1926 Melbourne Cup Winner

Greymouth Evening Star, 2 November 1946, Page 5

1926 Melbourne Cup Winner

Spear felt was High Class Performer [Specially Written for the Star.] In discussing past winners of the Melbourne Cup the name ,of Spearfelt is entitled to rank high in the list.. His career was of some interest to New Zealanders as one of his part-owners was his trainer; Vin O’Neill, who was. born in Hawke’s Bay, where his parents resided for some years. O’Neill was one of a family which specialised in buckjumping shows and he was recognised as one of the best rough-riders of his time. One of his brothers, Ernie, was the principal in the buck-jumping business, and another, brother, Sid. after serving his apprenticeship in Hastings, under the old-time trainer Percy Martin, developed into a great race rider both on the flat and over obstacles in New Zealand'and later in Australia.

Spearfelt wa? known as a “poddy,” as his dam was killed when Spearfelt was only a few weeks old, and he had to be hand-reared. Bred in Victoria by Mr. D. Grant, he was given to O’Neill to train, and later a partnership in the youngster was arranged between Mr. Grant and O’Neill.. In all Spearfelt won £28,173 in stakes for nine wins, eight second and eight third, placings. In O’Neill’s opinion, Spearfelt was a very unlucky horse, as he was just beaten often by really great horses racing in Australia during his time.

First Big Win.

Spearfelt came right into the limelight by winning the Victoria Derby by six lengths. He later won the Melbourne cup carrying 9.3, the Australian Cup, King’s Plate (two miles w.f.a.), the Governor’s Plate (one mile and a half w.f.a.), Gibson Carmichael Stakes and A.J.C. Spring Stakes. In the last-named race he beat a staunch favourite in Windbag. After this race, O’Neill agreed to sell his half share in. the horse to Mr. Grant, but continued as his trainer. .■ . . It was related at the time by O’Neill that he was unlucky on the day his horse beat Windbag. He was standing looking at the race with two well-known personages on Australian racecourses, E/ Connolly and M. Polson. Windbag and Spearfelt were racing head and head 100 yards from the post. Spearfelt, on the rails, then hit the front, but O’Neill, thinking he was cramped for room and could not win, said he would lay £5OO against Spearfelt, and both Connolly and Polson snapped up the bet. In a fraction of a second afterwards Spearfelt drew away from Windbag and beat him by more than a length. O'Neill had taken £l5OO to £l5O about Spearfelt a few days before the race. Downed Heroic.

Spearfelt was ridden in his victorious Melbourne Cup by that most versatile of Australian jockeys, Hughie Cairns. He beat Naos and Pantheon and 25 others, and the stake of the cup that year was £12,812. He beat Naos and Pantheon again in the Australian Cup, and then downed Heroic in the Governor’s Plate, also run at Flemington.

Returning to Sydney, Spearfelt broke down in the Chipping Norton Plate, which was won by Amounis from Limerick and Windbag. Mr. Grant was at the time on his way to •England, and on hearing the bad news instructed O’Neill to sell the horse. Arrangements were accordingly made, and Spearfelt was offered for sale by auction.

The horse was, however, friendless —no one wanted an Australian sire, and Spearfelt’s glory as a racehorse was considered ended. The highest offer was 75 guineas and O’Neill would not sell, but said Mr. Grant would sell at 200 guineas. There was no buyer forthcoming, however, and O’Neill took the horse home, and later sent him to the country to be used by a friend as a hack. Sold as a Sire. Spear felt did well on the hacking treatment, and was returned to O’Neill to resume racing. He did not, however, . stage a come-back, and was retired as a seven-year-old. He was once more put under the hammer, this time in Melbourne. On this occasion he drew spirited competition, and was sold at 1350 guineas to go to the stud in Queens-, land. He was well patronised, and was a success from the time his first crop appeared in public. It is estimated that he has sired the win-, ners of about £ 150,000 in stakes in A.ustrali3 * Spearfelt was by Spearhead (by Spearmint) out of Lady Champion by the Isinglass horse Challenger, and going back to the Newsminster mare Chanoinesse (sister to the English Derby winner Hermit), one of whose half-sisters, Reticent, was third dam of Son-in-Law and another, Solitude, was ancestress of Rohsard, Seremond and Lackham, a successful New Zealand sire. Spearhead’s dam was Baroness La Fleche, of whom Beau Pere and Constant Son are also descendants. Accommodation Taxed in Melbourne (Rec. 11.45 a.m.) MELBOURNE, Nov. 2. Hundreds of Melbourne Cup carnival visitors, last night roamed Melbourne streets seeking accommodation Many failed to find quarters, and’some spent the night, on park benches. Melbourne is booked out and Victoria Racing Club officials expect a record Derby Day crowd at Flemington to-day, the opening day of the Melbourne Cup carnival. A fine, cool day is predicted.