Grand Derby field

Press, 26 December 1985, Page 18

Grand Derby field

Special correspondent Auckland Better fields there might have been for the New Zealand Derby but few, surely, with more real possibilities than the one at the Auckland Racing Club’s meeting at Ellerslie today. Six of the runners, one of them a filly, are guaranteed big followings.

One of two horses Bonecrusher and Flight Bijou, will be favourite but that is not to say Sir Sydney, Tristram’s Belle, Field Dancer

and, perhaps, Random Chance, are without winning prospects. Bonecrusher won the Bayer Classic and the Guineas at Avondale in his last two starts, so his success again would get him a most notable hat-trick. Bonecrusher was all determination winning the Avondale Guineas, over 2000 m, and impressive in the way he finished the 1600 of the Bayer Classic. Bonecrusher gives every indication of having continued to train on and Flight Bijou, Kby his gallop with tent at Matamata yesterday is also doing well. If breeding is anything to go by Flight Bijou will not have even the least trouble with the Derby distance. His sire, Noble Bijou, has got any number of big winners up to 2400 m and his dam, Country Flight, is by Agricola and descends through mares by Sabaean, Llanstephan and Nizami, all powerful staying influences. There was very little between Bonecrusher and Flight Bijou (third) in the finish at Avondale, the performances of both horses being the more meritorious through their having suffered in the scrimmage around the first turn.

Flight Bijou had been a game winner the time before of a class three 2000 m race ‘ at Ellerslie, the seventh of just eight races asked of him.

Flight Bijou’s win would represent a further milestone for the O’Sullivan stable, at Matamata, which for ail its success has yet to make any sort of impact on the big three-year-old race at Ellgrslie. A Sainer for around 25 years, in partnership with a

son, Paul, these past few, Dave O’Sullivan can recall having run only two or three horses in the Ellerslie Derby, none certainly to which he could give much chance.

Field Dancer did sufficiently well in the Avondale Guineas, when a close fourth to merit very serious consideration for today, and Random Chapce, if only seventh, did not lose altogether the following he secured himself when winning the New Zealand Two Thousand Guineas — improvement with the Avondale race seemed certain. There was just a nose between Random Chance and Field Dancer in the Two Thousand Guineas. The way they go today will determine the value of the Riccarton form and the showing Tristram’s Belle puts on will give some idea of the worth of the Australian fillies as stayers.

Tristram’s Belle won the 2500 m VRC Oaks in just one start during the Melbourne spring carnival. In her only race since she managed a close scond in an intermediate 2000 m race at the Avondale Guineas meeting; Of her stamina there can hardly be a doubt The record of fillies in the Derby is not encouraging. During the last 35 years only four of the sex — Sweet Spray (1950), Passive (1957), Star Belle (1966) and Our Flight (1982) — were successful and they were champions of the time. The record of South Island runners in the race — Random Chance comes from Wingatui — also needs improving because the last, success®! one was Dalrajf in 1952.