TOPICAL COMMENTARY ON AUSTRALIAN TURF

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 16, 20 January 1939, Page 12

TOPICAL COMMENTARY ON AUSTRALIAN TURF

" 5000 TO 1 " CHANCE COMES HOME. FERNCLOVE SURPRISES. '"There jfoes one without a ."><to 1 chance.'' said a prominent Moorefield trainer as Kernclove left the enclosure recently to do his preliminary for the second division of the Flying Welter at Moorefield. Jlo was proved wroii<r. but —- Apart from the facf that T'ernclove usually is unreliable at the barrier, his final sprint before the event wan sufficient to cool his most ardent supporter. At Moorefield he took .'((• seconds to fun two furlongs, and, in addition, was very nore after the gallop. F. Dale even did not want, to ride him in the race. But Fernclove turned out to be a real life -aver for the bookmakers. Not only was he one of the best resultn for months, but several of Sydney's bestknown punters went for a bi;; win on Kurniwid, who acted as runner-up. Tt is doubtful if one bookmaker laid a bet of any consequence ngainst Fernelrtve.

BACKERS HOSTILE. JOE DELAVAN'S SUCCESS. A hostile demonstration greeted W. S. Ma/.oudier when lie drove Joe Delavan buck to the birdcage after winning a. race at a recent meeting of the Harold Park (Sydney) Trots. A section of t lie ciowd expressed disapproval of Ma/.otidier's two horses linishing in reversed positions to those expected l»y speculator*. It was in tlie Flying Handicap, in which Mazoudier drove Delavan, a rank outsider, while tin' hot favourite, Childewood's Choice, also owned by Ma/.otidier. finished third. Childewood'- Choice was driven by his trainer. C. Williams. "You had to come home, Mazoudier." was one of the remarks of the disgruntled backers. "T never had a penny piece on either horse." said Mazoudier to a representative of the Sydney "Daily Telegraph" after the race. '"] always race only for the prize, and my horses are always out to win. "Joe Delavan will not do his best when racing in front. That wa*» why 1 pulled him in behind Childewood's Choice when lie was eager to take the lead. "The result of t lie race may have, upset punters, but .loe Delavan's win made no monetary difference to me. The prize was all I wanted." With one lap to fro. Childe wood's Choice was howling along in front three lengths clear of .loe Delavan, and backer* were trying to lay long odds on him winning. With 1 <H> yards to go there was little difference between Childewood's Choice, .loe Delavan and Marble Ridjxe. However, Joe Delavan finished best to win by half a length from Marble Ridge, with Childewood's Choice another half-length away, third.