EXERCISE ' GALLOP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 64, 15 March 1940, Page 12

EXERCISE ' GALLOP

BEAU VITE'S ST. LEGER

The New Zealand St. Leger Stakes was little more than an exercise gallop for Beau Vite, but no one really expected it.-to be otherwise. His complete dominance over the three-year-olds of the season had already settled any chance of a field for this classic, but his stablemate Duncannon, as well as Dynasty, were saddled up to earn the minor share of the stakes. Beau Vite was never over the rein.^ After trailing Dynasty early; he Went up to the pacemaker's quarters at the seven furlongs, slipped ahead at the half-mile, and galloped home effortlessly a- length and a half ahead of Duncannon, who made earnest endeavour to do something worthy of his oats over the last couple of furlongs. Dynasty faded, out when the pace was pressed on from the halfmile. Beau Vite cost Mr. Ralph Stewart, of Wellington, 900 guineas as a yearling, but he has already made that price look insignificant, as he has now earned £6560 in stakes for ten wins, six seconds, and two * thirds in 28 starts to date. He is a colt well out of the ordinary, and. he may be the best of his age in Australia and, New Zealand, though that will not now be tested till next spring, when Beau Vite is due to go back to Australia. There have been several St. Legers j more slowly run than yesterday's, but Beau Vite of course did only what the other pair made him do. The first half-mile took 58sec to run and the first six furlongs lmin 27|sec. It was really only a gallop over the last halfmile, which Beau Vite ran in 48isec, still on the rein all the time. Beau Vite was six times as well backed as either of his opponents, but that gave a better dividend for him than his form deserved. The pool on the race was £973 10s. .