LATE SPORTING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 22, 6 November 1940, Page 6

LATE SPORTING

THE TURF.

REMARKABLE RACE. PERFORMANCE BY OLD ROWLEY. ;United Press Association. —Copyright.) (Received This Day, 12.50 p.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The “Herald” says that a crowd of 90,000 saw the Melbourne Cup, which in many ways was one ol the most remarkable on record. It was won by Old Rowley, a rank outsider who had not won a race since 1938, and whose racing days are nqarly over. Old Rowley is a gift horse, and is seven years old, with bad joints, but he won on merits in one of the cleanest run races for the Cup. He covered as much ground as any other horse in the field, he sustained a very long run to win, was one of last live at the mile, and was still only eleventh in a field of 20 at the half-mile from home. There he made up ground on the outside of the field. The favourite Beau Vite finished a close fourth, a» slight check in the last furlong kept him out of a place, hut Beau Vite is not as good a stayer as his backers believed, as even allowing for a check he could have won if lie had been good enough. Beaulivre, who finished fifth could also have won if he had been a true stayer. The “Telegraph” says that Munro, the rider of iVlaikai, claimed that his mount would have won but for meeting a check two furlongs from home. Tidal Wave proved himself the best of the three-year-old stayers.

TOTALISATOR RECORD. VICTORIA RACING CLUB. (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m). MELBOURNE, This Day. The totalisator for the second day of the Victoria Racing Club meeting handled £127,376 15s, find established an all time record.

Pooley Bridge strained a suspensory ligament and will not race again. He was one of the greatest hurdlers in recent years.

’ Old Rowley will be retired at the end of the spring campaign. IHe is likely to be. a. runner in thje Williamstown Cup.