A.J.C. DERBY TO MAIN TOPIC

Southland Times, Issue 24872, 12 October 1942, Page 3

A.J.C. DERBY TO MAIN TOPIC

HALL STAND FAILS TO STAY (Rec. 6.30 p.m.) SYDNEY, October 11. Favourites were beaten in three principal events on the opening day of the Australian Jockey Club’s spring meeting at Randwick on Saturday. Main Topic brilliantly won the A.J.C. Derby by five lengths from the favourite, Hall Stand, who failed to stay. Main Topic’s time, 2min 311isec, 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 Merrlmba by a neck, with the favourite Yaralla half a length away third. Another favourite, Dashing Cavalier, failed in the Colin 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 and the attendance was over 70,000. * The principal events resulted: — A.J.C. DERBY, £5OOO. For three-year-olds. One miles and a-half.—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, 2.31*,4. EPSOM HANDICAP, £2OOO. One mile.— FRECKLES 7.12 (J. Thompson) 1, MERRIMBA 7.11 (Hughes) 2, YARRALLA 9.6 (McMenamin) 3. Eighteen started. A neck; half a length. Time, 1.36. COLIN STEPHEN STAKES, £l3OO. Standard weight-for-age. One mile and ahaIf.—KATANGA 9.6 (Munro) 1, VEILED THREAT 9.2 (Parsons) 2, EVERGEEN 9.5 (Cook) 3. Five started. Half a length; a short neck. Time, 2.33.