CHAMPION DEFEATED

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 69, 23 March 1931, Page 6

CHAMPION DEFEATED

WATERLINE'S GREAT DAY

• "He's beaten!" ■ These.- two words ejaculated by thousands' at Flemington on Saturday, 7th March, meant a great deal to racing history, for.Phar Lap's triumphant march had been dramatically checked, says a Melbourne writer. How the champion lost the C. M. Lloyd Stages to Waterline will be discussed in^racing. circles for years to.come. People had come to regard Phar'Lap as a perfect gal : loping 'machine, but,; like many champion's, ' hij' Has ' suffered a temporary eclipse.:, '■"'ftoweveiy ; in defeat he was :as .magnificent, and, without detracting from Waterjme'g performance,: it was generally admitted that: the • honours of the race vwere'with Ehar Lap. ." ■Had- PharvLap and Waterline met as four-year-olds -in a: standard _ weight-for-age race each would have carried 8.11. For some years the committee of the Victoria KabiDg Club felt that the presence of an outstanding ,horse' had robbed w.f.a. races pf-mucb -of 'their1 interest, and the position had^ been; aggravated by the eon.tinued success.of brilliant geldings. _ Thus Phar Lap was burdened with 9.7 in the CM. Lloyd Stakes, and. Waterline, who claimed an allowance of 141b, had only 8.0. Such an advantage was naturally all in favour of Waterline, but, even so, few people expected that it would mean the defeat of the champion: That Waterline's, prqspect of defeating Phar Lap was not by-.any: means; considered remote was shown in the betting. Phar Lap is tractable to .a degree." Iri the: Enturity Stakes he lost lengths through standing flat, footed, and in the Flemington race Pike tried to keep him on the move. "Again Phar Lap failed to get away, and at the abattoirs Temoin was fully six lengths in front of Waterline. Both Waterline and ■ Phar, Lap closed on Temoin -Hearing the home turn,' and the last-named retired beaten a furlong from the post. At that'stage Phar Lap appeared to have the measure of his opponent, but Duncan commenced to ride with all his vigour.' Responding gamely, Watcrline came on to defeat Phar Lap by a neck amid a scene' that will not readily be forgotten. Duncan was given an ovation for a masterly exhibition of riding on Waterline, but the crowd did not forget to recognise the merit of Phar Lap's performance, Phar Lap was-well cm the:

way to beat Desert Gold's and Gloaming's great record of 1!) successive victories, havin" won 14 races on end. Waterline has now come into strong favour for the A.J.C. ■ Doncaster Handicap, in which he has 9.2.. Should he succeed he will make only the third fay : ourite (assuming he holds that position to the close of the betting) to have won in 25 years, the others being Dame Acre in 1918., and Valicare in 1926. .