MELBOURNE CUP WINNER

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 45, 17 November 1936, Page 15

MELBOURNE CUP WINNER

Wotan Back in New Zealand GOING TO HAWERA FOR SPELL By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, November 16. Travelling de luxe in the after-hold the New Zealand horse Wotan, who earned fame by winning the Melbourne Cup, returned by the Awatea this morning, and was welcomed by an admiring crowd. The owners, the three brothers Smith, of Mangaweka, who were passengers on the Awatea. proudly said that Wotan had run up to expectations. ■ “We gave him a good chance, and we thought he would win,” said Mr. R. Smith, who added that Melbourne people had regarded him as the rankest of outsiders, and the only ones who were jubilant when Wotan sprang oiie of the biggest surprises in the history of the race were the members of the Australian ring, who had laid heavily against every other horse. Wotan did not do particularly well up to the Caulfield Cup, but thereafter he came on splendidly, and a number of New Zealanders in Melbourne had decided to back the New Zealand horse. Wotan had a good run all the way. “We had a fairly big win,” said Mr. Smith, but he would not disclose the amount. He said that ’Wotan is in good fettle, but is being returned to Hawera to have a spell. Mr. J. Fryer, the trainer, describee! the horse as a nenw and highly-strung animal. It was thought that he would do well in the Melbourne Cup because of his remarkable staying powers. He had improved greatly, as when he ran at Wanganui In June last a moderate horse could have beaten him. Mr. Fryer said that | he was happy in having achieved his ambition of a really big win. Wotan’s feed was taken from New Zealand, and no special diet was followed. The name Wotan was German, and should be pronounced “Votan.” The name had been chosen by Sir Thomas Wilford. Black Friar, One Whetu, International, Sporting Blood, and Hunting Blood also returned by the Awatea. Fryer stated that it was his intention to nominate Wotan and One Whetu for the Auckland Cup, but he mistook the date of the closing of nominations, and his cable entering the pair arrived too late.