SPORTING Record of High Caste in Australia

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 August 1946, Page 7

SPORTING Record of High Caste in Australia

£35,678 Won in Stakes [Specially Written for the Star.] The' successes of Soneri in the Brabazon Handicap, seven furlongs, and the Winter Cup, at Riccarton during the past two weeks have served to enhance the good record of her sire, the Blandford horse, Bulandshar, whose career as a sire, however, has mostly been built up as a producer of stayers. No doubt the best of Bulandshar’s progeny was High Caste, who, after winning the Great Northern Foal Stakes from Beaulivre and others was considered one of the best of the Dominion’s juveniles, and was sold to a former New Zealander, Mr. H. E. Tancred for 7000 guineas. Trained at Randwick throughout his career by another former New Zealander, J. T. Jamieson, and ridden by E. Bartie in his 68 starts in Australia, High Caste in all contested 71 races for 32 wins, three dead-heats for first, 19 second and seven third placings, and his stake winnings amounted to £35,678. Rider's Opinion

High Caste was popularly known in Australia as “The Strawberry Bull” because of his peculiar colour and massiveness, and his rider often expressed the opinion that High Caste was entitled to be ranked amongst the best and most versatile horses to race in Australia. Bartie further argued that he was a better horse than the mighty Ajax, whom he met on six occasions, and beat him in four races. In a comparison with Phar Lap, Bartie said there was only one Phar Lap, and he was the greatest horse that horseman ever saw in his life.

In spite of being big and powerful, High Caste was an easy horse to control in a race, and was remarkably game and had a wonderfully stubborn finishing run. He had many great races, but the memorable tussle he had with Mildura in the Australia Day Handicap, a seven furlong race run at Randwick is worthy of mention. He had won the Challenge Stakes with 10-1 a few days previously and carried 9-5 in the Handicap, Mildura having 9-0. High Caste and Mildura raced together over the last three furlongs of the race; they got literally locked together a furlong from home, and a dead-heat was declared in the Australian record time for the distance, 1-221. Remarkable Pace Bartie said afterwards that the last three furlongs .were covered at a pace that he had never before experienced, and he doubted if any horse has ever gone faster over that distance. As has often happened, neither High Caste nor Mildura was ever as good afterwards. Such hard and sustained tussles have been responsible for many good horses starting on the decline afterwards and such was the case with these two giants of the past. Windbag and the flying Valicare provided another case. They had a desperate stru gglc at Randwick after some seasons of hard racing, and neither ever got back to its previous best. High Caste’s other’ outstanding efforts included a dead-heat with Manrico in the Linlithgow Stakes over a mile when a three-year-old, and his win in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes with 10-7 on his back. Pride of place for gameness had to be given, however, to his race in the Epsom, Handicap of 1940 with 9-5, in which he covered the mile journey in 1-35.7. On the morning of the race High Caste was so lame that his withdrawal was seriously considered, but owing to his being bracketed by the public and stable followers with many fancied candidates in the Metropolitan, it was decided to make an endeavour to get him to the post. Jamieson worked at the “Bull” all morning, and got him to the track, but,the big chap was obviously not him sei f. Great Courage . The field that year was strong, and included Beaulivre (9-4), Mildura, Reading, St. Constant and others. When the straight was entered High Caste was so far back that his chance appeared hopeless. He could not settle dpwn to his work because of lameness, and it was not until the run home \vfl s entered upon that he came into the picture at all. Mildura had command inside the. distance, but High Caste unearthed . an irresistible run which landed him a winner by a neck. Regarding his staying ability, High Caste was beaten in both Derbies and in the V.R.C. St. Leger by Reading one of Australia’s outstanding stayers of his day, but in Bartle’s opinion, he had few superiors over 10 furlongs, and beat Beau Vite in th : Fisher Plate of a mile and a-half. He won this weighi-for-age race twice, and another good performance was to run second to Remarc in the Williamstown Uu}\ giving the winner 311 b. At the end of a magnificent career, High Caste was- sold at about the same sum as was paid by Mr Tancred, and took up stud duties in New South Wales, where he has been an outstanding sire. Bulandshar is still at the Raramu Stud, Hastings.