THE CHAMPION STAKES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIV, Issue 4310, 15 March 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

THE CHAMPION STAKES.

[By Hipposa.]

What a shock Auckland turfites received on Saturday night last when the wire* flashed that Martini-Henry had unplaced himself in the Champion Stakes, and the unthought-of Le Grand had proved victorious, Off Colour running second, and Commotion third. For some time, the news could scarcely be credited, for it was thought the only horse that would bring about the downfall of the Auckland-bred colt waa Mr. Pearson's crack. From the details of the running to hand, it would appear that Martini-Henry occupied a prominent position in the race until about threequarters' of a mile fioni home, when lie fell back beaten. Considering that he is brci fora stayer, his sudden collapse is puzzling, and the only cause I can at present attribute it to is, that he either received insufficient work for a severe three-mile struggle, or was over-done, for I read from papers to band this week that on the Tuesday before the race " the most interesting work of the morning was provided by Martini-Henry and Morpeth. The pair cantered up to the two mile post, when they struck out, and made the round in '2 minutes 3."> i seconds, whilst two miles recorded 3 minutes 43 seconds. This was better than an> gallop seen at Flemington for years. Three years ago Grand Flaneur did a couple of miles in a second less, but considering that the going was heavier in Morpeth 8 and Martini-Henry's case, their performance may be classed as the better of the two." This was telegraphed Irom Melbourne to the leading Sydney morning paper, and it only helps to make tho cause of MartiniHenry's defeat more perplexing. Fate seems to be against tho Hon. J. White securing the Champion Stakes, for in 1579 with Chester his prospects looked equally as promising as they were on Saturday, but his big gun suffered defeat at the hands of First King, who ran the three miles in the unbeaten time of Smins. 20aecs. A surprising matter in connection with this year's event too, was the form displayed by Off Colour, who is by King Cole out of The Gem, therefore a member of the "great Juliet family," but Commotion's position in the race is a fortunate thing for the pencillers, as his owner never fails to put down the pieces to a rare tnne, a? many of them already know to their sorrow. Such a brilliant performer as Le Grand, the winner, has proved himself this season, merits more than passing comment at my hands, and a short review of his career and performances which I have gathered, may not prove uninteresting. He was bred at The Grange stud farm, Queensland, by the late Sir J. P. Bell, and on the score of breeding can boast of some rare strains of blood, as will be seen from the following tabulated pedigree :— I - Tho Baron j^™^*"*. 3 Stockwell i ;— || .ttttahonttjgSSS, _ Jj B^nv Mel^rae|^~e_ f j »SXn. £ I t ni»,i«.,f,. Sir Hercules jj. | I.B l rdcati, GuiccioU | iChanticrr ! .§! Whim £™ n° 2. jiVloa I |i Laneroost MfJl^ 1 3 «Kl!crdalo utl3 -3 i ColsterdalojTomboy y !_ I dam iTesann. < j-| ■. ~" iTpuohst'no™ ~ ( O —jXcwmiiiß'r — 3 || jnceswins J^ m ent 8 Mclb?U^^~l | Lady jSlcisht-of-Hand — KhzabctlijMargntvc mare I ™ s ggj? j Pompoy 1 — .3 Vftrintinn Bustard 3 Variation, |JohnnnaS - tnoote to Tniwrt Sultan Hawlse Jerc°d **™* Sister to Volooipcde Hornaea iCcrborus mare Le Grand made his first appearance as a ■ two-year-old at the Sydney Turf Club Meating, when with Bst. 101b. he finished third •to Ildagonda (6st.), and Finesse (Get. 31b.), in the January Stakes, 5 furlongs. This he followed up by winning the Sires' Produce Stakes, 7 furlongs, at the Queensland Turf Club Meeting, Capitulator being second, and Wheatmeat third, all three having Bst. 101b, -each in the saddle. After this at the Rockhampton July Meeting, he secured both the Sires' Produce and Champagne Stakes, which was his last appearance as a two-year-old. He commenced his career this season by Howling over Kingsdale in tho Hawkesbury Mares' Produce Stakes, on whom 2 to 1 was laid, and after v week's interval won the A.J.C. Derby from Kingsdale, Copra,' Narina, and Kaipara with open mouth. Two days later with 7st. 111b. he beat Ike (7st. 91b.), by a neck in the Craven Plate, 1J mile, Segenhoo (9st.) being third, and on the last day of the meeting won the Randwick Plate, 3 miles, w.f.a., with the greatest of ease from Sardonyx, The Gem, and Sweet William, but the time recorded •was very slow, viz., Gminß. 7Jsecs. Up to this time Le Grand had been raced by Mr. ■J. P. Jost, who it is said bought him as a yearling for 80 guineas,' but the Melbourne sportsman.Mr D. S. Wallaoe.takinK a liking to the colt, entered into negotiations for his purchase, and after some trouble suc--4

