A GALLANT RACEHORSE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 78, 29 September 1934, Page 23

A GALLANT RACEHORSE

AUTOPAY'S MANY SUCCESSES

METROPOLITAN ACCEPTANCE

The late Sir Thomas Bent, one time Premier of Victoria, once told an amused audience that ho always felt like taking his hat off to a cow when he met one. There is a seven-year-old stallion representing the Dominion in Sydney at present who is entitled to a similar mark of respect from lovers of the thoroughbred. This is Autopay, a truly gallant customer who can always be relied on to uphold the reputation of his native land when racing overseas. On each of his several trips to Australia he has earned etake-money, and already this time he has paid expenses.

Autopay won the A.J.C. Epsom Handicap in 1931 with 8.6. His other successes include a Thompson at Trcntham, a Great Easter and a Stewards' at Rieearton, a La Perouse Handicap at Raudwick, Camellia Stakes at JRosehill, Palmerston North Stakes (twice), Awapuni Cup, Wairarapa Cup, and a Campbelltown Handicap at Warwick Farm have also come his way. Yet, perhaps the greatest performance of this Paper Money horse was* in a race in which he finished out of the money. In the A.J.C. Epsom of 1032, with 9.0, lie was absolutely last of a field o£ seventeen half-way, but he finished fourth. The three horses in front of him when the judge was reached were Chatham 5.13, Rogilla 5.4, and Winooka 9.0. AUTOPAY'S RECORD. Appended is the record of Autopay to date:— At Two Years. Slakes, rinte. Itacc. • & Ist .. Juvenile H., Wansanui IGO Ist .. Autumn H., Wanganui IUO 3rd .. Pluuket H., Trcntliam "0 2nd .. Clovorton 11., Awnpunl '10 2nd .. Jiirenlle H., Masterton -0 3rd .. Cave H., Masterton 10 Unplaced In 6 races. At Threo Years. Ist ... Electric H.. Jlartoti 110 2nd .. Durie 11., Wanganui -3 Ist .. Spring H., Wangnmil 160 3rd .. Shorts H., Trentliam 2SO 2nd .. Nat Nnl 11., Trcntliam 80 Ist. .. C.J.C. Stewards' II 700 2nd .. Colyton H., f eliding 'ID Ist .. City H., Trentliam 330 2nd .. Hallway 11., Trcnthnm SO 3rd .. Suburban H., Trentliam 40 Jut .. Johnston M.H., Awaimni .. lliO Ist .. CJ.C. Templcton IT '-HO ;;itl .. Autumn H., Hastings 13 Unplaced In 7 races. At Four Years. Ist .. Camellia S u Kosehill 2i!r> Ist .. Flying M., Hawkesbury SI 3st .. A.J.C. Epsom H 2202 2nd .. Tttzherbert H., Awapunl 35 2nd .. President's H., Tauherenikau .. 4~> 2nd .. City H., Trentliam : !>0 Jst 7. C.J.C. Great Easter H 330 2nd ~ C.J.C. Templcton II •!« Unplaced In 11 races In Xetv Zealand ami :; in Australia. At Five Years. tlrd .. Canterbury S. (Sydney) 15 :;rrl .. A.J.C. Shorts H 50 2nd .. CJ.C. Stewards' H 100 Ist .. Fltzherbort H., Awapunl .... 105 Ist .. Palmerston N. S., Awapunl .. 200 Ist .. Wairarapa Cup 200 Ist .. Telegraph 11., Trentliam .... 210 2nd .. Hazlett G.C., Wlngatui 30 Ist .. Thompson H., Trentliam 400 Ist .. Awapunl Cup J7O Ist .. A.J.C. La Perouse H 3SO yrd .. A.J.C. Cropper Plate "3 Unplaced 5 times'in Xew Zealand and T times in Australia. At Six Years. Ist ..* Campbelltown 11., W. Farm .. :no Ist .. T'almerston X. S., Awapunl .. 205 lird .. Walravapa Cup -0 3rd .. Telegraph H., Trentlinm SO Unplaced In 4 races in New Zealand and in o in Australia. At Seven Years. 2nd .. C.J.C. August II 10 Ist .. Flying H., HawKesbury 120 Unplaced once in New Zealand and once in Australia. Aggregate winnings fcWoS Autopay has thus been placed in nearly half of his 93 start*, for he has won 22 races and he has filled the minor places 23 times. To his aggregate earnings of £8358 the Australian contribution, is £3448. In each of his two recent starts in Sydney he "was well supported. It is reported that he was backed to win "a staiall fortune" in the Camellia Stakes at Rosehill a fortnight ago, and although he missed after failing to begin, he made some amends at Hawkesbury last Saturday, when his connections undoubtedly recouped their losses of the previous week mid probably made a little over as well. LUCK OF THE GAME. Autopay's continued auccesstos add to the not infrequent illustrations o£ the luck that falls to some racing men at their first venture on the Turf as owners. The two well-known Wellington sportsmen Messrs. N, E. Aitken and H. F. Wood, who race him in partnership, had not previously