 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1953
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1953 NZ DERBY STAKES
Caduceus caught Santa Amada inside the final furlong of the New Zealand Derby stakes and outstayed her by a length. Caduceus who started from the second row, threaded his way through to be sixth at the end of a quarter, and he was always well placed and travelling confidently after that.
Caduceus is not a big colt, but he is well built and shows plenty of quality. He is by U Scott from Little Ada and is therefore a full-brother in blood to Highland Fling and Highland Kilt. Queen Ayesha, the dam of these two great horses, is by Frank Worthy from Royal Empress, and Little Ada is a full-sister to Queen Ayesha. Caduceus was bred by his owners Messrs Moore Bros., of Wellington, who bought the dam , Little Ada, at the 1949 National Sales at Addington for 260gns.
Santa Amada excelled herself in hanging on for a close second after being in front for more than a mile and three furlongs. Bounden Duty, always one of the first three or four, was right up third, just shading the unlucky favourite, Scottish Brigade. Scottish Brigade was in difficulties throughout. He put in a slight break at the start, and he narrowly averted disaster when Sure King broke with little more than half a mile to go and brought down Notary. Scottish Brigade at that stage was fully eight lengths behind the leader. He made up half of this leeway with a quarter to go and looked like getting a clear run on the outer entering the straight. His driver, however, elected to try for an opening on the inner, and this sealed his doom. He finished full of running without ever finding an opening.
Brahman again took no part, and Buccaneer broke at the start. Buccaneer showed fine speed to reach fourth position with a round to go, but he was forced wide out and was a tired horse in fifth place at the finish. Bobby Brigade drifted in the first quarter. He finished sixth.
Caduceus put up the fast time of 3:13 2-5, which has been bettered only once in the Derby - by Fallacy, who put up the three-year-old Dominion record of 3:12 1-5 in winning in 1951. Like Fallacy, Caduceus is trained and driven by J D Litten, of West Melton. Litten turned Caduceus out in great order and his handling of the colt was masterful.
Credit: 'Ribbonwood'writing in NZ Trotting Calendar 25N0v53