Victory Boy Rated A Sydney Cup Chance

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30999, 3 March 1966, Page 4

Victory Boy Rated A Sydney Cup Chance

(From the Australian Racing Correspondent of “The Press”] SYDNEY. The New Zealand invasion is never as strong in the autumn as it is in the spring. However, there are sufficient horses over here now to add to the New Zealandbreds, raced and trained here since they were bought as yearlings, to make a task force of some strength. T. J. Smith, for instance, forecasts a Sydney Cup chance for Victory Boy. winner of the Rosehill Handicap. Victory Boy, by Marco Polo from Mere Ana, certainly has improved for a week previous he beat Mustang by half a length, and this time, meeting Mustang 161 b worse, he finished five lengths and a half in front of the Balloch five-year-old, which started favourite but could only finish fifth. Victory Boy beat Gin and Bitters and Tasman Lad into the minor placings, each of them being stable fancies. Tasman Lad. winner of nine races in New Zealand, arrived in Sydney in the spring, too late to be really prepared for a serious campaign. Close To Peak The trainer, H. H. Riley, has now given the gelding four starts since his spell and Tasman Lad looks ready to produce his best form again. Riley also started Blissful Lad for the first time in Sydney. Blissful Lad, by Clarification from Lady Glenda, won seven races in New Zealand before being taken to Melbourne for the spring meeting where he ran in only one race. Riley apparently did not greatly fancy the gelding for Saturday's Rosehill Welter

Handicap for Blissful Lad was at 50 to one. But Blissful Lad made a great run in the straight to gain second place to Ccunt Radiant (by Count Rendered) only to be disqualified for failing to draw weight. Well-Related High Principle, the halfbrother, by Agricola, to Straight Draw (Melbourne Cup) and Ilumquh (Caulfield Cup) won his first race on Saturday, succeeding in tne mile-and-a-half Auburn Stakes. Earlier the form of this well-related three-year-old was disappointing, but on Saturday he showed much more determination when under pressure, and, maybe like the others before him, he will improve as he gets older. Light F'ngers continued tn winning ven, and undoubtedly this mare by Le Filou is the outstanding mare of the season. Saturday’s success ir. the St. George Stakes was her thirteenth wun. Unfortunately she was cut on a hind leg and will be withdrawn from racing. Two-year-old racing on Saturday had a special interest in both Sydney and Melbourne. In Sydney the 40.000-dollar juvenile, Lancashire Lad (by Rego) was racing for the first time since he brought that price at auction, follow in? a forced sale when nominations from his original owner were refused by the A.J.C. Under Pressure Lancashire Lad won his race, but only under extreme pressure. He ran about a good deal and was not all that impressive, even allowing for the opinion from his rider, G. Moore, that greenness was the cause of all the trouble. Lancashire Lad neat Shaheaown (by Chatsworth), which trieo to make the pace fr.-m start to finish. Lancashire Lad should benefit from the race, but there were many keen judges who would prefer Shakedown

as likely to be the better racing proposition.

The Merson Cooper Stakes in Melbourne was a thriller in which Storm Queen (by Coronation Boy from Storm Gleam, the dame of L’Orage Boy and Anna Rose) beat tne, Sydney colt Prince Max (by Renegade) and the Sydney filly Candy Floss (by Pipe of Peace). Unbeaten Record While this talent was racing there was, at Rosehill, another filly, Very Merry, which effortlessly carried !)-8 to success from a smart field to maintain her unbeaten record.

Very Merry is by Wilkes (imp) from Merry Polly, which descends from the dam of The Night Patrol, a brilliant sprinter imported from England. She has faced a starter six times —-tww in official barrier trials for two-year-olds and four times in races—and she has yet to be beaten. Her wins include the Silver Slipper Stakes, at Rosehill, and the Maribyrnon? Plate, at Flemington, and with 16,100 dollars in stakes she could well become the greatest stake-winning two-year-old of the season.