ceeddii in g.-Mt*£yijfehla fanoy. The brilliant: performmiue^f^tne=»Sb"n of AEpigram at the A..J.C Meeting naturally, caused regret tliiit he was1 not nominated for the Victorian Blue Ribbon so that he might "measure strides with the supposed good thing Archie, but being in the Melbourne Cup with the nice impost of 7st. 51b. he came in for a deal of noMce for that event, his new owner in one hand backing him to win £30,000. He failed to 'distihgiiisKKimself in the great race, however, and in the Melbourne Stakes and Canterbury Plate he could 'get no nearer than third. In the Royal Park Stakes, M mile, w.f.a.,. Sardius, Hurricane, Archie, St. Lawrence and First Demon had to go down before him, but in the Anniversary Handicap at the Sydney Turf Meeting with Sst. ] 71b he ran unplaced. The Geelong Mares' Produce Stakes, ran several days laiur (in which only Little Sister opposed him), wu3 won with the greatest of ease, afid with Sst. 101b. lie succeeded in running second to. Malua in the Newmarket Handicap on the first day of the V7R.G. Autumn Meeting, the three-quarters of a mile being run in the splendid time of Imin. loJseCs. This he followed up by getting third to Morpeth and Sweet William in the Australian Cup, 2J miles, but his win on Snti relay, eclipsed all his previous efforts. jt will thus be seen that Le Grand has been .i moat consistent performer, for out of the eighteen races he ha,*? run in, no less than eleven has he. placed to his credit, and ife is pje.ising to be able to record that such a brilliant animal belongs to one of the truest sportsmen Australia can boast of. In a sketch of Mr. "Wallace that recently appeared in a Melbourne journal, and which I caisnct do better than quote, the writer stated that "'a gentleman^— every inch of him,' is the opinion of the public, and whether that designation i 3 applied to prin • cijile, appearance, or action, the. owner of Le Grand, Calma, Chucks-ter and other good "uns is, in every sense of the word, 'clean bred,' and ho stands out prominently as the true type of a sportsman—and of the racehorse owner who race? purely and simply for the love of th« sport." HISTORY 07 THE RACE. There have now been 27 Champion Races run throughout the Australasian Colonies, the event having been migratory for the first 13 years—during which Deriod two, and once three (I860) were, run in the twelvemonth. The last of these changeable fixtures took place "in 1873,. at Launeeston, which Tasmanian course-till then had had the greatest share, viz., seven to Melbourne's three. The great weight-for-age raeo then lapsed till 1876, when-the Victoria Racing Club resuscitated it as the great attraction for their New Year's Day gathering at Flemington,. but this year incorporated it in their V.R.C. Autumn programme, and it is now an annual institution. Out of the 27 recurrsnoes, slightly more than half were won by three-year-olds ; though it must be borne in mind that horses of this age had several pounds the better of the weights, ujito ISSO, than now. The respective winning ages have been as Under,-including the present year :—Six years and aged, 9 times ; five-year-olds, once (First King); four-year-olds, 4 times: three-year-olds, 13 times. The owners whohave won more than once are :—Mr John Tait, 5 times ; Mr Jos. Wilson, 3 times ; and Messrs Keighran and W. FieM, each twice. The only horses who have been twice successful are Zoe, Strop, First King, and Ladybird, the latter winning at Dnnedin in 1863, and Cbristchurch in ISUS. The 27 Champion victories are divided amongst the various colonies as follow :—Victoria, 13 ; New South Wales, 7 J Tasmania, 3 ; South Australia, 2 ; and New Zealand, 2. The jockeys whose record of winning monuts is the highest are -A- Hales, 4; Ash worth, 3;. and Simpson, Carter, Davis, and Murphy, 2 each. The slowest time was Mormon's (at Wagga)— fimin 38sec; and the fastest time was First King and Commotion (both at Flemington), smiu 2Gsec each. :