DEATH OF CARBINE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 108, 12 June 1914, Page 2

DEATH OF CARBINE.

THE HORSE OF A CENTURY. The expected, though nevertheless regrettable, death of Carbine will be heard with sorrow throughout the whole of Australasia. Never has there been such a universal racecourse idol, and it is doubtful if the present generation will ever look on his like again. Foaled in 1885 at the New Zealand Stud Company's farm, Auckland, he was purchased as a yearling on behalf of Mr Dan O'Brien at 620gs. Being of a lazy disposition, the colt was not hurried for early two-year-old racing, and it was not till the Tattersall's meeting, then held at Plumpton Park, that he made his racing debut. This was in the Hopeful Stakes, and though opposed by a number of smart two-year-olds he had little difficulty in settling their pretensions.

His next appearance, made in the Middle Park Plate, at Riccarton, afforded one of those turf sensations that is still fresh in the membry of everyone who witnessed it. Quite indifferent to ,the task in. front of him> Carbine was still standing ,at' the post when his opponents were all in full stride. Then he Was faced with the task of conceding a particularly brilliant field at least 40yds start over a six-furlong course. Even when half the distance had been covered, his prospects looked homeless; but after a phenomenal run he gradually wore his opponents down, arid so turned what looked like a certain, defeat into a brilliant victory. .< HIS AUSTRALIAN CAREER. :

Three more victories came his way', brilliantly achieved in. the D.J.C. Champagne Staked, C.J.C, Champagne Stakes, and C.J.C. Challenge Stakes. Then'Mr O 'Brien, always a plucky bettor, determined to take his champion, to Australia, there to measure strides with the Commonwealth 's cracks and have a tilt at the ring. The colt made his Australian debht in the V.R.C. Derby, and the extreme confidence reposed in him by his owner caused the visitor to be sent out favourite for the blue ribbon. His trial gallops with Malua m&de! the race ■look almost at his /alad so it should have been, as ndaxihg. the dis-tance-post Carbine as good as; had the result in safe keeping. Just' then Der-

rett unfortunately dropped one of his reins, and before he could get the "slug" going again Hales on Ensign had snatched a victory on the post. As it so happened, Hales was one of the few who knew of Carbine's excellence, and he had backed him in preference to his own mount. SERIES OF BRILLIANT VICTORIES. Then followed a series of brilliant victories for Carbine, which included the Sires' Produce Stakes and Flying Stakes, wherein he quite established his superiority oyer the best of the Australian three-year-olds. , Wishing to return to New Zealand, O'Brien determined to put the. colt up to auction, placing a reserve v of 3000gs on him. Amongst the bidders were Mr Donald Wallace (who had just, missed securing Tradition) and Mr Wm. Pearson. No sooner was the reserve price reached than the auctioneer immediately knocked the colt down to Mr Wallace, much to Mr Pearson's disgust, for the latter was prepared to go another thousand had the salesman not been in too much of a hurry. In his new ownership Carbine put up a remarkably fine

achievement as a fouxryear-old by chasing Bravo home under lOst in the Melbourne Cup, and, with a stronger horseman than poor.old Mick O'Brien in the saddle, he would probably have won. Evep this achievement, great as it was, sank into insignificance when compared with .that of 12 months later in the sam§, race. Carbine's win on that occasion under 10.5 still stands out as the greatest ever witnessed in Australia —in fact, many contend that it has no equal in the world..

, . v LATER EFFORTS. Other victories in such important events as the Essendon Stages, Champion Stakes, All-aged Stakes, Cumber- | land Plate, and A.J.C. Plate iollowed. i This brought his racing eareer to a 'dose, a ; career that stamped him as j being a brilliant sprinter, a great stayer, j am! aii all-round racehorse fit to hold his own 'with the best the world had ever seen, Nor did his benefit to the Aus- ! tralian ; turf, end here, for at the stud he. begot quite- a number of high-class .horses, including Wallace, a worthy descendant of a worthy sire. When nine 'years old Carbine was sold to the Duke of Portland at the record sum for a colonial-bred racehorse of 13,000g5. He justified his selection by begetting a Derby winner in .Major Eustace Loder's Spear'iiiirit, aiid innumerable winners of other big events. TEMPLAR.