beer! interested in racing as owners, but some years back they became keen to own a horse, and they acquired Autopay as a yearling on the recommendation of the trainer, T. Pritchard, then of Opaku Pritchard had charge of, his preparation during hie first two and a half years' racing, and it -was while he was still in his hands that he won the A.J.C. Epsom. The following autumn he was transferred to C. Pritchard, who won among other races the C.J.C. Easter and two good handicaps in Sydney with him. After C. Pritchard had had him for two years- another change was made, and on his present trip he is under the care of E. Simpson, a wellknown owner-trainer who some months back took out a trainer's licence so as to be able to take over the Paper Money horse. The early training of -this horae was done on the Opaki track, but T. Pritchard (shifted quarters to . Trentliam a few months prior to his first Australian trip. Since that date, with the exception of the times he has been in Sydney, he has been prepared on the Trentliam track. Like all the good Paper Moneys—and he is the best of them —he requires little galloping work, and lie gets little of it except just before meetings, but notwithstanding he is no easy horee to look after, for he is a most wayward customer whoso every move has to bo watched while he is out of his box. One could hardly imagine a horse more full of vitality and intractable playfulness, but it is just this great fund of energy that has made him the "toy bulldog" in his laces that he has always) been. METROPOLITAN PROSPECTS. Autopay ha« always been at his best as a sprinter, but ho has won up to 1% miles in the Wairavapa and Awupuni Gold Cups, and his owners apparently still have some hopes that ho will fiiiet'Cf'sfiilly accomplish longer distances yet in crack company, for they Irnve left him in Monday's Metropolitan Handicap. 1 mile and 5 furlongs, at Rnndwiek. There is certainly promise of stamina in his' pedigree, but, despite his mile and a quarter wins, it has never really revealed itself in his racing, and it may be taken ad a general rule that a horee who has not shown the possession of stamina by the end of his1 three-year-old racing docs not and never will have it. Autopay's chance on Monday would seem to lie only in the race's being falsely run, and this is a remote possibility. It may bo of interest, however, at this stage to take a yiew of his pedigree, and it is therefore given, as follows:— Sire: Paper Money (imported), by Greenback (son of St. Frusquln) from Epplng Kose, by Bagor (son of Enthusiast and grandson of Sterling) from Briar, by Common (son of Isonomy and winner of the Triple Crown) from Lady Blankney. by Hermit (son of Newmlnster).. Family No. 10.. Damt Trebelli II (imported), by Thrush (son of Missel Thrush and sirancknn of Orme) from Dramatica, by St. Simon (unbeaten on the raceraiir.se and nlno Union leadliic sire in England) from Tranedy, by Ben Ilattlc (son of lUtaplan) from The White Witch, by Mussinlssa (son of Tho Flyins Dutchman and a hlKh-clftss performer in France) from Jen clv Mois, by Klnj; Tom. Family Ni>. T.

The fact that Aulonuy in by I'a.per

Money would not necessarily relegate him to fc-printing class. Paper Money himself was third in Grand Parade's Derby, and his sire Greenback was second beaten only a neck in Lemberg's Derby. And as a mate to bring out the staying factors in Paper Moneys hereditary outfit Trebelli II could possibly be most suitable, for( though she was by Thrush, _sho i.s nicked in her own lines somewhat similarly to England's greatest stayer of recent years, Brown Jack, who is by Thrush's son Jackdaw. On the distaff side of Trebelli ll's and Brown Jack's pedigrees, too, there is a common paternal line of St. Simon, and a common maternal step back to the Ben Battle mare Tragedy. There is so much alike in the pedigrees of Brown Jack and Trebelli II that it might well be expected that the mare, who is now dead, will some day become ancestress of a staying line, and her daughter Toti dal Monte, as dam of Rebel Song, has already given earnest of this possibility. Meanwhile nevertheless it does not seem as if Autopay will fulfil the hope, though it will be interesting all the same to see how he fares in Monday's Metropolitan.