RACING TOPICS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 10

RACING TOPICS

BIG GAME IS IDEAL DERBY COLT

A product of the National Stud, Big Game, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas at Newmarket on Tuesday, was originally entered for his classic engagements by Mr. E. Bellaney, as was Sun Chariot in the One Thousand Guineas. However, neither of them was then named. His decision to race them on lease has proved to he a highly successful venture on the part of the King, and nothing would please English supporters of racing -—mdeed. his loyal supporters throughout the British Empire—more than to see Big Game' go on and win the Derby next month. This all-important classic has only once been won by a horse carrying the Hoyal rolours. That was Minoru, which won for King Edward VII in 1909. Bahrain. sire of Big Game, won both the Iwo Thousand Guineas and Derby in and later added the St. James' Palace Stakes and St. I.eger Stakes.

A cursory investigation of the breeding of Big Game discloses that while he gains undoubted staying power from his sire, his dam. Myrobella was a pure sprinter. As a two-vear-old the latter was beaten into second place at her first outing, but thereafter was unbeaten in five starts. In the following term she was raced on seven occasions, winning five times being second once and third once. However, all her successes came over sprint courses as did her one win as a four-year-old. After winning the Old Mill Handicap, five furlongs, at Lingfield Park, she failed to pain a place in the King's Stand Stakes, five furlongs, at Ascot. That was the only occasion she failed to figure in the money, and she was immediately retired to the stud. Photos of Big Game show him to have been a powerfullv-built youngster as a two-vear-old. and he apper.rs to have all the necessary physinue for a Derby winner.