RACING NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 20633, 5 November 1930, Page 5

RACING NOTES

RACING. November 6. B.—Whangarei Racing Club. November 8. 10, 12, 15.—Canterbury Jockey Club. November 15. —Upper Clutlia Hack Rac■ng Club. November 15. 17.—Waikato Racing Club. November 19. 20.—Winton Racing Club. November 22. Levin Racing Club. November 22, 24. -Te Kuiti Racing Club. Nov. 29, Deo. 1. Takapuna Jockey Club. Nov. 29, Dec. 1. Fcilcling Jockey Club. December 5. 6. -Taumarunui Racing Club. December 6.—Ashburton County Racing Club.

THE FIRST MELBOURNE CUP WINNER

Writing of Archer, who won the first Melbourne Cup in 1861 and again the next year, “ Martindalo,” in the Sydney ‘Referee,’ says: “The dual Melbourne Cup winner was a fine hay horse, standing 16 hands Tin, bred by Messrs Hassall and Roberts in 1856. Strange to say, no complete pedigree of this famous horse can he given, from the fact that his breeders refused to allow any of their stock to bo entered in the Stud Book. He was by William Tell (imp.) from Maid of the Oaks, hv Vagabond. It has been stated that the dam of Maid of the Oaks was a mare . by the grey horse, Zohrab, who was an own brother to Gohannad by Old End- j grant from Gulnaro (imp.). j “Archer, like many other noted i horses, comes under the heading of , short pedigree, which places him out ot tho figure system, a fact that brought I about bis utter condemnation as a race- | horse in the opinion of tho late Mr H. A. Thompson. That gentleman wrote; ‘ An Archer could not win a moderate handicap now. Ho was a short pedigree horse; in other words, not a thoroughbred.’ ”

PACE IN MELBOURNE GUP

The last mile of a Melbourne Cup was , never run faster than when Nightmarch won last year (says a Sydney j writer). With the first mile taking 1.48], that was only to bo expected. i Nightmarch is a very brilliant horse, and though, timed from the leadin’, 1.381 was the official record, ho did much better. When Windbag and Spoarfelt won their Melbourne Cups in the record time of 3.22;], the last mile was respectively cut out in 1.40] and I.4TJ. In each race the concluding half-inilo-took 50, against 471 a year ago, when the full distance was run in 3.261. Tho last mile of Poitrcl's Cup was cut out in 1.40], and it was one of the few in which better than 50-yas recorded for tho last half-mile. Ho did it in 49;] A year earlier, when Artilleryman won. 49 was recorded for the final half Artilleryman’s time for tho last quarter must" have been exceptional. 1 never saw another Melbourne Cup in which the winner cleared out from his followers in tho same lashion after turning for home. Commencing with Artilleryman, the following arc the times for each

JOTTINGS

La Poupec, whoso record is a third and two wins in three starts, has returned £1,210 in stakes against her price of IGOgs as a yearling. Tho nominations la.T evening for the Forbury Park Trotting Club’s Meeting, to be held on November 27 and 29, arc very satisfactory, and form tho inundation of a successful fixture. During tho last eight years two first favourites in Bitalh and Phar Lap have won tho Melbourne Cup. In the other six races tho favourite has finished second three times and third three times. Tho highest weight ever carried in the Melbourne Cup is lOst 51b. This was first carried by Carbine when he won in 1890, and the only other horse to carry it was Eurythmic when he ran unplaced in 1921. | The only protest entered against a Melbourne Cup winner was in 1871. J. T, Cavanagh, rider of The Pearl, was alleged to have struck Romula over tho head with his whip, but tho objection was dismissed. Tho following horses have been withdrawn from all engagements at tho

[By St. Claie.]

TROTTING, November 11. 13, 14.• -N.Z. Metropolitan T.C. November 19, 22.—Auckland T.C. November 21, 22.~Ne!son T.C. November 27, 29.—Fortuity Park T.C December 13. New Brighton T.C. 'December 20. Hawke’s Bay T.C. December 26. Ashburton T.C. December 26. -Gore T.C. December 26, 27. Westport T.C. December 26, 27. South Wairarapa T.C. December 27, 30, 31. Auckland T.C. Docembe. 30. Winton T.C. December 30.—Inangahua T.C.

