VICTORIAN DERBY PROSPECT

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27040, 15 May 1953, Page 4

VICTORIAN DERBY PROSPECT

MAGIC MOUNTAINS GOOD FORM (From the Australia Coreespondent of ■ ‘ SYDNEY, May 11. When Magic Mountain Won the Fernd»le Handicap, one mile, for two-year-at Flemington on Saturday, he estakdßßed claims to recognition as Vicease with which he ran out the mile suggested that he has plenty of stamina in addition to a fine turn of speed. Magic Mountain is a son of High Peak, which ia known more for his influence on the speed of his stock than for his ability to infuse staying power. Magic Mountain trailed the leaders until D. Colenurn rode him out as soon as the field swung for home. He was untroubled to -the front and win by three e Mag*c Mountain’s trainer, Des Judd, plans to jdVe the colt one more run before spelling him to build him up for Herscovitch, owner of Magic Mountain. has not seen him win, and will not return from America for a fortnight. Judd hopes for another success to welcome him home. Little has been seen of potential Derby winners in Victoria ao far. Perhaps the most striking of them is Cromte, which won the AJE. Sire*’ Produce Stakes with a brilliant late run which. Indicated ability in distance races. Cromis was one of the horses proved by A.J.C. analysis to have been doped. The stewards’ inquiry has not proceeded beyond the initial stage. The stewards took evidence on the day when the swab report was announced, and again the next day. Refusal to Attend Inquiry Cromis is raced by his breeder, Mr E. A. Underwood, in partnership with his brother’s wife. Mr Underwood is controller of the Warlaby Stud, one of the principal establishments in Victoria, and also Is vice-chairman of the Victoria Racing Club. Mr Underwood refused to go before the stewards at Randwick when-they opened their inquiry into the Cromis case. The fact has not Deen published in Australia, but it is one on which the light of publicity should fall, because, as a V.R.C, committeeman, Mr Underwood plays an important part in the activities of the Australian Racing Conference. It is this conference which legislates for Australian racing on broad principles—even to the extent of giving stewards power over all licensed and privileged persons, who include owners. Baaha Fellka's Win Basha Felika, a broken-winded horse, has returned to top from. He won the Moreton Handicap Handicap, the third feature race on the autumn programme of the Queensland Turf Club. Basha Felika beat a Sydney colt, Gallant Archer, with a Queensland horse, Another Law, third, at Eagle Farm, Brisbane, on Saturday. Basha Felika ia just one more advertisement for his sire, The Buzzard (imp.), which died last year. Basha Felika won the 1951 Caulfield Cup. He won narrowly from another Queensland horse. Blue Vest, with a New Zealand candidate, Davey Jones, a close third. He had given plenty of promise before that, and had won the Queensland Derby. There was good reason to regard him as one of the best horses in Australia. He carried a 71b penalty in Delta’s Melbourne Cup, in which he ran on gamely to be fourth, with 8-7. Subsequently, Basha Felika lost all form, and it was found that he had developed a wind infirmity. In an effort to cure him, he was sent to Toowoomba, 90 miles from Brisbane; where a higher attitude offers, a rarer atmosphere which, it was believed, might remedy the infirmity. But the experiment proved unsuccessful. and he was taken to the veterinary school of Brisbane University for an operation.

Vocal Cords Scraped The operation performed on Basha Felika has become quite common in Australia, and its success has been represented in subsequent wins by a number of horses. Veterinarians have found that the infirmity is caused by a thickening of the vocal cord*, which are scraped to restore them to their natural size. With Basha Felika. the operation was an unqualified success. He returned to form with such force that he won three successive races before the opening of the Brisbane carnival, and the Moreton Handicap was a worthwhile addition to his record. He was the first horse to stop the winning run of visiting thoroughbreds at the carnival, and his win brought his stake £20,370. Basha Felika now joins a select band of big stake-winners. Bemborough, High Syce, Ix>uch Neagh, and Highland have been the only other Queensland horses to earn more than £20,000. An interesting sidelight on Basha Fellka's operation is that the vocal cords have become muted, so that he is left without a neigh. But his connexions would much rather have a horse that can win.