AMOUNIS BACKED

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 31, 5 August 1930, Page 6

AMOUNIS BACKED

ATTEMPT TO WIN THIRD EPSOM

Amounis, winner of the Epsom Handicap in 1926 and in 1928, and who is a serious rival of Gloaming as the greatest stake-winner in Australia, came in for somewhat unexpected support last week for this year's A.J.C. spring mile race, and he was coupled with the New Zealand horse In the Shade, the pair to win more than £30,000.

Amounis has now won nearly £41,000 in stakes, and, judging by the way the solid old gelding is revelling in his preliminary spring preparation at Randwick, there appears every chance of his passing Gloaming's aggregate of £43,100, says the "Herald." Towards the end of February Amounis was able to concede tjiat outstanding galloper, Greenline, 51b in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes, their respective weights being 9.13 and 10.4. The course was soft as a result of rain, but Amounis finished very strongly over the last furlong of the seven furlongs journey, and won comfortably by a length. Even if Mr. Pearson is standing firmly to his decision not to invest on Amounis until he is convinced that the conditions on the day will not increase the gelding's task, he may be proud of the fact that Amounis was extremely popular in one quarter last week, and the admirer was willing to risk a fairly substantial outlay thus early in the discussions to emphasise liis opinion that Amounis can, if given the opportunity, win a third Epsom Handicap.

The commission was entrusted to a wellInown Eandwick bookmaker, who secured £10,000 about Amonnis and In the Shade in one parcel, £5000 in another, and several of £3000. The overtures -were sufficient to cause Amounis to drop four points in. the straight-out market on the mile lace. In the Shade, however, remained on his former mark for The Metropolitan.

Another interesting move was that in favour of the New Zealand filly Eaglet, a stable-mate of In the Shade, who was coupled with imported John Buuhan with one operator for £15,000. .