SECOND EARL HAD HIS CHANCE AT DOOMBEN

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29250, 7 July 1960, Page 4

SECOND EARL HAD HIS CHANCE AT DOOMBEN

(.From th* Auatralian correspondent of "The Pruf)

SYDNEY, July 5. For a stride or two Second Earl had the Doomben Ten Thousand In his grasp, but a well-timed run with In Love won the race for that Sydney horse. Quean of the May wag second and Stseohd Eart third.' It would have been a triumph for the trainer,- W. Clifton, to have won the Ten Thousand in successive years, but the race was run on the merits of the contestants and, at the handicaps. In Love was not to be denied. In Love has been an unlucky horse in big events, and his trainer, F. Allotta deserved the change in fortune. He will pursue the break by starting In Love in the Doomben Cup next Saturday. The Ten Thousand is run over 7 furlongs and the Cup 11 furlongs, but several sprinters have won the Cup which is run on a course of moderate proportions with a short straight, which, overall, favours the front runher more than the horse that has to come from behind. But in the Cup, with 51b extra bringing his weight to 8-12, In Love will run into two New Zealand horses at the peak of their form. They are Somain, which won the Carnival Handicap in Brisbane on Saturday, and Mediterranean, which won the Homestead Handicap at Sydney’s Warwick Farm track. Somain is being trained in Brisbane by Athol Strong, who took over when the Sydney trainer. Dick Roden, was placed under the disqualification against which he has appealed. Strong is well versed in New Zealand horses and has had scores of them.

Strong was one of the first to realise the potential of the New Zealand-breds and in the early days of the National Sales, was a regular buyer of yearlings which he brought back to Brisbane, developed, and sold as they showed form. The Carnival Handicap is regarded as a good guide to the Doomben Cup and because of this the pre-post Cup favourite, Polo Prince was odds on favourite in the small field that contested Saturday’s race. Somain left nothing in doubt, winning by eight lengths from King’s Idea, with Polo Prince a poor third. The result brought Somain to top-line rating for the Cup and relegated Polo Prince sharply in the betting market

Mediterranean scored one of the most convincing wins seen for some time on a Sydney race track when he beat last-start winner, Edspell and El Rocco in the Homebush Handicap at Warwick Farm, Edspell is a candidate for the Doomben Cup and this made Mediterranean’s runaway defeat of him by three lengths all the more impressive. Mediterranean’s trainer, Doug Webster, does not have an easy time keeping his horse fit for racing. Mediterranean is a “shy” feeder, which has to be cajoled into doing the right thing at the manger.

Glucose, barley sugar, and an occasional bottle of stout all play a part in the restoration of calories used up in racing. Webster took Mediterranean to Brisbane for the Q.T.C. meeting, but brought him back to Sydney because the trainer had to look after the horses he had left here, and could not trust Mediterranean to the care of a Brisbane trainer who would not understand the temperament of the horse in and around the stables.

Fortunately Mediterranean does not mind travelling at all, and he went back to Brisbane after the Warwick Farm race. If Mediterranean should win, a fortune will be taken from the bookmakers because the gelding has been coupled extensively with In Love in doubles. Commitments are so high that bookmakers are hoping for another win by In Love which would represent a complete winning result for them.