FIRST OF HIS AGE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 113, 9 November 1937, Page 13

FIRST OF HIS AGE

ROYAL CHIEF ADDS DERBY

"■I '/Handsome; is as handsome does, and ••so it is with Royal Chief, who looks a 'big K6Hs some ways and not so big '"•; other' ways, and one.of the commoners •"However he -is -viewed. • The Chief 'Ruler .colt further, demonstrated his 'gallotriiig prowess by hij excellent win ■■"■ in the' New. Zealand Derby Stakes, the star- attraction, on the 'second days card of the Canterbury Jockey. Club s '■Metropolitan Meeting; yesterday.- ,: ' ' The Riccarttirt trainer F. D. • -Jones .'•' :thus had,the unusual distinction of _pre- :' viding the winners of both the New Zealand Cup and New Zealand Derby in the same yfcar, a feat last achieved by the late R. G.. Mason with, the dual • winner Noctuiform in 1905. This year s ■individual /winners set out,on their r: spring campaign early and were required to face all the big jobs, so this •-might suggest a practice worth following in future years. Nocftuform, it ' may also be noted, won the A.J.U • Derby a mbn,th'before Riccarton._ ;. -Yesterday's Derby might have been any sort of. a race, but The -Crooner ' saw to'it'that it was not,^;So L. J. Ellis had to'keep'-Royal Chief. up to his task tfronr the start and begin real ■ work -sooner than .he might have de- " sired; but the colt .had the ability m .":him;Wd after- closing on-The Crooner . at- ttie. distance he' came ■. on without rlign of flinching .to..score readily .by . hall a length from his old rival, Smoke ' SC Roy lal Chief had=to show his .' best particularly over the last half-milei but he proved Wond question bes: stayer • in' the field. It .was thought that he would be the horse to come from the war but when Ellis could not settle there he- confidently rode, the colt in • second place, without, however, running him off his"legs in pursuing The Crolner. The time of. Stain- 34 2-ssec. - was only average, but in such a smau field and on a nuggy day i.washardlj . expected to be so fast. Royal Gniei rmhis last mile in limn-39 l-ssec and, ■his last ; half-mile in ,50sec. ;. :_ i ■Royal.Chief is the -.first.son of defunct ... Chief Ruler to win the Derby, andJ v of ciourse;;a S he is cti*of his sire's last crop, he will.be the pnly.one. . Costing! . 160' guineas as, a yearling he .has now, won £4225 in stakes for ten firsts mid ■ minor placirigs-in nineteen starts which entitles Mr..A K. -Firth, of Christchurch. to consider himself one •of the luckiest of owners, as .the. colt is the. first horse -to have carried, his -"^^Sml&^cree^^'as the'horsehta-race. in behind, being reefed sharply there- ., ,as soon as the: tapes lifted,; and he was ■reserved for a final claim. He answered • wtien asked in the straight for his '■ effort, but -Royal Chief was always ■ going just tod'well for hin> and though i he reached'the-winner's girth he never -'fiver-menaced.His supremacy. . , ■ The- Crooner, set out in the hope. or , ■•runnirfg-the 'others off their feet, but i'ihis opponents v were not to be so " trapped. Before" leaving the; straight ■■•' The. Crflbner -was four lengths out m -'•fronts arid at the end-of the first halfmile He was. six lengths clear. He ■'-, -slightly, increased the margin, but was -'■ momentarily .allowed a "breather' at the five furlongs, when : he came back ' to four lengths. : At the half-mile he set off again, "but #c was feeling the '; effects ' on reaching the straight. He ' • vhad . to- succumb when Royal Chief -^challenged, but Goulsbro' was able to keep him going, ana over the last ; Cfifty : yards he made a bold bid stil.l ..to.keep Smoke Screen, out of second; - but failed 'jy another half-length. It <-■-. is-not the way Derbies are won. but ■" ;The Crooner played a difficult hand •■ well; •■'■'■•■.-:■■ .'■■-•■:■

Lazybfines, the only other runner, was outclassed. He, finished a dozen to fifteen lengths;behind the placefillers after having entered the straight Still oh terms with' Smoke Screen.