C.J.C. Cup meeting was a bonanza for north horses

Press, 16 November 1981, Page 28

C.J.C. Cup meeting was a bonanza for north horses

By

J. J. BOYLE

The Canterbury Jockey Club’s 1981 New Zealand Cup meeting was one of spectacular success for North Island horses.

They captured 12 of the 29 races and earned $178,945 of the total stakes of $271,200. Gold Bullion returns to Noel Eale’s Woodville stable with his stakes boosted by $34,685 from his wins in Saturday’s New Zealand Cup and the South Australian Jockey Club Handicap three days earlier. With assistance from Orchidra, winner of the Canterbury Gold Cup: Commissionaire, winner of two minor races; and minor placegetters in Manchu and Trustturn, the Eales stable record at the meeting was five wins, three seconds and a fourth, worth $55,335. Altitude was the second best individual earner to Gold Bullion at the meeting, his Two Thousand Guineas win bringing in $25,000. Interest in his clash with Noble Heights in the Levin Turf Classic on Wednesday quickened when the Cambridge filly won the New Zealand One Thousand Guineas with authority on

Saturday to boost her earnings by $21,875. Rich double In their back-to-back victories on Saturday, Good Bullion and Noble Heights were ridden by Gary Phillips. He did not have much to concern himself in either race except when Noble Heights bumped against an off-line Nottingham Belle near the home turn in the classic. Eight hundred metres from home in the New Zealand Cup, Gold Bullion was giving Phillips a double handful, and nothing short of a spectacular collapse could have deprived the seven-year-old once he stormed through to the front. Hopes of a favourite’s victory had disappeared some little time before Gold Bullion made his bid for the lead and victory. El Questro was left with a mission impossible when he got into a spot of crowding in the tail-end group, and dropped away into a gap

behind the second to last runner. That he managed to get up for fourth after being still last on the home turn was another chapter in the history of what might have been in major New Zealand races — almost fit to be compared with Show Gate’s second behind Good Lord in a Wellington Cup. Despa also had to come from the back for his second but Gold Bullion got to the end of the 3200 m in course record time of 3min 18.20 s without being seriously challenged. He was bred by Mr E. W. (Boy) Symes, who offered Noel Eales and Mr John Swafford, of Wellington, racing partnerships in the horse. Eales has not found Gold Bullion an easy horse to develop into the efficient racing machine he proved to be on Saturday.

“His temperament posed a bit of a problem. He is a strong-willed horse, and it was a case of showing him who was boss without running the risk of ruining him,” Gold Bullion’s trainer said on Saturday. Gold Bullion belongs to a highly successful Hawke’s Bay family that has a claim to international stature since it came up with Lady Sybil. She won nine races including the V.R.C. Oaks and after being bought for the United States produced Amerigo Lady, winner of 13 races including the Hollywood Oaks. Other successful members of the family included Dalvui, winner of 16 races including a George Adams Handicap at Riccarton. and Ursalon, which counted a Thompson Handicap at Trentham among his successes.