SETBACK FOR BACKERS WHEN BROWN PRINCE LAPSED AT ELLERSLIE

Wanganui Chronicle, 9 November 1950, Page 3

SETBACK FOR BACKERS WHEN BROWN PRINCE LAPSED AT ELLERSLIE

AUCKLAND, Last Night (Special) —The shock administered by Lord Foxbridge at Ellerslie on Saturday as he ran away with the Alison Cup was followed in the succeeding event by another body-blow when Brown Prince, dashing winner of the Welcome Stakes four weeks earlier, failed to get in the money in his division of the Cambria Handicap. Brown Prince was a warm favourite in this division. He seemed a bit slow to move and was even slower in getting into top speed, for he was well back at the end of the first quarter. The colt had made up a bit of leeway as the turn was reached, although victory seemed impossible. So it. proved and in only getting fourth Brown Prince did not impress. He is much better than this run indicated and the lapse may be only temporary. First Step, winner of two races earlier, scored in this division and there was nothing actually in the field good enough to worry her over the last couple of furlongs. Star Gillis, who came in for some support, finished fifth, and the well-backed Sobranie ran up to form to follow the winner past the post. The favourite failed in the first division, but the 2800-guineas grey colt Taj Mahal made no mistake in the second division, for he was always prominent and won very decisively. A big outsider in Ballochmarch followed him home, running his best race to date, but he had to survive a photo test before he secured the placing over the fast-finishing Gold Sash, another big Busiris, a stablemate of Brown Prince, also managed to finish fourth and will do better later, for he looked as if a race would improve him. In this division Fashioncraft showed a lot of pace to lead to the straight, and this LawrenceAthwell colt might be good later on. Foxbay staged a welcome return to form when he won the Ponui Handicap at Ellerslie on Saturday, scoring decisively. Now that he is back to his best he should make an acquisition to the handicap ranks, for he has proved himself a good middledistance performer. Leder was a very heavily backed favourite for this mile event. He left the barrier all right, albeit a bit sluggishly. However, he drifted badly once the Held had settled down, and running to the half-mile he was conceding the pacemakers 15 lengths, an impossible position. His finishing run, which impressed here three weeks earlier, was missing, but m ar.y case his task was hopeless. Loder may take on Mainbrace and company at Te Rapa. Equator put in an electrifying dasn at the finish of the open mile at Ellerslie, coming from a very long way back and threading his way through the field in the straight. He cut Prince legent out of second money by half a length and paid a big dividend. Equator ran his best race for a long time and perhaps he will yet live up to his earlier reputation as a good stayer. Coonbridge was always handy in this race and failed to run on, being sixth just behind the pacemaker, Miss Kanui, and Silverdine, who only came into the picture very late. Revolte proved himself a very good jumper by the manner in which he won the Tiri Hurdles, for he scored decisively. He conceded plenty of weight all round. It appeared as if Scotch Meadow might bother him, but the latter weakened into third when the novice Redingote put in his final burst. Peerage ran a fair race to get fourth, ten lengths behind Scotch Meadow, and he should not he difficult to place again on the provincial circuit.