Performances guide to Melbourne Cup

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33773, 20 February 1975, Page 10

Performances guide to Melbourne Cup

By

J. J. BOYLE)

v\ hen Silver Knight swept past Igloo in the final furlong to win the 1971 Melbourne Cup, New Zealanders in the huge crowd at Flemington could not say they had not been given adequate advance notice of the victory. Sir Walter Norwood’s elegant grey gave them at least nine months’ notice — from that February day when he won the first Benson and Hedges Inter-Island contest at Riccarton. What a magnificent start to the series I Silver Knight’s Riccarton victory in the skilful hands of Brian . ndrews carried the qualities looked for in the make-up of a Melbourne Cup ' winner. ; And when, in the following spring, Silver Knight . triumphed in the great race . at Flemington many of the ' form students found it highly profitable that they had paid ' respectful attention to the ; result of that first Benson and Hedges Inter-Island. ' Honours' on the winning i list are even. Silver Knight, Dare Devil, | Bevlyn, and Josie Glow made ( it an all North Island finish f in 1971, but Golden Sam put i the South Island into the record book in 1972 when he | beat Beatnik narrowly. The t rest of the field were led in , by Sailing Home. Fourth 5 that year was Magnifique, which was in Melbourne in the following spring to run a gallant second in Piping tape’s cup. The northerners came ■ back to dominate the finish £ of the 1973 race. It was a day memorable 1 ■for Sahara-like heat until < ionly a few minutes before ' 'the race. And memorable ' (also for an inspired ride by - 'Gary Willetts who took Duty (Free to a nose victory over 1

Johnny Cash, with Glengowan a neck back third, and Purdie next. Later that year Glengowan ran an . unlucky second to Gala Supreme in the Melbourne Cup, and in his case, at least, it could be said he found the class in the Mel- . bourne Cup no more daunting than in the inter-island event. Golden Sam also supplied a generous share of South Island interest to the finish of that Melbourne Cup by finishing fourth. The first three inter-island events were run over a mile and a half. Metrics were with us by last season and the Canterbury Jockey Club sought to widen the appeal of the race by fixing the distance at 2000 metres. Show Gate was in that field with top weight of 55.5, but even at the reduced distance Mr G. B. Thomson’s speedster seemed to have the odds heavily against her. f She was sent out fourth c favourite, and failed to reach t a place. j. But most of the punters called the shots correctly by j\ settling for Mister Pompous. n This three-year-old had leadup wins in the Wellington . Stakes and Wellington Derby Ij at Trentham. and he made it . three “straight” in capturing 11 the inter-island event by° three-quarters of a length ’ from the Woodville-trained 12 veteran Sharif. Peter Puckle, another mem- g ber of a North Island team that had been reduced in „ numbers, was third, with f ( Washdyke’s Totara Maid a fourth. v Home-town win w Mister Pompous made it a n home-town victory, through and through. $ He is owned by Mr and a Mrs B. H. Ballin, of Christ- a church, was trained by Gary w Lee, then at Riccarton, and s was ridden by Riccarton’s tl Max Skelton. fi Soon after that win Mister si Pompous was in Sydney pre- ti

Brian Andrews, who won the first inter-island race on Stiver Knight and will be back at Riccarton next week to ride Four Leaf. paring for important races at the spectacular A.J.C. autumn carnival, but he w r as unable to find anything like his best New Zealand form. The more recent news of Mister Pompous is much more encouraging. Only last Saturday he won the Victoria Racing Club's Brookside Handicap at Flemington under the top weight of 57.5 and in the hands of the former Wingatui rider, E. J. (Midge) Didham. It was a welcome change of luck for Mr and Mrs Ballin, and for Gary Lee; and Mister Pompous might now go on to further improve the formidable record of Benson and Hedges Inter-Island winners. The fifth Inter-Island race will be held at Riccarton next Tuesday. The field will be racing for $15,000, one of the most attractive prizes of the autumn carnivals, and those who have any regard for top stayers and for the sight of the best available horsemen from both islands in action should find the fare attractive.