DESERT GOLD'S DEFEAT

Evening Star, Issue 16676, 7 March 1918, Page 1

DESERT GOLD'S DEFEAT

EACE FOR FUTURITY STAKES. Tlie Sydney 'Sim' publishes the following message from Melbourne, under date Satm---day, February 23: Desert Gold was beaten at her' 6econd start, in.Australia, in. the Futurity Stakes today. It was perhaps the only event in which this could happen, because she met most of • her opponents on worse than handicap conditions. Many of those who had sung the praises of the mare since her successful debut the previous Saturday regretted her defeat by such a narrow margin. But how fickle public opinion is was shown by the attitude of the great majority of the onlookers. Desert Gold was cheered as she loped along- the straight on her way to the start, but when she was beaten all the cheers were for Wedge. Perhaps the clamorous ones were delighted to think that Australia, .possessed a korise capable of beating the champion-, even at a distinct advantage of weight, or perhaps they were merely the lucky backers of Wedge, who gave vent to their pleasure. But, whatever the rea-son, the striking feature associated with the defeat of the mare was the maimer in which, she slid from her pedestal of a public idol. It was a really great, performance for Desert Gold to get within a neck of such a performer as Wedge at a stone worse terms than weight, for age, but there were no more cheers for Tier, and no crowds followed her back to the stalls, as was the case last I week. Nothing succeeds like success, and this | time all the plaudits were for Wedge. ] Desert Gold found the pace 6et by the I light-weights l'oorala. and Remmon too great I for her. They carried her off her legs, and then, when asked to respond to a vigorous I challenge, with °st 131b, Wedge proved too ! good. Stories were circulated after the race I that she had been "dealt with" by some of | the runners, whose sole object in running | was said to be to stop the mare. I Her rider (M'Lauclilan) denied that there . | had been any interference except a slight I instance early in the race. Desert Gold was | jammed between two horses for the first I furlong, and then later on Remmon, in mak- | ing a run to the front, cut across rather | sharply and threw her out of her stride. i But except for these Desert. Gold had a clear i run, and once she dashed to the front into the straight there was no obstruction. I It was disappointing to the admirers of a i jrreai r.u-ciioree to see Desc"rt GTld beaten; i but, all going well, she will make amends I in the Ti-seiidon Stakes next Saturday, and J probably will not he beaten again in Aus- | tra!ia. The race \va<s run in record time, i reducing by a. quarter of a second the prej vious best, established by Blairgour, and equalled by Euuoms, Maharajah, and Flash I of Steel, so thai, considering Desert Gold's | weight, a fair share of the honors of the j content must be given her. I Thero were no other exciting features asi sedated with the meeting. | DEFEAT OF THE FAVORITE. ! The field for the Futurity Stakes was re- | duced to 12 by the withdrawal of Cetigne, j Duntulm, and Quillion. Evidently the con- , . nections of Setigne were not keen on their ! horse getting another gruelling, which might ! prejudice his Newmarket clinnce. Some fancy I prices were laid against many of the runners, j Desert Gold was again the cynosure of all ! eves. Crowds followed her everywhere. I With her customary lack of concern, she wandered about, quietly wherever her guarI diar. took her without being the least perturbed by the crowds. As she cantered down the track the crowds gave her a great cheer. VOORALA FIRST OFF. Desert. Gold was drawn near the outside of the barrier at. the start, and she was not the first off. Ycorala headed her, and led the New Zcalander for the first furlongs, j with Jicminon and Petracin. nearest of the | others, while Whitcfiekl and Lord Marco, who had been left, were tailed off. They ran 'n | this order down the back, and half a milo I from homo Remmon had joined Yoorala. and ji<:ey lid Desert Gold, with Hoprig, Petracia, | Wedge, and Panaere next. At the turn j Kttmiton wa« still in front of Desert Gold. '; but the mare appeared to be going easily^ When M'Lnchlan took her to the front et the straight entrance she was hailed as the winner on all sides. She did not shake off the opposition easily, however, and, although sho got a length lead, Panaere and Wedge were dangerously close. Panaere made the first run at her, but quickly tired, leaving Wedge to take up the challenge. Ho gave the mare a two lengths' lead, but, gaining on her at, every stride, caught her 30 yards from the post, and, continuing full of vigor, won by a neck. Uwert Gold fought- out the issue : gamely, and for a moment after Wedge had '. caught her it looked a= if she would eoino : again and beat tho black horse; but the ; weigl.t toid on her, and she had to give way to Wedge's superior pace. Panaere hung ou long enough to beat Hoprig -narrowly for third money, while Thrice, who was never i prominent in the early stages, was running otr in fifth place. A SEQUENCE OF RECORDS. Wedge is owned by C. T. Godby, a young Gaultie.id trainer, and a brother of Norman | Godby, who was formerly a noted jockey. When Wedge came up for sale at the dispersal of the late Mr John Turnbuli's horses, i about 18 months ago, Godby gave 710gs for j him. It seemed a big price for the three- | year-old, as his form had been disappoiiiti ing; but lie has more than justified Uodby's ! judgment. He won two minor races up the i Fiemington straight last winter, and last, | spring was second to Harriet Grahamj in . the Balaclava Stakes, second to Cetigne in j the Bosehill Spring Stakes, second in the ; Ep-.oiu to Satin Bird, and second in the 1 Shorts to Merimce. This was an aggravat- | ing sequence of seconds in good stakes, but j Godby's win more than makes amends, it ; being worth £2.000 to his owner, apart from ' bets. Godby was very confident that Desert ; Gold would not be able to give his horse j 131b, and the stable connections had a good ; win on the big black horse. Wedge is en- ! gaged in the Newmarket Handicap with 9.7. The handicapped was freely criticised for : placing him within 71b of Desert Gold in that I race, hut the figures are now justified, and it | looks as if he has a great chance with all • that weight, as lie is an except.iona.lly good horse up the straight. THE RIDER'S STORY. j Interviewed after the race, M'Lnchlan fiaid he had no excuses to find for Desert Gold. The light weights were able to set too great a paoe for Desert Gold, and then, when she looked a winner, a better horse in Wedge, who is a great seven furlongs horse, came in and beat her. Desert Gold was a bit, crowded tor the first furlong. She wa-= jammed' between two horses, and this prevented her from heading the field. Then ■ loorala and Remmon made the pace in turns, and Desert Gold never really got on her legs. By the time she did,'and got through to the front in the straight, she 7 Il aA enou S n - Nevertheless, she battled out the- finish gamely, and for a moment he thought she would beat Wedge, but he wa« L TOO ST —* *