Déjà Vu for Sky Diver

Sky Diver winning in 1967

In 1967 the lightly weighted Sky Diver carrying 7st 5lbs won the 6f Stewards Cup at Goodwood. With lightweight jockey Des Cullen up the blinkered Sky Diver trained by Colonel Peter Payne-Gallwey at Upper Lambourn fairly scooted home to win by one and a half lengths from Welshman (Frankie Durr) with More Money (Derek Morris) a further length back in third.



1968 Racecard

Following his win in the big race in '67 Sky Diver went on to run an excellent race next time out in the Ayr Gold Cup finishing fourth behind Be Friendly, however, the bay horse failed to win again in the intervening 12 months that passed to the Stewards Cup in July 1968. No horse had won the Cup outright two years running in its history and it was considered a momentous task to expect a horse to win in back to back years in such an open cavalry charge of a race. Payne-Gallwey made a shrewd decision leading up to the 1968 race to have the horse ridden by an apprentice to benefit from the riders claim and Terry Sturrock a 5lb claimer from Doug Marks stable was booked to ride the horse. On the day of the race a picture of Sky Diver was featured on the front of the race card so was it to be a case of Déjà Vu?



Sky Diver winning in 1968

In the 1968 race Sky Diver carrying 7st 6lbs this time made headway two furlongs out and hit the front just inside the final furlong... then for some inexplicable reason Sturrock eased down the horse and almost gave the race away. However, Sky Diver held on in a nail biting blanket finish to win by a short head from Spaniards Inn (Richard Dicey) with Gold Pollen (Freddie Murtagh) a neck further back in third place. However, Sky Diver held on in a nail biting blanket finish to win by a short head from Spaniards Inn (Richard Dicey) with Gold Pollen (Freddie Murtagh) a neck further back in third place.

Full result 1967

Full result 1968