A.J.C. DERBY TO MAIN TOPIC.

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXVI, Issue 240, 12 October 1942, Page 6

A.J.C. DERBY TO MAIN TOPIC.

P.A. Gable.

SYDNEY, Oct. 11.

The favourites were beaten in the three principal events on the opening day of the A.J.C. spring meeting at Randwick on Saturday. Main Topic brilliantly won the A.J.C. Derby by five lengths from the favourite, Hal'l

Stand, who failed to stay. Main Topic's time, 2min. 31isec., has been bettered in the three-year-old classic only once in 80 years. The Epsom Handicap was won by Freckles, who battled out a remarkable finish to beat Merrimba by a neck, with the favourite, Yaralla, half a length away third. Another favourite, Dashing Cavalier, failed in the Coliri Stephen Stakes, which was won by Katanga, ridden by Darby Munro, ' who beat Veiled Threat by half a length. Dashing- Cavalier's rider, J. Coutts, was suspended for two months for interference. The track was fast. The attend-' ance was more than 70,000. The principal events resulted:— A.J.C. Derby, li miles: Main Topic 8.10 (Munro) 1, Hall Stand • 8.10 (Cook) 2, Grand Prodige 8.10 (Shean) 3. Thirteen started. Five lengths; half a length. Time, 2min. Slisec. Epsom JHandicap, 7. furlongs: Freckles 7.12 (J. Thompson) 1, Merrimba 7.11 (Hughes) 2, Yaralla 9.6 (McMenamin) 3. Eighteen started. Neck; half a length. Time, lmin. 36 sec. ^ Colin Stephen Stakes, li miles: Katanga 9.6 (Munro) 1, Veiled Threat 9.2 (Parsons) 2, Evergreen 9.5 (Cook) 3. Five started. Half a length; short neck. Time, 2min. 33 sec.