Great Race-horses

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 207, 2 September 1938, Page 12

Great Race-horses

CONSECUTIVE WINS.

AJAX HAS SEVEN. CARBINE'S FINE RECORD. GLOAMING AND DESERT GOLD In winning the Underwood Stakes at Williamstown last Saturday Ajax registered his seventh successive victory. Carbine in his last 18 starts won 17 races, 15 of them in succession. In his sequence were included the Melbourne Cup with 10.5, the Sydney Cup with 9.9, and 13 weight-for-ago events at Flemington and Randwick. Phar Lap had 14 successive victories, while Gloaming and Desert Gold each accounted for 19 razees on end. Peter Pan and Trafalgar won l«ght races in succession, and Eurythmic ■trung together a sequence of 11 wins. It is probable that before the spring meetings are over Ajax will have a record rivalling some of the champions of the past. ) Assuming that does not go to .Sydney for the A.J.C. spring meeting j(says "Cardigan"), it is likely that (following on the Underwood Stakes he j will run in the Memsie Stakes at CaulI field to-day, and he might even tackle t the Quality Handicap at Moonee Valley on September 24. The following week is the Melbourne Stakes at Flemington, then the Caulfield Stakes on the second day of the V.A.T.C. and the Caulfield Cup on the final day.

No decision liad been made prior to the Underwood Stakes by his owners to whether Ajax will run in the Caulfield Cup, but, if lie does not go to Sydney, it is fairly safe to assume that he wili.

If Ajax won the Caulfield Cup. races like the W. S. Cox Plate, the 9i furlongs weight-for-age race at the Valley, and the L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes, the weight-for-age race run on the first day of the V.R.C. spring meeting would be "pie" for him. But his task in the Caulfield Cup La a tremendous one with his big weight, and to win he will have to be even better than he has shown at present.

Of course, before it is possible to assess Ajax's chances in the Caulfield Cup, it is necessary to have some idea of the opposition. Should he strike a weak field, then his chance would be very bright. For instance, when Amounis won the Caulfield Cup with 9.8 in 1930 he had a field of moderate liandicappers in opposition.

Good as Amounis proved himself to be, I do not think he could have won a Caulfield Cup with 9.8 with the field up to its usual standard, for 1| miles wa& always a shade far for him.

Ajax has already won about £20,000 in. stakes. He approximately thirtieth on the list of great Australian stake winners. Should he go through the spring undefeated, and take the Caulfield Cup in his stride, his winnings could easily be double what he has already won. But that, perhaps, is asking too much of even a great horse. However, Ajax has this distinction— he is the greatest stake winner at present racing in Australia. Lough Neagh, who is next, is 10 yearn old, but he has not finished racing, and his owner-trainer expects him to be winning again, probably at the summer meetings in Sydney. °