DAN O’BRIEN AND CARBINE

Dominion, Volume 20, Issue 272, 16 August 1927, Page 3

DAN O’BRIEN AND CARBINE

SOME OLD-TIME STORIES. “Touchstone.” an entertaining writer’’ of racing reminiscences in the ’ Australasian.” has been devoting some space lately to a few incidents in the career of Carbine and his early owncr-trainei, Dan O’Brien. Carbine was trained for tho Derby by his owner, Dan o’l3l'iin, wrote 1 ouchstone,” but the colt occupied a box in Foulsham’s stable for some tune before • the race, and was well tried with Malua. There was an exciting episode in connection with this trial. Determined to keep the trial strictly to thcmselyes. O’Brien and h'oulsliam rose long before daylight one morning, and closed all tho gates on the Caulfield course. But early as they were, others had arrived before them. Just as Carbine and Malua were about to jump off, O’Brien noticed intruders in the tall heather, which then covered the centre of the course I hey were two Sydney visitors, ‘ Bill Dargin and Sam Bradbury, ihe latter lay dark on the weather bow,” but Dargin, making no attempt to conceal himselt, was roundly abused by O'Brien, who used language more forcible than polite, and then told Dargin that if he did not put his hands up he would “job his —— eye out.” Dargin, finding he would either have to defend himself or be assaulted, took off his coat, and in the merry little mill which followed gave O’Brien Quite as much as he received. Dan O’Brien had a rooted objection to touts—amateur or professional—seeing his horses gallop, but he had no fine scruples about touting other peoples horses himself. In this connection a good story is told of his keenness. At one static of his eventful career, Dam kept an hotel in New Zealand, the balcony of which overlooked the racecourse; I forget where the hotel was exactly situated. There was a horse in training there, in which Dan. was particularly interested. and, knowing it was to be tried out for an important event, he kept a close watch on its movements. However, the trainer of this horse was well aware of Dan’s touting proclivities, so he waited patiently until Dan left the hotel one day to .go to the city, and then* brought off his trial. But he had reckoned without his host. Before leaving homo Dan had instructed his wife to xeep a sharp look-out. He did not for a moment think the horse would gallop during his brief absence in tho middle of'-the day, otherwise he would have left his stopwatch with his wife. From a sequestrated spot ou the balcony, Airs. O’Brien saw the horse come on to the track, and there she was without a watch. But she was a resourceful woman. Picking up an hour-glass eggboiler,she started the sand running through as the horse jumped away, and stopped the sand as he reached the post. When Dan camo home all he had to do was to time the sand as he let it run back, and there he had the correct time for the gallop. . Some people seem to entertain the belief that O’Brien was a New Zealander born and bred, but such was not the case. He was born in Lonsdale Street, Melbourne. As a small boy he was in a Mr. Kelly s stable, and later entered the employment ot Mr. Hurtle Fisher, then owner of the famous Maribyrnong stud. Ono of the first noticeable riders in the red and black'* Fisher livery —colours he adopted as his own many years afterwards-— was on Fishhook, in the Ascotvale Stakes, at Flemington, but the colt after winning was disqualified lor having run inside a post. Subsequently Fishhook gave O’Brien two pleasant rides at Bandwick, in 186 G, winning the Two-year-old and the Champagne Stakes. In those clays a condition of the last-named event was that the owner of the winner had to supply the A.J.C. committee with two dozen of champagne, presumably, in order that the toast of his health might be appropriately honoured. After riding many winners ior the Fishers, tlio youthful jockey decided io try his luck in New Zealand, and there, except for a Hying visit to Melbourne on business, he rtgiained foi' ninny years. A recital of his ups and downs and moving accidents by flood and field, would fill a largo book. He rode and trained many winner both on the Hat and over hurdles, was a. lirst-clnss horseninn in all kinds of races, including trotting events. lie also was a pretty good runner. On one occasion when ho and his partner, Harry I’rince (tho man who subsequently got into trouble al Flemington with _ Maca), were in Chrisfchurl-h “stone - broke, ’ O’Brien i.at being able to borrow any money, rode to a sports 11:rec' miles off. and won tlio 1-50 yards flat race and the 150 yards hurdle race, lie also got a ride on a back and finished third in n .612 race, but got first money through the first and seepnd being disqualified. . Ho was a long way from tho (a rm no era then; but with the funds thus acquired he made .mother start. Buying Sir Tntton from Trice, ho soon had a number of useful performers in his cam. Tasman proved letter Ilian a coal in i no to O’Brien, for ho won tho New Zealand Cup, Wellington Cup, and other

