A GREAT STRUGGLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1043, 21 November 1925, Page 13

A GREAT STRUGGLE

Stead Gold Cup Race

RUNNYMEDE' S FINE SHOW

* - ; ' . : . ..." '•■•■■. Runnymede showed m the New Zealand Derby that he was a classy three-year-old, but m the Stead Gold Cup at Riccarton on Saturday last he was responsible for a great performance.

The event only attracted three runners—Rapine, Count Cavour and the Derby winner. It took the public some time to make' j up their minds, but m the 6nd Runnymede was the favorite. ■ He took the lead from the start, and hitting out m good style, left the first two furlongs behind m 25 1-5 seps. He passed the half-mile mark m BOsec, and was showing the way to Count Cavour. The first six took Imin. 15sec. and the order was still the same. Runnymede led round the far turn, but coming to the straight .Reed pushed Rapine up on the outer of the pair. ' To many it seemed most unwise to come round and cover ground at that stage of the race, and . i,t certainly -looked so. Runnymede came out a bit when he was straightened up, and he cannoned into Count Cavour, who seemed to send the bump on to Rapine. McCarten had a look over his left shoulder passing the false rail, apparently expecting to find Rapine on his mount's heels, but Reed was now coming up on the outer. Two furlongs off the post Runnymede had an advantage that was de-,

I creased to about a length at the furi long. Here Rapine was' giving- every . x 'ounce, while Runnymede was being :' niggled at. . Fifty yards from home Rapine looked likely- to -get the three-year-old, and , five . yard's " off. , the^'post he actually headed him, : but; "McCarten lifted his mount m the last stride, and home he was by a nose. It was a great struggle on the part of two excellent horses, who were 1 helped by two splendid riders. Both man and beast did his part. [ and it was a pity to find Reed being • slated after the race, quite a number : of experts reckoning he had moved too soon. "Truth" figured' the incident this way: If Reed waits till the straight is entered upon, he is taking the risk of Count Cavour falling back beaten on his mount, and with that happening Reed is going to be m a pretty pickle. Then, again, Runnymede is going so well m front that there is not the slightest chance of his coming back to Rapine. Reed has to catch the leader, and he has. to go at the turn. If he had not done so, Runnymede would have won by a good deal more than . a nose. A length would have been nearer to it. iiiiiiiimiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiuiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiiiiiiiiiuniiiiiiiiiiiit