Kingdom Bay brave winner in record-run guineas

Press, 8 November 1984, Page 28

Kingdom Bay brave winner in record-run guineas

J. J. BOYLE

The fighting qualities of Kingdom Bay, apparent when he won the Wellington Guineas last month, re-emerged at Riccarton yesterday when the Taranaki-owned and trained chestnut captured the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas at Riccarton.

Kingdom Bay, an odds-on favourite, fought like a tiger to snatch a neck victory over Governor’s Bay, whose bid for the lead through a gap up the straight looked as if it would pay off handsomely. Moments after he won the classic in race record time of 1:34.64, Kingdom Bay was looking for grass to eat in the winner’s stall after Noel Harris brought him back for the weigh-in. And he made another foraging foray in the middle of the Riccarton birdcage while the Olympic gold medallist, Mark Todd, was adding his tribute in the official presentation ceremony. Kingdom Bay was completing a brilliant guineas treble yesterday for his Stratford owners, Doug and Doreen Whittington, and he has made a spectacular return on the $3750 he cost at auction at a Waikato yearling sale. His win yesterday was his eight from 18 starts for the Stratford stable of Jack Taylor, and he has now earned $156,585.

Kingdom Bay’s win yesterday earned him an invitation to Perth for the Channel 7 West Australian Derby on December 26, and the Otehi Bay colt’s trainer is keen to make the trip. But, before then, Kingdom Bay will get another rewarding opportunity closer to home in the $120,000 Bayer Classic at

Levin, and if Canterbury Belle also goes into that race the clash will excite the widest interest. Kingdom Bay’s owners were attracted to the colt as a yearling because of the youngster’s relationship to Fury’s Order, which raced with outstanding success for Mr Whittington’s brother-in-law, Mr Len Bridgeman. Fury’s Order won the first contest for the New Zealand . Two Thousand Guineas in 1973, and Walter McEwan brought him back to Riccarton a year later to capture the New Zealand Cup. Noel Harris. Kingdom Bay’s skilful partner yesterday, had not had a previous winning ride in the classic. The closest he got was a second on March Legend behind Balmerino. Harris found Kingdom Bay was running a little less keenly in his hands than he would have expected on the home turn yesterday. “His sprint win on the first day of the meeting took some of the brilliance off him, but there was no doubt what he wanted to do when the chips were down,” Harris said. Governor’s Bay, the only one to trouble Kingdom Bay, made a favourable first impression at Riccarton. He is raced by Balcarres Stud Ltd, and one of the stud’s principal shareholders, Mr Jack Lindsay, was predicting after the race that the Zephyr Bay

colt’s turn would come in the New Zealand Derby. Our Buddy saved third by a head from Koberstein, which challenged, but came to the end of his run beyond the 400 m. South of Belmont completed a clean sweep of the purse for the North Island by finishing fifth. Riccarton’s Secured Money was the best of the others. Whether Red Henry would have reinforced the North Island’s big battalions in the final assault on the prize cannot be established. The Great Northern Guineas winner went into the race as fourth favourite, but was never a real contestant. He came out of the starting gate riderless, leaving a dejected Peter Tims on the ground behind him. North Islanders also brought heavy guns to bear on the South Australian Jockey Club Handicap, first

leg of the Canterbury Jockey’s Club’s T.A.B. double yesterday. The Wellington-owned Otaki-trained Double Trouble kept the favourite, the Awapuni-trained Silver Elm out by a head. Tranquil Sea, in her first start at the meeting for the Bulls stable of Mervyn Andrews, beat the Riccarton four-year-old Rattle the Sabre by a neck for third. This was Double' Trouble’s second South Australian Jockey Club Handicap victory for his Wellington owner, Mr Rod Whyte. After he won that race two years ago he ran third in the New Zealand Cup, but his cups programme will be different this year. Double Trouble will be taken back to Otaki today by his trainer, Jim Didham, and will be prepared for the Auckland Cup. . Silver Elm lost little stature in failing to give weight to Double Trouble

yesterday. She had 56kg or 3.5 kg more than the winner, and she could well have turned the tables on a slightly easier surface. Tranquil Sea’s third was some compensation for the disappointment of a missed racing opportunity in the Benson and Hedges on the first day of the meeting. She was a late withdrawal from that race after being kicked soon after she did her preliminary.