 | RACING HISTORY |
YEAR: 1958
FEATURE RACE COMMENT
1958 NZ DERBY STAKES
Blue won his eighth race in nine starts when he easily accounted for the rest in the NZ Derby Stakes on Saturday.
He proved a class above his opposition and his effort was an outstanding one in view of the fact that he started from the second line and had to be steadied to work clear going out of the straight just after the start. His time of 3:12 2-5 was only 1-5 of a second slower than that returned by Fallacy in 1951, time which still stands as the race record and a record for three-year-olds. There is no doubt that Blue could have improved a good deal on his time if he had been asked to do so.
Blue worked clear at the end of three furlongs and a half and set a sound pace from the stage which he increased considerably from the half mile. The first quarter took 33 3-5secs, the pace increasing sharply as the leaders attempted to force Blue wide entering the back straight for the first time. The first half mile was run in 63 1-5secs, six furlongs in 1:37 2-5, mile in 2:09 3-5 and mile and a quarter in 2:40 3-5.
Blue was untroubled in the run home and won with consummate ease to bring his stake-winnings to £5070. Some Lad raced right up to his Riccarton Stakes form and he was closest to Blue for most of the journey. He finished on gamely in the straight without ever looking like troubling the winner. His 3:13 for the mile and a half journey represented a smart effort, one which should assure him of his fair share of success in the future. Adroit lost some ground at the start and he did not faulter in the run home but he failed to reach Some Lad by a length. Smokey Diamond finished a useful fourth, a length back, and he was half a length in front of Stormlea, with another half length to Cheam. Red Cavalier, Prince, Fair Loan, Awarua and Young Kim were among those who lost their chances at the start.
Credit: NZ Trotting Calendar 26Nov58