RAPINE'S DEFIANCE

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 85, 9 April 1924, Page 12

RAPINE'S DEFIANCE

WHO IS AUSTRALIA'S BEST

STAYER?

Being a good Englishman, J. H. Jcfferd, now of New Zealand, is stubborn. He thinks Rapine is the best stayer of the day in Australasia, and he is going to bring him to Sydney this month and try to prove it. If Rapine can win a couple of races ho will earn most of the £5000 which was refused for him in the spring (writes "Poseidon" in the Sydney "Sun") before Ballymena decisively beat Rapine. Jefferd is a fine sportsman, and when he was over here with Rapine in the spring he was so firmly convinced of the golding's staying ability that he took him all the way to Melbourne for the biggest race- of all, the Cup. Ho backed him too; in fact,., the way the money was poured on him at the last moment was the outstanding feature of the course betting. Rapine ran a good race, but he met with difficulties, which proved insurmountable. Prior to that Rapine.had vanquished David in the Chelmsford States of nine furlongs, and on the strength of that brilliant success Jefferd built castles, because he knew his horse's long suit was staying. Rapine was beaten off in the Spring Stakes, which David won from Rivoli, and again, when it came to the last day of the meeting, he had to be satisfied with third place to Rivoli and David. It was, however, 'a close third, mid many keen observers of the race reckoned that if that artist in the saddle, P. Brown, had been on Rapine instead of Rivoli, victory would have gono to the former. There were only the three of them in the thrilling fight, and it did seem that' Leed made a mistake in hugging tlip rails with Rapine, awaiting a chance to dash through, which, of course, never came. If he had known David better ha would have known that once that old battler gets.the rails he will never leave them. THE FINAL TEST. ' Unfortunately, Rivoli is now hors ds combat. But there will be some great tests between David and Rapine next, month. The supreme trial will be the A.J.C. Plate, of two and a half miles which David will try to win for the fourth time, and this will probably be that steel-legged warrior's last race. So •long as both survive the prior racing, this is likely to develop into a match between David and Rapine, with Tha Cypher, another Martian, thrown in as make-weight. True, no fewer than 30 other horses have been nominated but unless they show vast improvement on anything they have ever done, their owners might have saved the entrance fee. But, of course, David and Rapine might have broken down before 26th April, and anyway there may be the opportunity to win some easy place money which so often presents itself in races of this sort. There is no need to discuss now winch will win the race, but if the two champions meet the trials between them will create almost as much interest as those which took place between Beauford and Gloaming. Before . the AJ C Hate is run the pair will probably meet in the Auutmn Stakes, of one and a half miles, and the Cumberland Stakes of one and three-quarter miles, and ' thp committee of the A.J.C. would no doubt like to see them win one each so that the final battle would be the conqueror.

(UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION-^OPTRIOBT) Th i, ♦!, SYDNEY, Bth April. Though the trip was stormy, Bapine arrived in good condition.

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