WELLINGTON DERBY TO BEN LOMOND

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31584, 23 January 1968, Page 4

WELLINGTON DERBY TO BEN LOMOND

Colt Makes Light Work Of Record Gallop

(From Our Own Reporter) WELLINGTON. Ben Lomond yesterday ran the fastest mile and a half by a three-year-old in New Zealand in winning the second Wellington Derby.

He won by six lengths in 2min 27 3-4 sec, which equalled the New Zealand record for the distance previously shared by Takatu, Froth, and Titian.

Later in the day the record was broken by Udare, which won the Asian Racing Conference Handicap in 2min 27 Msec. Had there been anything in the field capable of making Ben Lomond gallop, Mr E. Montgomery’s big Test Case colt would have returned a time close to the best for Australia and New Zealand —2tnin 26 9-10 sec, which was established by Tulloch in winning the Caulfield Cup. Ben Lomond’s 83-year-old Rotorua owner was at Trentham yesterday to see his grand colt outclass the opposition in the third Derby of the season Mr Montgomery bad seen Ben Lomond race only twice

previously, one occasion having been when he won the Great Northern Derby, also by six lengths. - Mr Montgomery was overcome with emotion after yesterday’s race and asked Mr R. Batchelor, of Cambridge, to reply for him in the presentation ceremony. • Several of the overseas visitors at Trentham for the National Yearling Sales, the Asian Racing Conference, and the racing carnival were enthusiastic about the quality, power and speed of Ben Lomond. Most of the Australians thought Ben Lomond a better colt than either Savoy or Swift Peter, winners of the two major staying classics in Australia this season. There are no plans for an Australian spring campaign for Ben Lomond. Trentham

patrons will be treated to another display of his power galloping in the weight-for-age Trentham Stakes next Saturday. Ben Lomond was ridden by G. F. Hughes, who has ridden more winners of important spring races than any other jockey in New Zealand, but who would not be drawn when asked to make comparisons with some of the other topranking horses he had ridden. “You just can’t compare horses of different periods,” Hughes said later. Cost 2500gns A 2500gns purchase at the National Yearling Sales, Ben Lomond was bred at Matamata by a former South Islander, J. H. Lindsay. Ben Lomond was ridden in the Great Northern Derby and

the Waikato Guineas by R. W. Taylor. Hughes found a trailing run for Ben Lomond from the start of the Wellington Derby. Aquarelle kept up such a great gallop in front that Ben Lomond was given a beautifully smooth, even run around to the straight. He lengthened stride so effortlessly that one could have been excused for having thought that he had been doing only three-quarter pace work for the first mile and a quarter. The Wanganui-trained Le Danois beat Aquarelle by a length for second. The only other horse in the struggle for minor places was Nipawin, which drifted to the tail of the field at the start, and had to pick up a lot of ground in the last half-mile. Proud Chief was fifth, far ahead of Greenstone. The Gore-trained Tulson was a distant eighth, two positions ahead of Sandy, from Mosgiel.