RACING AND TROTTING

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26869, 23 October 1952, Page 4

RACING AND TROTTING

MELBOURNE CUP BETTING

NEW ZEALAND HORSES FAVOURED IMPRESSIVE EFFORT BY REFORMED (From the Australian Correspondent of “The Press”] MELBOURNE, October 20. New Zealand horses are now in the forefront in the betting on the Melbourne Cup, and if they continue to show form, they will press the Australian candidates for favouritism. They are Reformed, Unfaan, and if he starts, Dalray, whose sale to American interests is still a possibility in spite of rumours to the contrary. Reformed was photographed out of third place in the Caulfield Cup on Saturday. Keen judges now rate his display as the best Melbourne Cup trial of any of the beaten horses. Unfaan failed in the Cup, but he was ridden in a style that did not suit him, and his owner, Mr H. Head, is satisfied that on the long stretches at Flemington the gelding will do much better.

No one worried much about the horses brought across by J. Brown, an owner-trainer. However, now that Royal Tower has been placed in the Coongy Handicap and Reformed has shown such good staying form, people want to know more about this quiet, frank New Zealand businessman who trains as a hobby. Ridden by Eddie Low, Reformed was in a hopeless position near the six furlongs in the packed field of 26 tvhich contested the Cup. Even on the turn into the straight he had no chance even of a place, according to normal standards. But Reformed has some brilliance when he gets into his stride, and he showed this to good purpose down the short Caulfield straight, ana he was gaining ground on all the others, including the winner, Peshawar, which beat King Amana and Durham in the exditing finish. N. McGrowdie rode Unfaan hard in the early stages to get position on the turn out of the straight. Then he let Unfaan drop out, but when he tried to make up ground in the last half-mile he had to take the gelding wide. Even then Unfaan was near the leading bunch at the beginning of the turn into the straight. It was not surprising therefore that he did not have any dash left ip the final couple of furlongs. It was nothing like the type of race Unfaan ran when he won the Squatters' Handicap at Randwick just before being brought to Melbourne. Peshawar gave his jockey, A. Breasley, his fifth Caulfield Cup win, a feat unparalleled in modem times; he gave the veteran trainer, Pat Quinlan, his first Caulfield Cup; and he gave the bookmakers one of the soundest trouncings they have had for a long time.

“Ugly Duckling” Peshawar was an “ugly duckling.” His owners, Sir Sydney Snow and Mr A. C. Lewis, liked his breeding, but were not interested in him when they saw him in the boxes at the sales. A trainer, Fred Allsop, saw some merit in this lightlyfleshed, small son of Al Nasser and Recaste, and urged Mr Lewis to buy him. The owner, demurring, set a limit of 500 guineas. At this price the colt was bought, but even then Mr Lewis would not tell Sir Sydney Snow of the purchase because he intended to carry the from his own resources. Some time later, the secret was out, and Sir Sydney Snow insisted on paying for his half share. Peshawar developed as a late two-year-old, and won a race for his owner so well that they knew they had a stayer of great promise. Recaste is a New Zealand mare by Revelation," and traces back to the family that produced the great racehorse and stud success, Veilmond. She was one of 30 mares mated with Al Nasser in his first season at the stud, and was the only one to produce a foal. Al Nasser died soon after the season ended. Because of his win, Peshawar will carry 8-10 in the Melbourne Cup. This is 91b more than the weight originally given to him. In the. Caulfield Cup he carried 8-2 —l2lb under weight-for-age—which was a luxurious weight considering that he had won two weight-for-age races after the cup assessments were announced. Over the two miles at Flemington he

will have 41b less than weight>-for-age. This will give tyim a chance of emulating Poseidon, Rivette, and Tt\e Trump 'by winning the two cups in the one season. But he will meet Reformed on 81b worse terms, and that will make a difference. POSSIBLE SALE OF DALRAY MILLIONAIRE MAY BE INTERESTED (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright) SYDNEY, October 22. A prospective buyer for Dalray is expected to arrive in Sydney by air from the United States today. He will transfer immediately to an aeroplane for Melbourne, where final negotiations for the sale may take place. The “Sydney Morning Herald” says one of the aeroplane passengers embarking for Sydney at Vancouver was believed to be Mr Max Bell, a Canadian millionaire and a friend of the American jockey, Johnny Longden, who recently showed interest in Dalray. The flight is thought to be connected with a veterinary examination of the horse which, was- made in Melbourne yesterday. The Sydney “Daily Telegraph’s” racing correspondent reports from Melbourne that Dalray’s trainer, C. McCarthy, last night urged the owner, Mr C. Neville, to start the horse in the Melbourne Cup. Mr Neville is motoring from Sydney to Melbourne. McCarthy is reported to have told Mr Neville: “Dalray is as fit as a fiddle, and I think we should run him in the Cup. Flemington is the type of course we have dreamed about.” When Mr Neville told McCarthy he still thought Dalray’s Cup weight of 9st 81b was too much, McCarthy is said to have replied : "Flemington is a playground for Dalray. He will be able to lob along and make his run whenever he wants to. I was dead against starting, him until I walked round the course today—then I quickly changed my mind. The long Flemington stretches are made to order for Dalray/*