Melbourne Cup finds another ‘convert’

Press, 3 December 1987, Page 48

Melbourne Cup finds another ‘convert’

By

J. J. BOYLE

In the long ago Mark Twain marvelled at the festival air that surrounded the Melbourne Cup. Much more recently Robert Sangster uttered the belief that no race in the Northern Hemisphere could trigger such enthusiasm.

This year’s "convert" from the other side of the world is Arnold Garvey, who wrote of his Impressions recently for the English publication, "Horse and Hound.” Garvey believes that cup fever in Melbourne has no equal. He is not the first observer from the Northern Hemisphere to wonder why a handicap race has

such a following, but he joins others in the belief that the Melbourne Cup stands alongside the Epsom Derby, Kentucky Derby and the Prix de I’Arc de Triomphe as one of the world’s great races. Other Garvey impressions: “Australians certainly play hard (“We are not here for a long time but a good time”) and expect their horses to work hard. The result is that they produce tough horses which stay sound.” “Sadly, in Britain, the trend is the other way. Because there is no Melbourne Cup-type series of races, our breeders are doing their best to kill off staying stallions and some of our best trainers talk of reducing the distances of cup races.

“Unfortunately our top horses have so many opportunities in Europe that they can avoid each other readily and scuttle off to stud with plenty of black type behind their names.” Garvey asks how many British trainers would run Group One horses in a Group One “prep” race just four days before the big one, as was done with Rosedale, Kensei, and Balciano in the 2000 m Mackinnon Stakes on Derby day, the opening day of the V.R.C. cup meeting.

“In Australia horses are for racing and geldings play a prominent part in providing the entertainment,” Garvey writes.

“It would be good news for British racegoers and the thoroughbred industry

if we could follow their lead. There is no more reliable yardstick than a game gelding like Kensei.”

Garvey remarked on the inter-State rivalry and found that the New Zealand raiders took on the role of the Irish at Cheltenham.

Turning his attention to the giant-sized Empire Rose all 17.1 hands of her, he declared she would grace any Cheltenham Gold Cup field.

No doubt he would have gained further respect for the hardy qualities of the stayers from this part of the world on learning of Empire Rose’s New Zealand Cup victory 11 days after she ran second to Kensei in the big one at Flemington.