Alaska Wins Lord Mayor’s Plate

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31162, 12 September 1966, Page 5

Alaska Wins Lord Mayor’s Plate

w'Spectal Crspdt. N.Z.PAJ MELBOURNE. The seven-year-old Alaska stole the honours from his more famous fellow New Zealanders, Light Fingers and Ziema, with a slashing win in the Lord Mayor's Flate at Flemington on Saturday. The former New Zealand Cup winner gained his first win in four races in Australia, and bookmakers cut his price for both the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups at the end of the day. Tobin Bronze, which brilliantly beat a star-studded field, including last year s Melbourne Cup winner. Light Fingers, in the one-mile Craiglee Stakes, dominates the Caulfield Cup market and is now 4/1 favourite, six points shorter than the next horses on the charts. But Light Fingers lost no admirers in her first start since February, and with her stablemate, Ziema, which was second to Alaska, has joined the New Zealander, Terrific, on the first line of favouritism at 8/1 for the Melbourne Cup. Alaska is now with Prince Grant on the second line at 101. Alaska (8/1) was slow out of the stalls and was still well back at the half-mile in the 10furlong Lord Mayor’s Plate, but he made a slashing run down the outside to snatch a neck victory over Ziema (even money favourite) in the last few strides. The West Australian, Royal Coral (33/1), which is by the New Zealand-bred sire, Ark Royal, was third a head away. The New Zealander, Bastille (8/1). was fifth. Ziema, the unlucky stayer of last spring, being runner-up in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups, was again unlucky as he was checked at the top of the straight and this could have cost him the race. The owner-trainer, V. P. Bernard, said after the race that Alaska was only half fit and

would improve tremendously between now and the cups. Magnificent Win Observers had nothing but praise for the manner in which Tobin Bronze won the W.F.A. Craiglee Stakes. It was a magnificent performance and the Arctic Explorer four-year-old justified his 5/4 favouritism with a four length victory over the 100/1 outsider. Khalif, with Citius (25/1) a length away third. Light Fingers (Le Filou — Cuddlesome), resuming after a spell with a leg injury, was fourth, a head behind Citius. Two New Zealand-bred three-year-olds attracted Derby attention with fine wins. Pharaon <Pharamond —First Nibble) gained a run in the A.J.C. Derby with a convincing win in the first Exford Handicap (7f.), and Sunhaven (Summertime— Eugenic) will be set for the V.R.C. Derby, following his victory in the second division of the Exford. Pharaon. unfancied at 40/1, scored by two lengths from Glorious Destiny (3/1) with the 2/1 favourite. Snub, a similar distance away third. Sunhaven (7/2) downed the 6/4 favourite, Papke, by a length and a half in the second division. with Open Top (8/1) threequarters of a length away third. The Dunedin trainer, A. E. Didham’s, Le Filou five-year-old, Mon Amour, started 9/4 favourite for the Kingsford Welter Handicap <l2f.) but was beaten by two lengths by Red Brass (4/1), with Swift Chief (10/1) a neck away third.