Our Roger first to do double

Monday will mark 70 years since the first running of the Ashburton Flying Stakes.

In that time, only 11 horses have won the race and then gone on to win the New Zealand Cup in the same year.

Only two horses have done it twice — Lazarus in 2016 and 2017 and Terror To Love in 2012 and 2013.

The first horse to do the Stakes-Cup double was Our Roger.

He won the very first Ashburton Flying Stakes on October 1, 1955 for driver Doug Watts in 2min 53sec and then went on to win the 1955 New Zealand Cup five weeks later in 4min 12.2sec.

Technically, Jack Litten trained the quinella in the Flying Stakes with Our Roger and Caduceus, though Caduceus dead-heated for second with Johnny Globe, who started off the back mark of 30m and had just run a world record of 2min 50.2sec for the mile and three furlongs (2200m).

Watts won the stakes the next year as well with Caduceus, his only wins in the race.

He drove in the New Zealand Cup 27 times. As well as winning with Our Roger in 1955, he was successful with Integrity in 1946.

In the first Ashburton Flying Stakes, front marker Gay Lyric, who led and set a hot pace and around the final turn, was the one to catch along with Recent Choice.

Our Roger, Ohio, Thelma Globe, Au Revoir, Caduceus, Johnny Globe and Rupee were the most prominent of the rest until Watts shot Our Roger clear at the 200m mark as the leaders started to tire.

Caduceus and Johnny Globe issued their challenges wider out but it was Our Roger who had their measure, winning by a length.

Favourite Rupee was checked and lost ground around the 1200m mark but made up eight lengths in the home straight to finish fourth.

Rupee was second in Our Roger's New Zealand Cup, beaten by two lengths. Our Roger had settled just off he pace before overhauling Rupee and Excelsa to win going away by two lengths.

It was Our Roger's 15th and last career success as it turned out — not bad for a horse that had been written off earlier in his career because of a "wind affliction".