SOME CAULFIELD CONUNDRUMS.

NZ Truth, Issue 73, 10 November 1906, Page 7

SOME CAULFIELD CONUNDRUMS.

"I wired to Mr< John Wren," says Mr. P. H. Reynolds, "to make certain inquiries about Solution." So. at leaßt, the daily press reported, and il their report is true, it is enough to set people thinking. In a general way, the more people think about Caulfield Cups—people, that is, who proposed to have a financial interest m them— 'the better for themselves. Caulfield has been a devil of a place of surprises. 'Aye t It has a curious history, Caulfield^

Way back m the eighties the gods of ill-fortune took a hand. That was m Exeter's year. Lord Exeter, but for the smash, would have brought off a very big surprise, for 'his owner was just about as sure of him as of his annual returns from Mount Morgan. "I have always known," said Walter Hall, 'thit if ever we could get Lord Exeter £t he could win anything he started for. Now he is fit, and we shall have the best jockey m Australia up, and — well, bar accidents, the Cup is won." That was spoken m the Reform Club, Sydney, and was not generally noised abroad. It was,- as all sportsmen know, within an ace of coming off. "Haven't I got a soft thing on tq-day," said Donald Nicholson as they neiared the final turn. Exeter pulling double: But just then I the Devil played the ace — the black one, and ten minutes later Donald was m the ambulance taking his last ride but one.

Malua's year followed. Malua, though Ms name is not so loud on the lips of the world did more to prove himself the best horse m Australia than Carbine. "Jack" Inglis owned Malua, and "Jack" could ride about as well as any of the professionals, and fit to buy ami sell most of them m the way of turf tactics. He was up on Malua that fair October day, and there were a good many behind him. The big bay horse was the strongest of the lot, and had already shown that he was good over any distance, and could do v six furlongs fast enough. But somehow he ran altogether disappointingly that day-/ was never m it, "never nattered his backers," as the two-penny-ha-penhy euphemists amongst the sporting scribes say; find so went right back m the betting for the big event of a fortnight later. What happened m that fortnight is best known to th'e push wtio were really m the swim. They didn't publish any account of their winnings c but while all sorts' of prices from 100 to 8 to 100 to 12 were going, they were not idle. What happened is pretty well known. It' is not all wrong to say that there was only one horse m the Melbourne Cup that year.

The Bravo eoup — Caulfield the preliminary to that also — is fit to rank with Doa Juan and the Murmur scoops. Bravo was run by the Ballarat push. Billy Jones, owner c Tommy Wilson, trainer ; Martin Loghlin (known as the "Big-fellow" and not too well beloved up there), , with Tommy Corrigan m it, a bit. Bravo did^not . flatter his backers either at Gaulfieki> and m the fortnight which elapsed "between the: tiwo Cups knocked a good many of them silly. He went to pieces altogether, so they said. Was lame, was cronk m all sorts, was off his feed, was a most unlikely starter. For a few days any sort of odds that anybody liked to ask could be obtained easily enough. "Augur" Chapman, of the "Australasian," who stuck to him all through and tipped him right out, took £250 to 1 from Zucker. It is said that -it was £250 to a shilling, but that does not matter. Never m the whole Australian turf history was a horße who subsequently won so recklessly knocked about. And wshat waa the truth of it ?

It was a bit of very clever business, and fair enough, as turf business goes. The day before Caulfield they took him out secretly and, with Cup weight up,, put him over the Melbourne Cup ijistanee. He did it without any assistance m Stain 38 sec. And they knew that, bar accidents, that Cup was m their plate chest. They knew ateo that the horse, though, of course m a. strictly honorable way, was practically stiffened for the CaulBeld. The end is known to all men. Bravo badly beaten at Caulfield and reputedly lame afterwards, beat Carbine m the Melbourne Cup. The black and yellow diamonds shot out m the. last 20 lengths as Marvel's all black U9©d to do m mile events a bit later on. And — there was joy m the tents of Dowling Forest, and anger and gnashing of teeth m a good many other places. Our sporting scribe will doubtless say m his practical way, what is likoly to happen with Solution ? Present writer, having enumerated these few earlier instances (and more might b« added to them) is content to conclude with "verb, sap."— Melbourne "Truth,"