good races, numbering thirty-one in all. Later, ho bought the good though unlucky Trenton from Mr. G. G. Stead, and taking the. son of Musket to Melbourne, sold him at a high price to Sir (then Mr.) AVilliani Cooper, after he had run second in the Melbourne Cup to Sheet Anchor. A shipload of money would have gone across to Now Zealanil had Trenton reversed the positions. Rubina, Freedom (winner of the Canterbury Cup, Dunedin Cup, Otago Cup, etc.), Dunkchi, Loyalty, Matatua, Response, Gipsy King, and other good horses also were owned in New Zealand by O’Brien. His luck was not so good after ho settled down at Randwick, though Bob Ray (the meanest looking Derby winner I ever saw). Loyalty, Response, Maranui, Respect, and one or two others won him a few races, lie always had a partiality for hotel-keeping, and was, I think, in this business at the time of his death in Sydney, eleven years ago. In New Zealand, at various times, he was proprietor of hotels at Oamaru, Riccarton, and New Plymouth. . . Ho was “running” the Criterion at New Plymouth about a quarter of a century ago when Dick MaSon and I called to sec him on our way to Auckland for the big Christmas meeting. After a long yarn Dan introduced me to one of the "leading sportsmen of Taranaki, young Russell. He was “young” then. His father owned Waiukn,, a New Zealand Cup winner, that proved a disappointment when sent to England. Mr. Russell jnn., very kindly mounted me on the steeplechaser Riot, and J n °k nw for a glorious cross-country ride to see the picturesoue New Plymouth racecourse, some miles from the town, in hilly country. It was a most enjoyable and exhilarating iaunt. The beautiful recreation reserve, with terraced hill forming, a natural grandstand for a gem of a cricket eround, is world famous, while the scone from tho racecourse further on, with snow-capned Mount Egmont standing majestically in the background, is never forgotten. The beauty spots ot this favoured district are. many and varied, and alone are well worth a jouinev to New Zealand. I remember Ar. Russell assuring mo M aiuku was the best horse New Zealand ever saw. A-pai-donable exaggeration, perhaps, but I am sure ho was terribly disappointed wnen Waiuku failed to make good in England.

When Beam won the Oaks at Epscm last month it was Lord Durham s fiist classic success in 4" years racing, it® had plenty of thrill, too, beiore hw fillv’s number went up as .winner lhaie were 16 runners, those in demand Book Law, Cresta Run, Beam, and Endowment, Grand Vitesse, i'h° vas den by S. Donoghue, and ran tlnitl, an outsider It was °“e ot Crest* Run’s good days. Ihe heat, “® v and three false starts, aH upset her, with the result that she lost a few lengths at barrier-rise. Lhen sue was disappointed in trying to get through, and would not race after going six furlongs, eventually In winning. Beam , proved herself thoroughly game. She was quickly in front, and galloped in great style up the hill, but coming down the lull in the stiaiubt »ho kept changing her stride, and sprawled. The result was that Book Law- actually headed her. There is no doubt Ihe slightly uphill going ior the last half furlon<' helped Beam, aS with a lon 0 stride "or two right at the winningpost, she beat Book Law a head. 1 e first two beat the third horse. Grand Vitesse, six lengths, and the time—Jmm--34 3-sSOC.—was a. record for the lace. Weston, who rodo Beam, said she was unable to do herself justice on the conise, and on a straight track would have won bv two lengths, at least. Beam is by Galloper Light from AfistreH. by Cvllene from Ark Royal, by Lojal Hampton from Warsprite. As abcady stated Beam is half-sister to one of Mr. \ ixian Riddiford’s young Enghsh mares out .it Trentham—Grnciosa, who is by Gay Urua, L'ho two Donoghues—Steve and his son Pat-rode in the recent Eughsli Derby. Donoghue, senior, "as on Lone Knight, and. that colt was fdlh in demand. However, he finished sixteenth, where as (lie rank outsider, Shirainonde, ridden by Donoghue, junior, was tweltt 1. Steve Donoghue, tipped Lone Enight to win, and English racegoers have such great belief in that rider nt B’isoni tl at his mount touched a fairly shoi t pi ice nt ono stage of tho bettingc-on t c dal of the race. Lone huight is owned JO ilulv Torrington, while other ladies wflh Derby runners were Mrs. Rich 1 ® be nagined when that filly beaten nearly a minute. Reverting to btmo Donoghue, a nromineut London shon better. when dismissing bumn ess m lb Derbv said: “A remarknb'c the race '-as the fail h fulness ot the nqblic to their favourite Dcr yv joekmSlevc. It is no exuugeration ■ have started at an outside pne* -