"Taras Bulba v. Leilani’

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34095, 6 March 1976, Page 8

"Taras Bulba v. Leilani’

A grand battle of tactics between two of Australia's top* Jockeys Roy Higgins and John' Duggan, looms at Flemington today when I.eilam I Higgins* meets Taras Bulba * Duggan * in the 515.000 Queen's Plate over 2000 m. The two Oncidium champions, look so strong in this race that; only two others. St Martin and the New Zealand stayer Chelsea Tower, have accepted against: them. Leilani <4 to 7 on) is the fav- j ourite with the bookmakers, but. most racing writers are picking) Taras Bulba *6 to 4). St Martin; and Chelsea Tower are both at* 20 to 1. It is the classic matching of a; top mare, which has won 1268,470.1 with a top four-year-old stayer, the winner of 3261,312. The first prize today of 110.500 would take either of them well, on the way to Gunsynd’s record, of $230,455. .1 Leilani is trained by Bart Cummings and Taras Bulba by Tom Smith, which adds further spice to the meeting. Neither will I hear of his horse losing, and both expect ft to be a superb match race. Higgins, who is restricting him-) self to two rides today because of injury, said Leilani would not; be worried by a slow pace. Duggan is likely to lead on | Taras Bulba, a controversial horse, which has probably been booed more often than any other) but most of the four-year-old’s* failures have been in the wet., and the track should be good | today. I