GRAND KNIGHT CAPTURES THE DOUBLE

NZ Truth, Issue 1063, 8 April 1926, Page 13

GRAND KNIGHT CAPTURES THE DOUBLE

I • (From "Truth's" Special Christchurch Representative.) . > At Riccarton on Monday Grand Knight won the Great Autumn | Handicap and m sb doing 1 equalled the performance of Lady Lillian LandLady Zetland, both of which won the Great Easter and the j Great Autumn m the same year. s '

'TUESDAY'S race was the, finest con*7 test ever witnessed m the event and it was a triumph for the handicapper. 'VTo : a perfect dispatch the field of eleven was sent,away on the journey and the role of pacemaker was taken 'KStl^ttlW d °Wn the-back stretch with a big lead. Passing the hilf-way mark Mount Marta had a tremendous lead, the nearest to him being Lis- , , tening Post, Baldowa and Royal Divorce. ; , The leader compounded ' coming •round the turn and the field got up >. to him. ' -• , ! Listening 1 Post was first to get to Mount Marta and he went perhaps a bit too soon. •;-. . .< Then, at the same spot that he , - started his run the. day previously, Morris sent Grand Knight along/ : and Vvithin half a furlong he was; the winner. . >■•'■ Up bobbed Royal Divorce on th& ■ .Vfence and m a' thrilling finish the pair f of English horses went-over the line (locked together. ;' . Grand Knight just had the better, of * it and he won by a short heafl, while Royal Divorce was a heck m ;front of Listening: Post, with Fresco' another head back fourth. , I 'Then came a bunch of horses and [ .: .from the first to'the ejghth there . was no daylight. . .' ; The winner's efCort was a particularly meritorious one right from the outset. 'V ; ••:" " , . ' His' trainer,' Sid Reid, had been • qluietly confident that he would win the J double, but most "gpod . judges thought that the iriile and.a. half would find

Grand Knight out, especially if it was a fast race. . ;': ' • |t turned out there was plenty of pace and by winning Grand Knight-showed that he could sprint one day and stay/the' nextl. Of the other runners Royal Divorce & raCe and it was just bad i uck to meet a horse a fraction better on the day. . Gold. Light was never m the picture, though she finished sixth. Count Cavoiir was set amimpossible ,task by his rider, who had him on the outside all the way, and the effort he gave at the finish'did not reflect upon Porter. i Listening TPosJ;' was sent out after the leader a fraction too soon and::considering his condition he was' respon^ sible for a fine display. Baldowa did not look ready to go such a strenuous journey, Overdrawn was m a winning position turning for home, but he could not go on with it. . Mantua wa« always at the back of the field, while Rivalry covered all-the ground possible till he punctured. ; Mount Marta kept them going, but he spilt his lollies two furlongs off the post.' ' ' Fresco' was fourth and on that race he will soon win a good handicap. jj. wa? perhaps Tiad^ enough the..first day for Mr. .Eric Ri<idif ord to see.vhis, cast-oft! win theV.Grea.t- Easter*, 'but it was a hundred ttees worse on Tuesday. when the hdr,se'uhe.l.let go? out, of his stable beat-Rpyal Divbrce-^which.'.'car-ries his colors—by the'proverbial, whisker. „';..: