Skelton discounts Kingston Town

Press, 27 October 1982, Page 38

Skelton discounts Kingston Town

From .ALLAN BROWN Melbourne While Kingston Town retains his tight grip on Melbourne Cup favouritism at odds of seven to two, one authority on 3200 m races has little regard for the horse’s chance. A former New Zealand. Bob Skelton, with 19 twomile or 3200 m race wins to his credit, one on Van Dec Hum in the Cup six years ago, considers Kingston Town has too much weight to win next Tuesday. Skelton is more taken with Rose and Thistle, a four-year-old trained by his brother Errol Skelton, whom he might ride in the big race. According to Bob Skelton, Rose and Thistle has many of the credentials for a Melbourne Cup win. “He’s won over 2800 m (New Zealand St Leger) after all,” Skelton said. “He ran that second to Isle Of Man

(New Zealand Derby) and shaped up well against the older horses — and he’s in there with 51kg.” Skelton will make a decision after the Werribee races this afternoon on his Melbourne Cup mount but there are many signs it will indeed be Rose and Thistle. Gary Willetts, another former New Zealand jockey who has done well since settling in Melbourne, will ride Allez Bijou in the Melbourne Cup and “Midge” Didham, a South Islander who made Melbourne his home soon after winning the Cup on Baghdad Note in 1970, is to ride Silver Bounty. A dispute arose over Willetts’s commitment on the Cup, with a South Australian trainer, Ron Morgan, arguing that he had engaged him for Dealer’s Choice. Willetts, however, is adamant that Allez Bijou has been his mount since the declaration of weights back in July.