SPORTING AMOUNIS WON £48,297 IN STAKES

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1946, Page 7

SPORTING AMOUNIS WON £48,297 IN STAKES

Great Record Reviewed [Specially Written for the Star.] In the opinion of F. McGrath, the doyen of Randwick trainers, Amounis was one of the greatest all-rounders ever to race in Australia, and in the opinion of Mrs. McGrath, was one of the kindliest, most lovable animals ,: you could ever wish to have about the house.” As a galoper, Amounis was credited with having a paralysing finish and very few horses ever lived, according to his trainer, that could mow down a field like Amounis could and often did.

A proved stayer, Amounis was not asked to contest the Melbourne Cup, as his owner and trainer preferred to reserve him for weight-for-age races and not take a risk by asking him to go the exacting two miles of the Cup. Weight-for-age races were not, however, easy to pick. up in Amounis’s day, but he nevertheless had a remarkable record. He was the first to beat Gloaming’s Australasian record of stake winnings of £43,100; and he went on to amass a total of £48,297, which placed him second in the big list to Phar Lap. In attaining his good record, Amounis had to race against such giants as Phar Lap, Gothic, Windbag, Pantheon, Spearfelt, Valicare, Mollison, Vaals, and Fuji San, and he beat them all at various times. An Outstanding Perforinence. Although Amounis did not tackle the Melbourne Cup, he was considered one of the best handicappers of his day. He won the Caulfield Cup with 9.8, and created a weight-carrying record for the race. He started one of the hottest favourites in the history of the Cup—at 2 to 1. He was ridden by W. Cook, got away badly, and was outside of the whole field on a track with many corners. Entering the straight he was a long way back and wide out, and his chance appeared hopeless, but over the final stages he mowed the leaders down and won. The reception he got on returning was compared to that accorded Carbine when he won the Melbourne Cup many years before. In addition to this great performance, Amounis won the Epsom Handicap twice, in race record time when he beat Fuji San in 1926, and carrying 9.7 when he won two years later. He also won Victoria’s “Epsom” twice, the Cantala Stakes, carrying the steadier of 9.12 on the second occasion. Beat Phar Lap. It was in the Warwick Stakes at Warwick Farm that Amounis set the racing world agog by beating Phar Lap in a titanic struggle. This was Phar Lap’s, first race of the season, and excuses were made for him on that account, but the fact remains that the Amounis-J. Munro combination beat the mighty Phar Lap-J. Pike combination. Amounis won the Futurity. Stakes with 10.4 beating a proved sprinter in Greenlane, and he carried one pound more than Phar Lap when he won the Futurity the previous year. A Bargain Sale. How Amounis came to McGrath’s stable makes interesting reading.' It shows the “ins” and “outs” of racing. The well-known trainer, J. W. Cook, bought a horse called St. Constant for £1 and won thousands with him, but the same man sold Amounis when the gelding was on the verge of a career that even left the “Wonder Horse” Gloaming behind as a stakeearner. Amounis was bred by Mr. Percy Miller and was one of the first of Magpie’s stock. A.s a two-year-old he won a modest race, and was then injured. During his resting process, he was gelded and he grew into a most attractive horsq, so much so that he was sold by Cook to Mr. P. Wade for 2500 guineas. Amounis did not come up to expectations in his early races for his new owner. He missed in both Derbies, won by Manfred, but won a consolation in the Batman Stakes for tTn-ee-year-olds at the Melbourne Cup meeting. Later Mr. Wade went to England and his horses were sold, Amounis being bought by McGrath for Mr. W. Pearson of Sydney for 1800 guineas, and the Pearson-Mc-Grath syndicate never looked back. Readers of Australian racing will no doubt remember the advent of Australia’s first great lady punter, Mrs. Vandenberg, whoso baqking of Amounis was sensational. She was a great friend of Mr. Pearson, who bet very little, but the colossal operations of Mrs. Vandenberg re-echoed throughout Australia. In all Amounis had 79 starts for 33 wins, 11 seconds and eight thirds. R icca rt on Scr at chi ngs (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, Aug. 2. To-day’s scratchings for the C.J.C. Grand National meeting included: — Grand National: Timber Topper, at 3.35 p.m. Winter Cup: Whitley, at 3.10 p.m. Cashmere Plate: Desert Fox, at 2.55 p.m. News from Track ami Stable Luck Ahead. Miss J. Cuff’s filly by Brilliant Globe from Regina Logan has been named Luck Ahead. By Logan Pointer from Regina de Oro, Regina Logan has already left some fast pacers in Regina Derby, Pola Negri, Southern Smile, Voloma, Southern Chief, Southland, and Walter Moore. Now at New Brighton. Navy Queen, which showed good form last season to record five minor placings in six starts when trained lay C. K*. Yeatman for Mrs. G. McGallan, is now in L. Frost’s care at New Brighton. Navy Queen is a six-year-old ■ daughter' of Grattan Loyal and Oxford Queen. Loyal Peg Sold. Loyal Peg has been sold by Messrs. J. and A. J. Milne, Hokitika, and is now in J. Purdon’s stable at Addington. A six-year-old mare by Grattan Loyal from a Four Chimes mare, Loyal Peg was a winner last season at the Greymouth Trotting Club’s meeting on October . 22. Driven by O. Quinlan, who trained her at that time, she gave a good performance to win the Cobden Handicap.