THE TURF.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVII, Issue LXXVII, 10 June 1909, Page 2

THE TURF.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Mr. E. J. Watt has lost his wellknown stallion, Merriwee, who was destroyed at Longlands yesterday on account of paralysis. Merriwee was a comparatively young horse, being only thirteen years old, and his loss just when his great merits are being advertised by the good deeds of his stock, is a heavy one, both to his owner and the turf. Merriwee was a brown horse, and he showed all the quality associated with the St. Simon strain. He was a horse of exceedingly fine physique, whose prepotency was such that the majority ot his stock could be picked out at sight as Merriwees — their development behind the saddle being a marked characteristic. Merriwee was by Bill of Portland from Etra Weenie, by Trenton out oi Nellie, by Tim Whiffler from Sappho — the ancestress of so many great winners. On the turf Merriwee distinguished himself by winning the great double — the V.R.C. Derby and Melbourne Cup, of 1899. In the Cup he started first favourite. I have a vivid recollection oi the contest. Rain set in about two hours before the race, and in that time three inches must have fallen, for when the horses were marshalled at the post, the flat at Flemington was in places submerged. I remember the forlorn and bedraggled appearance of the "flatites,' 1 ' particularly the "bookies, 5 ' whose gay apparel in most cases was rainbow-tint-ed — due to the colours being in the "also ran" class. What a miserable crowd wo were until good old Merriwee ploughea through the mud and warmed our hearts by galloping home a gallant winner in front -of Foy's pair, Voyon and April Fool. In the autumn Merriwee trained off, and twice he succumbed to Parthian at level weights, and was then sold to Mr. Watt, as J. Wilson considered the colt untrainable. After a Ppell in the Longlands paddocks Merriwee became quite sound, and Tom Quinlivan was anxious to put him into work, thinking it a pity so fine a horse should have his racing career ended so early, but Mr. Watt could not see his way to agree to his trainer's proposal. Meiriwee's name first appeared in the winning sires list in 1904-5, his stock winning £1615 in stakes. In. the following seasons he rapidly forged his way to the front, his figures reading £4023, £3577, and £7010 for last season, Stepniak, Birkenhead, and Soult on that occasion being the only three sires ahead of him. When the figures are made up at the end of next month, Merriwee will be found nearly at the top of the list, and his rising three year and two year olds will earn him posthumous fame for some time to come. The best of Merriwee' s stock are Aborigine, Boomerang, Muskerry, Tumut, King Billy, Ghanteuse, Aboriginal, Moriarty, Arclight, Merriwai, Aorangi, and the two-year-olds, Maori King, Theodore, Merriwa, Bally Shannon, and Merrigal. Merriwee, like Clanranald, had very few mares outside his owner's, and his success was therefore all the more remarkable. The A.R.C. Winter meeting concluded yesterday, and on the whole honours must have been easy, as between bookies and backers. Irish Rifle was sent down as good for the York Welter, but the sturdy chestnut, after making nearly all the running, failed in the last bit. Evidently Bull's gelding is not quite seasoned to carry nearly eleven stone and run out a fast mile to the bitter end. A horse must be -muscled up and as hard as nails to win these Winter Welters; in which the scale of weights plays so important a part. Ngapuka was allowed to pay a false price, considering his victory in the Cornwall Handicap on the opening day. Form is the key to racing right enough, but it would at times puzzle a Philadelphia lawyer to know which form to talce. Personally I leaned towards Irish Rifle's form behind Grenadier and Dawn over seven furlongs, but the extra furlong of the York Welter, whilst it assisted Ngapuka — the more forward horse — effectually stopped Irish Rifle. Again, consider Turbine. On the first day, with 151b. the worse of the weights, he is beaten a head for second place by Dogger Bank — his stable mate — in tho Members' Handicap. That would represent not more than a two pounds defeat ; in other words, Dogger Bank was about 171b his superior over five furlongs. Yet, in the Farewell, Dogger Bank had only to present the little Menschikoff gelding with 121b, and, on paper, how could Turbine turn the tables? But he did, despite being, theoretically, 51b to the bad on the first day's form. This reversal can be accounted for only in one way, namely, that Turbine, not having raced for some months, was a bit above himself when he ran last Thursday, and in the meantime came on to such a degree that his improvement more than offset his disadvantage in the vt eights. The running of Turbine and Dogger Bank proves the correctness of what I wrote recently as to the difficulties facing punters who tackle the last day of a three days' meeting. It is improvement that beats th«> best of vs — it is a thing hard enough to gauge when one is on the spot, but the gauging degenerates ' into mere guesswork when one is away from the course. Coromandel may be noted for further wins. I heard about this horse when at Wanganui, and my informant, a rare judge, picked him as a promising sort. He was not by any means allowed to run loose yesterday. THE BLADE.