A GREAT STRUGGLE

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 4

A GREAT STRUGGLE

: foLD BILL AND BEAU VITE

t^'ij1 '■ ' - f ■ ■ ■ •^Acbntest fitting to the occasion was

witnessed in the Wellington Centennial Cup, for which, the stake and trophy weje the largest ever provided by the club. A tremendous struggle developed over the last two furlongs between the two favourites, Old Bill and Beau Vite, and the ascendancy remained ■wtfth the older horse to the finish,' though there were times, during the battle, when it looked as if the three-yelat-old would prevail. *tild Bill had faced a special preparation for this race from early in: the -. season, and it was one of those longplanned coups , carried; through to fiction. He had been favourite with /die, racegoers from::.the" time of the S noininations, but though he was still first fancy yesterday he was .only a sßade better supported than Beau Vfte, and his prices were riot quite so large as it was expected that the favourite in this field of record dimensions would return. ;'E ARLY LEADERS CALL TUNE. The race was always confined to the leading division/those further back never looking like being in the money, though two or three of them came ' home well. Laughing Lass soon "took charge, with Old Bill running second. „ anji- Beau Vite, Globe Trotter, Gladynevy 'Centrepoise,: Queen, of Song, and . Raeburn next. The race may be described with only those eight horses - out of the 26 starters. - ; Jt was shortly after passing the six furlongs that Old Bill began his big bid.for victory. At the five furlongs he passed Laughing Lass, and a; little further on Gladynev ran into second place, with Laughing Lass and Beau Vxtei following. That was ho\^ they apr - preached the straight, at the head of the-others being Centrepoise, Raebunj, Globe Trotter, arid Moorsotis, withFils de Vaals and Royal .Chief-starting to free themselves from among the rest. At the false rail Beau Vite darted forward to challenge Old Bill, and Old Bill was immediately under threat. Tattersall and Morris both now had their whips out, and all eyes were centred on these two horses, as. it was clear that one or other would win. Old Bill swung his head round at Beau Vite as though ,to savage him, arid several , times repeated; the attempt, but Tattersall pulled him back; /Over the last furlong there was never more than a head margin separating them, but Old Bill always kept that head in his - favour and he passed the post the winnel£.by a head. pid Bill was a popular Vwinner: and he deserved the great triumph, though the'honours might be yielded to Beau Vite, ,who, as a three-year-old, was conceding his older rival ,71b in actual weight and 211b tinder the wla. scale. Whether Old Bill's attempts to savage Beau Vite affected the ultimate result of the race will remain one of those things about which the truth will never be known, but in years to.come, there is sure to be long and heated argument among the old-timers of those future days concerning the more and more sensational finish to the Centennial Cup of 1940. CLASS THREE-YEAR-OLD. Beau Vite stamped himself a three-year-old in the class of the best champions of the past. lie could not quite do what Defaulter did last year, but he had much more formidable opposition. Indeed, it is doubtful if a more quality field ever went to the post in a Wellington Cup than paraded yesterday. Gladynev also proved himself a three-year-old stayer above the mean. After running into second place at the half-mile, which needed more than ordinary early effort, as, he drew No. 22 marble, he hung on to be a very k .creditable third, though over two lengths from the leading pair. Still another three-year-old finished fbiarth. This was Royal Chiefs half- ' ibrother Beau R' psire, who was not in the-"first fifteen along the back but came with a rattle over the closing stage. He is perhaps one of the; most promising young stayers about for the future two-mile cups. The other three-year-olds in the race were by no 'means disgraced. Moorsotis was among the first half of the field'throughout and he wound up sixth. Globe Trotter was with the leaders for a mile and then faded. Fils de Vaals was well back most of the ■way, but he put in a fast riiove nearing the straight, which might have made him dangerous if there had been any - weakening in the leaders. Thermidor came from near the rear to finish fifth. Centrepoise was seventh, , but he had every chance with a perfect run from the start. Queen of Song, eighth, was another always in the pic-. fufe,"but Norseman, Royal Chief, Siegmimd, Mishna, and Lady Montana, who were next to complete, were never near enough to be prospects. Royal Chief was taken out on the course at the straight entrance for what many ex? pected to be a characteristic run, but the pace of the leaders never slackened "and in addition he was checked by tiring horses. ' " , . .. Laughing Lass lasted as far as the straight but then shut up, the distance beating her. Raeburn, also tired, after going a really good race for over a miX Malagigi, who drew poorly, was, in the ruck from the start. So were Beaupartir, Windsor Chief, Willie Win, Tide-waiter, and Mona's Song. Sly Fox had a handy position early, but .was nearly down going out of the straight. A fciunber of horses were carried out very wide at this turn. The last panto finish were Sly Fox and Beau•She pace was on all the way, but, wnb the course now watered, times areflnot so fast as they would otherwise be. The full distance was done in 2mM 31i}sec, the last mile and a quar-. terJin 2min 6seCj the last:mile m lmin 40sec, and the last half-mile in 49£ sec. Defaulter's time last year was 2min 32J$ec, and his sections were all a shade slower. ,;..„„„« TJfte pool on this race was £17,032, a record for the Cup. The win betting was. £6467 10s and the place betting £1k564 10s. The best previous Cup pool was £12,759 under the old betting system in 1929.