Luck Of The Derby—III Bargains And Barters, And Poor Rewards

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30130, 14 May 1963, Page 4

Luck Of The Derby—III Bargains And Barters, And Poor Rewards

[B* HIGEL GEE] Success in the Derby is generally a costly business. The prospective owner has two courses open to him. He can start a stud and breed his own horses, or he can take his cheque-book to the annual yearling sales. Either way, he will need a lot of luck if he is to achieve success without numerous failures and a great deal of expense.

Sir Victor Sassoon was a breeder on a considerable scale - and a big spender in the yearling market. Few owners have laid out so much for so long with so little luck. In 1951 he spent £27,300 on four yearlings who won just £1669 between them. Almost - as an afterthought, he bought Pinza for little more than the Latter sum. Pinza won the Derby and £47,000.

The Derby kick of Sir Victor Sasson turned decisively that year. He won twice more with colts he had bred end a fount time with Hard idden which cost him only 27bgns. Several Derby winners have been acquired for such email outlay, but the greatest bargains have been the dams cf some Derby winners. Atlanta changed hands in • barter-deal involving a v heelbarrow, the wedding of a sow and a pig and seven shillings and sixpence. She bred Ayrshire. the Derby winner of 1888. Though the original proposition, that success in the Derby largely relates to the site of the outlay, holds good, it can be done cheaply; and even on a do-it-yourself bests. An Optimist Francis Popham was an optimist of this school. He bred a colt whom he called Wild Dayrell and offered hffn for sale. No-one was much impressed, but Lord Henry Lennox bid lOOgns. With no better offers, Popham accepted, but insisted that if the colt won the Derby he should receive another 500gns. Since that event seemed highly improbable, the purchaser agreed. Then, becoming more convinced that Wild Dayrell would win the Derby. Popham changed his mind and asked if he could buy back the colt. Lord Henry Lennox accepted Popham’s offer. Popham made no attempt to meet hick half-way. The colt was trained with sublime disregard for orthodox methods, and when the day of the race came, he chose as rider Bob Sher Wood, a young man with tittle experience. Luck was in a benevolent mood. There were accidents to Wild Dayrell’s two most fancied opponents and an attempt to nobble .him was frustrated. When this failed. Popham was offered £5OOO to scratch him. He refused. The Derby field of 1855 was a small one of only 12 runners, of which Wild Dayrell. in spite of all the circums ances, was an even-tnoney favourite. Popham had rather longer odds for his money. £lO.OOO to £l5O. Wild Deyrell gave the story a happy ending by winning easily. Chevalier Ginistrelii had the kind of luck which is un- , likely to befall the' less r.unaotic English. He came from Italy and bred a few horses, among them a filly, Signora. Love Match He did well with Signora, which won all her races in her first season. Though not 8” immediate success at stud, she bred the Derby third Of 1906 Each day Signora was turned out in a paddock at Newmarket and a stallion called Chaleureux was walked past in the adjoining field. Each day Chaleureux called to her and Signora gave a coy acknowledgement. Ginistrelli saw this and the implication was not lost on the romantic Italian. Though Chaleureux was not a particularly eligible suitor, a marriage was arranged. The offspring was Signorinette, which Gmistrelli de-

cided to train himself. She achieved nothing, however, in her first season and her talent had hardly improved early in her second. The rational thing to do was to scratch her from her classic engagements and run her in less select company. But Ginistrelli,. defying reason. ran her in the Derby. The public view was that she represented a 100-1 chance and luck drew her No. 13. This was Signorinetta’s big day. She beat a field which included the first three in the 2000 Guineas and came out again two days later to run for the Oaks. Small Reward She was not favourite for the Oaks, a position held by Rhodora, winner of the 1000 Guineas. Luck was still with her, for Rhodora fell. Si gnorinetlta won the Oaks and thus completed a classic double which has been achieved on only three other occasions. Her rider, Bullock, had mixed feelings about his luck. He got the ride only, because Ginistrelli dismissed her regular rider for using his whip. And Signorinetta was the only classic winner he rode. Ginistrelli, though a romantic, was not a generous patron. For his splendid feat Bullock received his legal fee of £lO and one glass of sherry. April the Fifth was another success for the do-it-yourself school. He was bred by two partners, one of whom bought him outright for no reason other than that horse and owner shared the same birthday. This owner then acquired a new partner, an actor, Tom Walls, who undertook to train the colt in exchange for a half-share. Walls, the son of a plumber, had set out in life to be an engine-driver, but lost that prospect after driving away an engine without the owner’s consent. He then became a policeman before turning finally, and successfully, to the stage and the screen.

He had a great love for horses and racing and at one time had a sizable string in training near his Epsom home. April the Fifth was a mod- - e.raie two-year-old, as Derby winners smetimes are. He improved at three years and Steve Donohue encouraged Walls to run the colt in the 1932 Derby. But take the ride himself? Donohue preferred another colt owned by the Aga Khan, and so refused the opportunity to ride his seventh Derby winner. So, a lucky chance mount fell to Fred Lane. April the Fifth was the only stayer in the field that year, and though there were only two behind them at Tatitenhiam Corner, they won from the luckless Dastur, which that season achieved the unwanted type of Triple Crown, second in three classics. It was a bad year for colts, but then it generally is when these romantic results are possible. And if it were not for 'such stories of luck, the Derby would not be quite the race it is. (Central Press Features. — All rights reserved.)

Lampada To Be Retired “The Press" Special, Service MATAMATA, May 13. The top-flight Matamata galloper, Lampada, has run his last race, according to his trainer, A Cook. Lampada got down on his heels and failed in the Founders’ Plate at Te Rapa the first day. He has been one of the gamest and most consistent horses in the. north in recent years. He was by Duccio and not much thought of and originally was hunted and sent to Cook to try as a jumper. Lampada became an outstanding hack as a four-year-old in his first season and trained on to win major handicaps, including the Te Awamutu Cup and a Foxbridge Plate at weight-for-age at Te Rapa.

Awapuni Team For Australia (N.Z. Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 12. Six racehorses will fly from Wellington to Melbourne on Wednesday in a chartered Qantas DC4 aircraft. Their trainer, T. R. Howe, of Awapuni, and six attendants will travel with them. The horses are Plantation (owned by Mrs D. Porter, of Feilding), Ilbint (Mr M. Zemlba, Wellington), Turps (Mr S. Rush, Palmerston North), Teneriffe (Mrs von Dadelzon, Waipukurau). Mozart (Messrs T. Howe and N. Avery, Palmerston North) and As Ordered (Mrs K. A. Oliver, New Plymouth).