CLASSIC HORSES OF 1967 Dewhurst Form Poor

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31320, 16 March 1967, Page 4

CLASSIC HORSES OF 1967 Dewhurst Form Poor

(By

NIGEL GEE)

The Dewhurst Stakes, over seven furlongs at Newmarket in October, is one of the more significant two-year-old races in the context of the next year’s Derby. Its popularity with owners varies from year to year, but 1966 was one of the years in which it was keenly contested, largely because owners inferred that no outstanding horse was entered. The result proved this deduction sound. Less than three lengths covered the first six, and a head and a neck separated the first three, Dart Board, French Vine and Countermarch. Dart Board won the last two of his four races in 1966 and the Dewhurst represents the high-water mark in his form. He is by Darius, which was best at distances under a mile and a half, but he might,still stay the Derby distance himself. He is not in the Guineas, an omission less important, perhaps, than that of his owner’s very fast colt,. Reform, which ended the season only 71b below the top of the Free Handicap. French Vine has a pedigree of contrasts. He, la by the 1)

stayer, French Beige, and his dam was a sprinter. It is hard to tell what he will be, but the chances are that he will be a mile and a half horse. The third and fourth in the Dewhurst, Countermarch and Wolver Hollow, both failed to win in 1966. That in itself is not fatal to their chances in 1967, since two classic winners of the last two seasons, Niksar and Sodium, also had a blank first season. Both Countermarch and Wolver Hollow had their moments in 1966—Countermarch was second to Royal Palace, the top English colt, in August—but neither In fact may be good enough. If the Dewhurst result was at all unjust, the victims of bad luck were Karpathos and Privy Seal. Karpathos, which had previously won over this distance, was fifth after being denied a clear run.

Privy Seal swerved at the start and never got over that setback. As the result turned out, he might otherwise have won the Dewhurst, since earlier he had beaten Countermarch by roughly the same amount as Dart Board beat that colt in the Dewhurst. Privy Seal

is by the Guineas winner. Privy Councillor, and though he might last the Derby distance, the Guineas is probably the better classic for him.

The one oustanding failure In this race was the favourite. Rougeway, a highly-rated colt from the Murless stable. He sweated badly before the race and is evidently one which does his best work in the privacy of his back yard. The Free Handicap does not consider the Dewhurst one of the important races of 1966. Its winner. Dart Board, gets 8-3, 181 b below the champion, Bold Lad, and French Vine and Privy Seal have 8-2. That impartial, and probably correct, judgment sums up the progress the runners must make jo reach the big league this year.

Appropriate Win.—Tarim's success in the P. F. Wall Memorial Handicap at Waiipukurau on Tuesday could not have been more appropriate. He is owned by Mrs G. Wall, the widow of Mr P. F. Hall, for many years President of the Walpukurau ockey Club, and Mr Godfrey Von Dadelszen, her son-ln-iaw, who is a steward of the Waipukurau Club.