‘I enjoyed it all the way’— Heidsieck’s Cup victory

Press, 14 November 1977, Page 20

‘I enjoyed it all the way’— Heidsieck’s Cup victory

By

J. J. BOYLE

Yet another of Bob Skelton's many feats of alchemy with a stayer, and Heidsieck came storming home, one of the most popular winners in the New Zealand Cup on Saturday.

*‘l had a lovely ride. I was, enjoying it all the way,” said the 42-year-old Skelton after he so deftly guided; Heidsieck to victory by a! length and a half in courserecord time of 3min 19.6seci for the 3200 m. It was Skelton’s l seventeenth success in a *'two-tniler”. and three ofthose victories have come in I the space of a vear — first the most prized one of all, the 1976 Melbourne Cup on Van der Hum, then the 19771 Auckland Cup on Royal Ca-! denza. Heidsieck’s New Zealand : Cup victory, the Hermes gelding’s second in the race.! gave Skelton his third' success in the Canterbury j Jockey Club’s staying race. Oreka was the first I successful mount, in 1960.! and 11 years later he teamed | with Princess Mellay for her . second victory in the race, j Heidsieck. cost Mr and I M’s Gordon Pollock §4200 at ■ the national yearling sales, and under the guidance of his Somerset-born Fred Phil-1

lips he has toiled purposefully and rewardingly on the big courses. His two New Zealand Cup victories, and his two Benson and Hedges Gold Cups would argue that he finds

[something special to cope with Riccarton’s open I spaces. But he is also a Waikato Cup winner, and I will attempt a second vici tory in that race next Saturday. : Like Van der Hum. ! Heidsieck came from the (first crop sired by the illI fated Hermes. Heidsieck’s I dam, Marise, won four races, 'his grandam, Angeline (by Foxbridge), won five. From this family came Raidan, winner of 10 races, including the Wellington Guineas and the Harcourt Stakes, and the interesting ancestress is Lady Wayward, which has a no more famous descendant than Great Sensation, the remarkable stayer which won three Wellington Cups in the hands of Bob Skelton.

This year’s New Zealand Cup, the first staged on the final day o' the meeting, did not produce its usual heavy crop of hard-luck stories. The Riccarton apprentice, Brian Hibberd, rode Greek Prince through the opening 1600 m in Imin 41.4 sec, to

cut the amount of chopping and changing to a minimum, also the hard-luck stories.

Guest Star, the fourth favourite, was held up for three or four strides near the home turn when Greek Prince came to the end of run. The favourite, Royal Dell, which was on the outside of Guest Star at that stage, was also tightened for room momentarily, but did not lose any ground, and, unlike Guest Star, rallied and finished gamely into third two lengths from the winner and half a length from the runner-up, the Ric-carton-trained long shot, Thomas Mellay. Thomas Mellay made a likely looking run after Heidsieck up the straight, but shifted ground inwards over the final stages and his rider, Geoff Lee, had to straighten him twice. By that time, however, Heidsieck and Bob Skelton were clearly masters of the situation.

Andrew was a gallant fourth in his attempt to repeat his 1976 victory. He was held up for a run near the 800 m, rallied, but came to the end of his run, though his courage carried him on for fourth and $l5OO. He now goes out for a spell, and may be prepared for the Brisbane Cup next year. Wingatui’s Candyboy, the third favourite, was left fairly deep on the track after starting wide, and ran a little too keenly to get the trip. He was fifth and was followed in by the Southland mare, Lynda Mary.