Canterbury Jockey Club’s Meeting:— Trek, Pandowa, Red Boa ; Equitant, Interlocutor, Movietone, Eirst Money, Simba, Merry Melody, King Colossus. Pythia. and Sir Gallant. Sinco the race was established in 1861 only six top weights have won the Melbourne Cup. They are: Archer Klst 21b (1862), Warrior Bst 101 b (I 860), Carbine lOst 51b (1890), Poitrel lOst (1920), Spearfelt 9st 131 b and Pbar Lap 9st 121 b (19130). Tho trainer Shripati had paid training foes for eighty-two different horses owned by tho Maharaja of Kolhapur, according to tho West India ‘Racing Calendar.’ Of these forty-six were Engj lish-bred, thirty-four Arabs, one JiulianI bred, and a solitary Australian —Trey- } lon (Trivalvc’s brother), winner of the j 1925 Debutant Stakes at Caulfield, i In a most interesting review of tho I Melbourne Cup field Dr Stewart M‘ Kay, I writing in the ‘Australasian’ of Noj vein her 1, said;—“Jn conclusion, I cxi poet Pliar Lap to start tho hottest favourite on record for the Melbourne Cup. I expect him to succeed where Carbine failed as a four-ycar-olcl, and to win with ease, though not in unusual time, as the pace will probably be slow for the first half of tho journey." The. Wellington Distinct- Committee considered the application of B. H. ■Morris with regard to taking off a sufficient number of days from his month’s | suspension to enable him to ride at tho , opening of tho Now Zealand Cup Meot--1 ing on Saturday. At present his month I does not expire until next Tuesday. The matter was referred back to the Judicial Committee of the Otaki-Maori Racing Club, which imposed the suspension. When the starting post prices for yesterday’s Melbourne Cup become known it will probably be found that tho price obtained about Pliar Lap was an extremely short one. Last year he wont out the hottest favourite that had ever started in the race. Tho hottest favourite to win the race was Revenue, in 1901, when ho went out at 7 to 4, and the last favourite to win tho race was Bitalli. in 1923. Easily tho best weight-carrying effort on the part of a mare in the Melbourne Cup was Wakeful’s second to Lord Cardigan, under 10.0, in 1903. At the time, Wakeful was a seven-year-old, and sin was beaten only three-quarters of a length. Tho greatness of her performance was proved tho following year when Lord Cardigan, raised from 6.8 to 9.6, \yas beaten only three-quarters of a length by Acrasia, the last mare to win the Cup. Tho question of increasing the stakes for tho Boxing Day Meeting was discussed at tho last meeting of the committee of the Ashburton Racing Club. Tho president suggested that as the club was in a sound financial position it could afford to make an increase which would assist tho owners and trainers in a difficult period. A number of dubs wore reducing their stakes, and were inclined to take too pessimistic a view of the present stringency. Tho Ashburton Trotting Club should set an example to other dubs in New Zealand It was decided to make an increase of £IOO, making a total of £2,100 for the day’s programme. Spam still indulges in a lot of racing, but now has no prize that compares in value with tlio Gran Prix do San Sebastian, run in that country in 1922. and won by Ruban. It was worth £14,750 to the winner, while tho second received £1,800; third £1,100; and fourth £700; making a total of £lB,350. That easily beats tho highest for a Melbourne Cup—£l3,2Bß in Bitalli’s year Of that amount, £10,288 and a £2OO trophy wont to Bitalli’s owner. When opening tho British Legion Club at Bossmgton, a mining village about seven miles from Doncaster, Lord Harewood, a steward of the English Jockey Club, was asked to name his fancy for the St. Leger. He replied that he liked Singapore, and added that ( ho expected his own horse, Alcester, to win on tho opening day of tho Doncaster meeting. Alcester, who won, started at 100 to 8, and was backed by tho minors and their wives. They also supported Singapore, and celebrated their good luck at a concert at tlio Legion Club. Cheers were given for Lord Harewood, the company sang " Eor lie's a jolly good fellow,’’ and the secretary of tho club sent a letter to Lord Harewood, on behalf of the members, thanking him for his good tips. At one time a, favourite betting system in England was that of following jockeys’ mounts, it does not pay in those days, and relative to this a London writer says:—“ln tho days of Fred Archer it used to be good to bet on his mounts, but it is not so nowadays on any of the leading knights of tho pigskin. A £1 investment on any one of tho fifteen most successful jockeys this year shows a very big loss, especially so in the case of Perryman, Beary, and Gordon Richards.’’ Tho brilliant French horse, Epinard, who raced in England, Franco,. and America, continues to do a good deal of travelling, though for some years at ‘ho stud, lie crossed the Atlantic for tho fifth time when lie sailed for New York in September last. Ho is going to tho stud of Dir H. P. Headley in Kentucky. Epinard lias already won marked success at tho stud. Ho has three high-class two-year-olds racing in America—Siskin, Epithet, and Follow ''lini. and a lar"e "''rcentago of his progeny givo promise. Epinard was bred in 1920 and is by Badajoz from ''mine Blanche by Rock Sand, sire of Tracery. Unbroken to saddle as late as June of this year, Wallace Matt, an eight year-old gelding, won tho first division of the Made Hand''can at Menangle ’•i- list-, week; and once a mi in cave rise to the of how many po tentin'■ winners wore allowed to run al most wild on the Into Mr John Brown’s - • '”-es, with never a chance to prove their worth Wallace Matt wa-. | , Hm epldin cut to Svdne' from Darhalara four months ago, am* : tho fact that ho was one of the rough : ost-looking of the draft, combined with Ids ago, caused him to realise only i’j guineas. Absence of early education lio"’r>i-er. fins not ■■•■ need a drawback, and despite his lack of youth. Wallace Matt has proved a cheap horse for nis owner. Dir J. Simpson. It is unusual for a horso to first make his mark as a hurdler, and then become’a, champion on tlio flat. _ i’liat however, is the history of tho six-year old gelding Brown Jack, one of Eng-

