Golden Fleece wins Derby

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 20

Golden Fleece wins Derby

NZPA-Reuter Epsom

The big Irish-trained colt. Golden Fleece, showed a potential to match the deeds of his great sire, Nijinsky, when he stormed to a three length win in the celebrated Epsom Derby, at Epsom yesterday.

. Starting three-to-one favourite in spite of reservations about his ability, to handle the undulating Epsom course, Golden ■ Fleece showed blistering acceleration in the final two furlongs of the 12 furlong race to swamp a field of Europe’s top three-year-olds.

The millionaire owner. Robert Sangster, seemingly overawed by the power, of the youngster’s victory waived questions after , the race about the colt’s-value.

“I have no idea what; my. colt is worth,” he said. “It was exciting, incredible.”,. Sangster collected a winner’s purse of $NZ344,792 but that amount is vastly exceeded by the- colt's new value at stud. The $775,000 paid out for Golden Fleece, a son of great Nijinsky out of Exotic Treat, now seems one of thoroughbred racing’s greatest bargains.

Golden Fleece was parked back in the field for most of the race, but when his jockey, Pat -Eddery, asked him for his effort about, two furlongs out, he passed six horses within a furlong and a half to become England’s 203rd Derby winner.

“That is the best horse I have ever sat on,” said Eddery, who also won the classic on Grundy in 1975. He was the only unbeaten colt in the field, of 18, but he had had a Setback in training. He sweated up nervously in the preliminaries on crowded Epsom Downs and he was criticised as being too big to handle the turning, undulating course. He not only proved the critics wrong, but won in th/ style of a great horse.. / As Golden Fleece surged to victory in 2min 34.2.ec, only just outside the! D/rby record of 2min 33.8 se q/! the 40-to-l outsider, Torching Wood, battled to second place, with, Another, strong finisher, Silva Haiwk, taking third place a 14-to-l. But nothing in the ffld posed any threat to the Vinner. • Eddery, commuting on this climax of af week in which he became a father,

said: “He won the greatest race in the world, and he wasn’t really extended. This horse ,is a real athlete. If he can act here, he can go anywhere." The trainer, Vincent O’Brien, who has turned out the winners of 14 English classics- but had -hot had-one .since The Minstrel won this race in 1977, said:, “I, am ■delighted,. -' naturally, and privileged to 'be associated with a.greathorse.He compares very fa vourably - with rriy twb best Derby winners, Sir Ivor and -.-Nijinsky."