTMAS HANDICAP, £200(1; Im.—Damian’a Pride (1). Red Count (23) 8-6; Copper King <2Ol 8-5: Michael (7) 8-4: Yardstick (24) 8-3; Dervish (21) 8-1; Tllka (11) 8-0: Honestly (19) 7 Id; Kangaroo Town (12). Tawa Mahal (9) 7-9; Miss Eunice (16) 7-8; Chantal (22) Gina Lollobriglda (8) 7-7; Antao <5l 7-4: Cherfe Brlzard (4). Summer Flight (17) 7-2; Boodle (13). Computer (6). Kurrewa <3l. Mavis Brae (2). Sonya's Pnda (27), Warea Boy (15) 7-1.

Brackets: Mavis Brae and Sonya's Pride. Awaroa and Bardowie, Warea Boy and Ellesdee, Merryman and Regain Scratched: Rochdale (14). Awaroa CIO), Bardowie (18), F.llesdee (28). Merryman (25). Regain (26).

0003 Mantovani (12) 8 11 2143 Kandy (25) 8 7 1131 Arbroath (24) 8 0 9031 Golden Defoe (13) 8 0 2114 Fieldmaster (16) 8 13 0460 Royal Estate (3) 7 12 3563 Tardlnl (10) 7 12 0704 Kiwi Fox (6) 7 10 1005 Old and Bold (14) 7 10 2500 Blue Lodge (3) 7 9 1320 Garden Place (21) 7 7 0052 Ravenwood (16) 7 7 4070 Clipjoint (4) 7 4 4008 Honourable (7) 7 4 0004 Kamikaze <2) 7 3 0000 Persian Star (22) 7 2 0800 Earl of Foxwood (11) 7 1 0 Straight Irish (27) 7 1 7 Ironbark (26) 7 0 0940 Lucy Gray (1) 7 0 0009 Magician (20) 7 0 3307 Lipton (8) 7 0 700 Geyser Land (23) 7 0

0501 Impresario (IS) s i: 00 Semprinl (10) 7 12 0075 Hilldale (2) 7 10 0 Karinx (7) 7 Q 0019 Bottle Top (8) 7 7 30 Gold Imp (S) 7 ■* 2400 Wonderbar (14) 7 5 0 Mansdze <4) 7 4 035 Prince Manu (18) 7 3 230 Tavern Time (8) 7 •} 0800 Mksere (3> 7 1 0474 Special Request «) 7 1 2027 Rohe Potae (15) 7 0 1124 Silver Sunset (13) 7 <1 3 Tuam (1) 7 0 09 Nassella (12) 7 0 Scratched: Maria Mitchell <n. Alkald (21). Pheror Pride (20).