view raw text
► ■ = Royal Meeting of Four Days At Ascot Heath Is Concluded Two French Victories, Three* For North Country Stables, Piggott s Riding Highlights By VERNON MORGAN Renters Sports Editor Special to Daily Racing Form ASCOT HEATH, Berkshire, England, June 21.— Two French victories, three more wins for north country- stables and yet another successful ride for "Golden Boy" Lester Piggott, marked the conclusion of the four-day royal meeting here this afternoon. The Queen Alexandra Stakes of two and three-quarter miles, longest British race under Jockey Club rules, produced a ter-riffic finish with first prize going to the four-year-old French filly, Flying Flag, an even money favorite, which the camera showed won by a neck from the Irish outsider Straight Jacket, starting at 100-to-7. French jockey Lucien Flavien sent the daughter of Sunny Boy — Finlandia in front at the start and tried to make every post a winning one. It looked as if the great stayer would win easily but Aubrey Braba-zon, who was aboard Straight Jacket, put on a strong finish and just failed to catch the favorite. The other distance race, the mile and a half Hardwicke Stakes, went to France through _Fric, which recently won the Coronation Cup at Epsom-JDowns. Jean DeForge had little difficulty winning on the four-year-old, which started at 11-to-10. Eric scored by a length and a half over PirSte King with the royal colt, High Veldt, which started as the second choice at 100-to-30, third in a field of six starters. Queen Elizabeth Present Queen Elizabeth, whose horses are having a wonderful season again, was present after the customary procession in state down the course before racing began. Though High Veldt never looked, like giving her a third Ascot victory, she still remains at the top of the list of winning owners in Britain. The six furlongs Wokingham Handicap went to Dionisio, a four-year-old son of My Babu. Dionisio, recent winner of the Victoria Cup, started at 5-to-l in the field of eight, smallest to contest this race in a century. Ridden by Australian jockey Edgar Britt, Dionisio went to the front at halfway mark and won easily by three lengths to record another Ascot victory for Captain Charlie Elseys Yorkshire stable. Piggott capped a remarkable year and a wonderful Ascot season by riding his fourth winner of the meeting in the last race, the Kings Stand. Stakes over five furlongs. Riding a typical strong finish, Piggott drove Right Boy, three-year-old gray colt by Impeccable, past the early leader Ed-. mundo to win cleverly by a length. Right Boy, trained by Bill Dutton in Yorkshire, was the second choice at 4-to-l. Ennis, odds-on favorite at 10-to-ll and unbeaten this season, could finish only fourth in a field of eight much to the discomfort of his backers, who regarded the son of Golden Cloud one of the best wagers of the meeting. The punters, however, had a generally better day and a very much more profitable Ascot meeting than is customary. Apart from the French favorites and the two other short-priced winners already mentioned, Rich and Rare, ll-to-10 choice, won the two-year-old Windsor Castle Stakes over five furlongs to retain her unbeaten Continued on Page Forty-Three Royal Meeting of Four Days As Ascot Heath Is Concluded Continued from Page Three record. The daughter of Rockafella won easily by three lengths despite appearing not to relish the firm going. The opening race on the card, the one mile Rous Memorial Stakes, went to the three-year-old gelding Meldon, who started at 2-to-l. Meldon, trained by Pat Beasley in Yorkshire, had no difficulty beating Prince Aly Khan?s filly Sensualita by five lengths. It was a lovely and sunny day again with smartly dressed crowds basking in the glorious sunshine. Though most of the fans thought it was one of the best Ascot meetings ever the majority of trainers, and ! bookmakers, too, disagreed. The iron liard going, unprecedented in this century, lasted throughout the meeting preventing many top class thoroughbreds being risked and considerably reducing the size of the fields which is generally a benefit to the punters. The going undoubtedly contributed to most of the course records being broken during the meeting. The highlight of the meeting — from a British point of view — was Zara-thustras Gold Cup victory yesterday.