Game win by Vice Regal

Press, 29 August 1977, Page 18

Game win by Vice Regal

XZPA Melbourne The outstanding New Zealand four-'ear-old, Vue Regal., stamped himself a top Cups contender with a dogged win in the J. J Liston Stakes (1400 m at iSandown on Saturday i The Bismark ll—Kind Regards entire overcame difficulties to beat a star-studded field which included the champion mares. Surround. Maybe Mahal and How Now, as well as other top gallopers in Wave King and Scamanda. His jockey. Gary Willetts, was forced to ride "blind” for a part of the race w hen his cap dropped down around his eyes Willetts, however, was able to get enough out of Vice Regal to win by half a head from Scamanda. with Maybe Mahal a short half-head away third. Vice Regal looked likely to re-1 cord an ease win when he got the better of Scamanda at the] 200 m but the Victorian sprinter, fought back strongly and would have been in front again In an-’ other few strides. Willetts claimed that he had! something in reserve on the winner and had not pulled the whlpj on him. The jockey. New Zealand-born but domiciled in Melbourne, was lavish in his praise of Vice Regal after the race. "He’s all race horse, one of the best I’ve ridden,” said Willetts. Vice Regal’s trainer. Jim Campin. was elated with the win but said that the horse still needed some more hard racing "I might run him in the Memsie Stakes next Saturday.

slThree run* In successive weeks 'will do him the world of good.'’ 1 said Campin ,| Vice Regal prosed by hi* wy, • that he was unlucky when a r close seventh to Ease the Squeeze t in the Freeway Stakes at Moonee Valley last Saturdav. s Campin said that he will con- > tact the New Zealand jockey, i Gary Edge, and ask him to ride the horse in the Cups double. i The big disappointment of the - race was Surround, which started . favourite at 5 to 4 on. s The New Zealand jockey. Brian t Andrews, had the mare travelling I beautifully all the wav to the turn and she looked the winner > at the 400 m. ) In another few metres, how- - ever. Surround was being niggled t along and not responding and she wae a beaten horse at the ■ 1200 m. t Andrews said: scamanda ■ went under my neck earlv in the ■!straight but it made no differ lienee. Surround was disappolnt- ' The former New Zealand galI j toper. Lord Cervino, completed a . "kiwi double” with a strong win II in the Mein Handicap, the feature staving race at the meeting. i The Silver Dream—Bride Elect i four-vear-old has come solid after l a series of Indifferent performances early in his Australian ! campaign and looks set for further success. i Lord Cervino finished with a i strong burst after being about sixth on the turn to beat Fair Deceit bv half a length, with Chelone Prince a short half-head away, third