STAR AMONG STARS?

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 28, 3 February 1938, Page 13

STAR AMONG STARS?

HUA'S KECENT WINS

THREE-YEAR-OLD RIVALRY

. : As a result of the spring racing in ' Australia there was a doubt whether any of the season's three-year-olds were "* high class. When the Melbourne Cup ] and , Williamstown MeeUngs were con--1 eluded, and the'classic colts took their - summer vacation, an impression prevailed that Ajax, who had won neither Derby, might turn out best of them .all,.at least up to a mile and a half. But quite a lot has happened since, ' even before the commencement of the •real autumn campaign in the Commonwealth, to indicate that, far from being -an average year, this may prove a vintage season for the three-year- ■ olds. The change in the view of mediocrity, which is the usual and generally cor'rect assumption to,be made when the • best three-year-olds fail in the Mel- ' bourne Cup,'was first ordained when the Baralong colt John Wilkes, who shad "been only fourth in -the Victoria . Derby, though he was foremost of the three-yearolds at the finish of the Melbourne Cup, in which he was running- on strongly in seventh place, was -successful in the Williamstown Cup, 14 miles, a. race seldom/won by horses of the "age. John Wilkes has still to reappear after his spell. Then came the record-breaking mile ,of Courtcraft in the King's Plate at ■Ellerslie at Christmas, followed by two further facile successes in the Great Northern Derby and .A.R.C. Clifford Plate. In the A.J.C. Derby Courtcraft had been only fourth behind Avenger, 'Ajax, and Hua, and in the V.K.C.; Derby he had' run very badly, finishing down ■ the course, while Hua beat Ajax by half a head, with Avenger half a-length away. NO ARGUMENT LEFT. It was still possible to argue that neither Courtcraft nor John Wilkes had- been, seen ■at'his best in the classics (John Wilkes did not run in the A.J.C. Derby), Such argument, as debasing the standard of the season's three-year-olds; had some force while -the Derby winners were out on vacation; but it has lost all its validity with the brilliant victories of Hua during the last fortnight in 'his first two starts since his resumption. The -veteran trainer James Scobie 'was quietly confident of Hua's prospects in the William Reid Stakes at Moonee Valley last Saturday week, despite the fact that the. distance- was1 only six furlongs. However, there ■were no stable commissions of any ex- ■ tent —the colt's owner, -Mr. E. E. D. Clarke, was still holidaying in New Zealand—and Hua was able to start at double figures./ Hua justified his trainer's faith by winning in the course- < record time of lmin ll£sec. The colt } thus listed his name with those other - versatile champions who could sprint, stay, or do whatever was asked of them, champions, of the calibre of • Phar Lap, Malua,1 Carbine, Eurythmic, Hall Mark, Peter Pan, and countless others whose speed was not "dulled by training for distance racing." Nine days later Hua was saddled up ' for the second time since his spell, and again he won .brilliantly,"this time his success being in the.C. F. Orr Stakes, 1 mile and .55 yards, on Australia Day (last Monday) at Williamstown. He carried-the 101b"' penalty, and among those, he defeated was Avenger, also -carrying the 101b -penalty and finishing a poor, third three'.lengths- from his classic rival. Even' allowing that Avenger might not yet be tuned up to the .same degree as Hua, it seems that Hua has already demonstrated himself the better colt. Ajax and John Wilkes, two other rivals for the crown, have yet to reappear after their holiday, and Courtcraft will not be joining issue till the late autumn at Randwick. STRONG CONSTITUTION. „■ Hua> must^ possess a remarkably strong constitution. He1 underwent a very severe preparation for the Derbies and the Melbourne Cup, and, according to "Chiron," it is doubtful if any "other horse / who contested the Melbourne Cup did as much work on the tracks. As a rule it takes a horse some time to recover from the effects of a hard Melbourne Cup preparation, but Hua is one of the exceptions. After the Melbourne Cup Meeting Hua was Riven an easy time, but was not actually turned out for a spell as are most horses. Seobie kept him under his eye ( at Pytchley Lodge, .and the colt did remarkably well. He has furnished a good deal since the spring, and is now a big, rangy, powerful, and splendidly-developed colt. Although Hua looked to have done a fair, amount of work and looked in nice condition when paraded for the William Reid Stakes, he was not anything like being thoroughly wound up. Scobie, however, had no misgivings about the colt's being able to run out the six furlongs, the only doubt he had in his mind being whether the colt would begin smartly enough. As the problem connected with his feet had , been solved, Hua was not in the least tender in front when he went to the , post. He,was.actually one of ( the first Ao begins and was always one of the leaders. Scobie has always maintained that in the matter of speed there is very little between Ajax and Hua, although the results to date have been in favour of Ajax. Hua was not entered1 for the Newmarket Handicap (February 26), but he is to tackle Ajax in the Caul- » field Futurity Stakes on Saturday ..fortnight, and the two brilliant sons of Heroic should provide one of the highlights of the autumn racing when they meet in that race. Hua has been nominated for the Australian Cup (March 5), but it is very unlikely he will go to the post, although nothing has been" settled regarding- that race. The actual decision will probably be reserved till after the V.R.C. St. Leger Stakes on Newmarket Day. The two recent successes of Hua brought his stake winnings to £8305, which is a splendid return for the 750 guineas he cost as a yearling. They have also put Heroic more than £4000 ahead of Manfred in the winning sires' list for the current season, and as Ajax,' Hua, and Nuffield are likely to greatly iricrease. Heroic's total during the next few weeks Heroic seems assured of top place in the winning sires' list ' fSr r the sixth successive season, Which would constitute an Australian record. In England,'Hermit and St. Simon both Headed the list of winning sires for seven successive seasons, and there is still" quite a good chance of Heroic doing it, as next season he will have another lot of two-year-olds to represent '"him—the last, by:the way—and no doubt Ajax, Hua, and Nuffield will be racing, next season. Back in the sixties and-early seventies. the great American sire Lexington was premier sire in the United. States for 14 consecutive seasons. ' ;%