THE MELBOURNE CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXXXII, Issue 107, 1 November 1941, Page 14

THE MELBOURNE CUP

BEAU VITE'S TASK

DOMINION-WON HONOURS

What the Epsom Derby is to England, the Kentucky Derby to the United States, and the Grand Prix de Paris was to France and the Continent, so ranks the Melbourne Cup in importance in the Southern Hemisphere. Now in its

81st year, the Melbourne Cup has

grown from an annual affair of little more than ordinary account to one of the greatest, if not the

greatest handicap

event in trie

world's racing calendar

The first Melbourne Cup was run at Flemington in 1861 in. the presence of some 6000 people, whereas in all probability the attendance on Tuesday will pass the 100,000 mark despite the unsettled State of affairs in the world today. Actually, racing has been conducted at Flemington since 1840, and in that year a three-day meeting was presented, the occasion marking the first appearance of jockeys garbed m silk in Australia. ~,,,_ Three years after the first Melbourne Cup was staged the Victoria Turf Club and the Victoria Jockey Club amalgamated under the name of the Victoria Racing Club, and this body has officilated ever since. Originally, the race was for a stake of £200, but it has I been steadily raised, and the stake attached to Tuesday's event will be £7500 and a trophy valued at £200. Originally the race was "a sweepstakes of 20 soys., 10 soys. forfeit, or 5 soys. if declared, with 200 soys. added by the V.T.C." However, it. is no longer a sweepstakes, and the task of finding the rich prize falls directly upon the club.

WEIGHT-CARRYING RECORD.

The first winner of the Cup was Archer, who ran the two-mile journey in 3min 52sec with 9.7 on his back. Twelve months later he was weighted at 10.2 and again scored. He also bettered the time to the extent of osec, but 3min 47sec is very slow when compared with present-day standards. However, that weight-carrying record stood for practically three decades, when the New Zealand-bred Carbine beat a field of 38 opponents in 1890 with 10.5 on his back. That was the largest field that has ever gone to the post, and "Old Jack's" weight record still stands on its pedestal. The only horse to have scored since with anything approaching the poundage was Poitrel, who won in 1920 with 10.0. A glance through the records of the race discloses that as the years have progressed so have the time-records improved. Whereas the first Cup was run in 3min 52sec, no less than 16sec was clipped off that original time by 11873. Track conditions have naturally resulted in the race times fluctuating considerably, but when the fittinglynamed horse The Victory scored m 1902 he set a new figure of 3mm 29sec. The honour, however, was short-lived, and each decade has witnessed faster and faster times registered.

DOMINION'S HONOUR.

To a New Zealainder belongs the honour of having registered the fastest time in the history of the race, for when Wotan won in 1936 he ran the two miles in 3min 21Jsec. Although the time ranks as a race record, the two miles record for Australia and New Zealand belongs to Spear Chief, I who registered 3min 19|sec at Brisbane on May 1, 1939. ■ . Further, New Zealand-owned and Dominion-bred horses have enjoyed an excellent measure of success m the Melbourne Cup, and away , back m 1883, when the matter of tripping across the Tasman was a big undertaking Martini-Henry carried off the honours I for the Dominion. Seven years later another son of Musket in Carbine was the winner. After an interval of 17 years, during which the trips across the Tasman were somewhat . limited. Apologue scored in 1907, and nine years later Sasanof led the field home. Although the Dominion had to wait till 1929 before another of its representatives carried the day the contest that year was a memorable one, for Nightmarch won with two New Zea-land-bred horses, Paquito and• ™* tap, attending the victor past the post Then twelve months later the mighty Phar Lap carried the day with Second Wind, also Dominion-bred, filling the posm'on of runner-up. The Prospects of little New Zealand making it three S a row looked bright when Concentrate commenced. his run, but he broke down when looking all over the wmner. Despite the leg trouble that overtook him the son of Kilbroney, and Oratress struggled on to finish tnird. The 100-1 chance Wotan brought furr ther honours to the Dominion five years ago when he came from the back to not only win but also establish a race record, and twelve months later Willie Win was narrowly beaten by The Trump. Three years ago another little-fancied New Zealander, .Catalogue, carried the day, and the Lord Quex gelding holds the honour of being the oldest horse ever to have On Tuesday considerable interest will be centred by Dominion enthusiasts in the Wellington-owned .Beau Vite, and Yours Truly, who prior to being sold to Australia had attained fame by winning the New Zealand Cup of 1939. Beau Vite holds pride of place in the handicap with 9.10, the same poundage that Peter Pan carried to victory in 1934 and 21b less than what Phar Lap scored with in 1930. The son of Beau Pere and Dominant is set no easy task, but there are many who are prepared to say that he will make amends for his failure of last November. The form of Yours Truly has not been particularly consistent since crossing the Tasman, but he won recently, so he might now carry his record further.

STAGING OF THE CUPS.

A correspondent wrote two days ago seeking information to decide a wager as to which race, the Melbourne Cup or the New Zealand Cup, has been staged first during the past twenty years. The Melbourne Cup is generally run on the first Tuesday in November,. but the rule was not observed in 1916, the historic event being presented on the following Saturday. Thus, in one instance the two Cups were run on the same day. The stewards of the Canterbury. Jockey Club have always entered upon i their spring fixture on a Saturday, but the strict observance of the first Saturday in the month has not been followed, and. in several instances, just as it |is this year, the meeting has opened lon the second Saturday. During the period 1921 to date, the New Zealand Cup has been run prior to the Melibourne Cup on six occasions only, the years on which this has occurred being 1922, 1923, 1928. 1933, 1934, and 1939. In 1931 the Melbourne Cup was run on November 3. but the New Zealand Cup was not presented till November 21. This was the greatest interval between the two races during the period under review.

The Croupier—Hine Ra filly Playglrl has been purchased from Mr. R. J. Murphy by Mr. P. Nihill, of Wellington, and will go north to join Cherry's Ticket in F. Gilchrist's stable at Ellerslie. Cherry's Ticket is owned by Mr. M. J. Nihill, a son of Mr. P. Nihill. In partnership, the two owners have purchased the Paper Money mare Ticket (dam of.Cherry's Ticket), who is in foal to Baffles, so it is seemingly their intention to go more deeply into racing. During the course of the Wellington Meeting Trentham-trained horses enjoyed quite a fair innings, winning six races and being placed on nine occasions. They opened their account on the first day with two firsts and two thirds for stake-money totalling £830. On the second day, however, they had to be content with place-money amounting to £313, but they wound up the fixture with four wins and two placings for £1415 in stake-money on the final afternoon.