RACING Topsy breaks record in Gold Cup victory

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33069, 9 November 1972, Page 8

RACING Topsy breaks record in Gold Cup victory

Topsy made a memorable first appearance at the New Zealand Cup meeting with a record-breaking run to win the Canterbury Gold Cup at Riccarton yesterday.

Mr R. A. Whyte’s stocky Sovereign Edition mare ran the mile and a quarter in 2.11-5, bettering the previous track record, shared by Game and Travesty, by threefifths of a second. Game returned his 2.1 4-5 when he won the Canterbury Gold Cup last year.

The New Zealand record for a mile and a quarter is 2.1, held by Blanaid. She ran that time at the Wairarapa meeting last autumn. Black Rod, which, like Topsy is owned by Mr Whyte and is trained at Otaki by C. A. Bowry, ran right up to his best three-year-old form to run second in yesterday’s feature race. Mr Whyte was at Riccarton when Black Rod failed in the New Zealand Derby last Saturday, but then travelled on to Australia for the Melbourne Cup and missed seeing his colourbearers dominate the Canterbury Gold Cup. D. Harris, ’ who had his choice of the mounts, stayed with Black Rod because he considered the Oncidium colt’s Derby

seventh was too bad to be true.

S. Hammersley was then left with the ride on Topsy and the little Sovereign Edition mare was going so sweetly when she sped up to challenge that he could have had few misgivings as to the outcome.

While Topsy was scorching along at the height of her run leaving the false rail Trelay raised some hopes, but only for a second or two, when he dived down alongside the fence. But a furlong out he was losing momentum and both Black Rod and His Bestone were finding sharper finishing speed. Black Rod beat His Bestone by half a length for second. Trelay was a length back fourth, with half ahead to

spare from Dhow, which had drifted from a good start, but went forward quickly to the line ahead of Topsy going to the five furlongs. Count Kereru, the top-.

weight and Topsy’s most solidly backed rival, ran a one-paced race for sixth. It was a disappointing run after his second in the Harcourt Stakes at Trentham.