land’s best stayers, and who received ton tQ,I > ip f|io "’t, Cesaro witch. After a couple of unsuccessful rims at three ve-rs in small flat races at Irish meetings, Brown Jack was put •’•dlinji, and. though beaten into third place at his first attempt, won five times in succession over the jumps at that ago At four years ho won two of the four races in which he started, his last appearance in that lino being when ho won the Champion Hurdle Challenge Cup at Cheltenham Two months later ho won on the flat, and his four wins m six starts at lour Winded tlio *«eot Stakes, two miles. Since then ho has continued to show great form ns a stayer, and last month won tho Doncaster Cup, 2ira. with 9.11 in heavy going. Brown .lack is by Jackdaw (Tbrnsh—Snnkatala. by St Frnsquin), and was sold as a yearline for 75gs. The dividend paid by Spin altos at Carterton last Saturday is not a record for the dominion, but it is the host a galloper has returned. The record •nice paid out by the totalisntor was on a double, when that class of betting was handled as well as straight nit betting. The occasion was the Cantor bury Jockey Club’s Now Zealand Cup Meeting in 1906, and the winning double coinimiatiou was Star Itoso (New Zealand Cup) and Captain Shannon (Stewards’ Handicap), So far as gallopers are concerned, tho dividend raid by Karamn in a hurdle race at Avon dale in Aoril, 1921, seems to have been the record prior to Saturday,

mile:— First Last mile. mile. 1019 —Artilleryman ... 1.44 1.4.04 1920—Poitrel ... 1.45 1.40:1 1921—Sister Olivo ... 1.40 1.41*1 1922--King fngoda ... 1.44 1.431 1923—Bitalk ... 1.43 1.41-1 1924--Back wood ... ... 1.451 1.41 1925—Windbag ... 1.42 1.40*1 1920—Spearfclt ... 1.4 U 1.41-1 1927—Trivalvo ... 1.41-1 1.42-1 1928 -Statesman ... ... 1.431 1.40 1929—Nightmarcli ... 1.48:1 1.381 1930—Pkar Lap ...- ... 1.401 1.111