RACING John’s Mistake Was Bargain Purchase

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30712, 30 March 1965, Page 4

RACING John’s Mistake Was Bargain Purchase

When John’s Mistake won the W. T. Hazlett Memorial Steeplechase at Invercargill on Saturday for the second successive year he took his stake-earnings beyond the £2OOO mark—a handy return for a modest outlay.

When Mrs J. Burgess, of Dipton, whose colours John’s Mistake carries, attended the dispersal sale of the Glentruin Stud, Otautau, in 1960 she went there to purchase a horse suitable for a farm hack. She bid on a yearling by Super from Lin Lo and he was knocked down to her for 20gns.

Perhaps John’s Mistake —as the yearling was eventually named—would have made a good hack about the farm, but somewhere along the line there was a change of plans. He must have shown potential as a racing proposition, for by the time he was three he was put into training. He had two starts in maiden class during the autumn and winter of 1962 but failed to make a return. John’s Mistake was kept to flat racing in each of his six starts the next season, but the best he could manage was a fourth, for which there was no prize, and a third, worth £2O, in maiden class. John’s Mistake had a change of stables and his owner a change of fortune

when he was transferred to E. A. Winsloe’s team at Gore before he started his five-year-old racing last season. He was unplaced in his first four starts from his new quarters and gained a third in maiden class at his next start, but all the time was being prepared for the career at which Ihe was to make a name for himself—as a ’chaser. Notable Sequence John’s Mistake did break through for his first win on the flat. It was in a six-fur-long maiden event at Cromwell on March 9 last year. But that victory was the first of five in succession. John’s Mistake’s cross-coun-try campaign began at his

very next start. That was in the J. S. Hazlett Memorial Steeplechase at the Birchwood Hunt meeting. After that win he came through the Riverton meeting at Easter unbeaten in two starts against the hack 'chasers and then won his first W. T. Hazlett Memorial Steeplechase at Invercargill mid-way through April. So in four starts he went from a maiden to an open-class 'chaser. John’s Mistake’s winning sequence came to a halt in the higher grade, but he recorded a second in the Dunedin Steeplechase and a third in the Beaufort Steeplechase at Riccarton before being put aside early this season. John’s Mistake's Hazlett Memorial victory was gained at his first test over country on his present campaign. His preparation leading up to that win included five starts on the flat. In the last four of those races—all high-weights —he was a minor place-getter. Barring accidents, John’s Mistake could be a good winner for Mrs Burgess this winter. He is a fairly sure-footed jumper with a good turn of pace and, as ’chasers go, is still young. On Saturday, John's Mistake led for the last three furlongs to beat John O’ Groats, which was conceding him a stone, “hands down.” But the latter —this season’s Grand National Steeplechase winner—toiled honestly and well under the top-weight of 11-6 for he made much of the pace. John O’ Groats is bound to be improved by that run, his first since August. John’s Mistake will probably find John O’ Groats a much more formidable rival at their next encounter which is likely to be in the Great Western Steeplechase at Riverton at Easter.