SPORTING Champion Breaks Down

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 November 1946, Page 8

SPORTING Champion Breaks Down

Bernborough Injured at

Flemington

MELBOURNE, November 3. There- was a sensation in the L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes at Flemington on Saturday, in which the champion, Bernborough, was a firm favourite. Flight as usual took the lead early, followed by Bernborough. Rounding tne home turn Bernborough moved forward, and appeared to have the leader covered. While going easily Bernborough moved up and appeared likely to take’ the lead when he suddenly faltered and ran one. His jockey, W. Bricoe, pulled the champion up and dismounted, while Flight went on and had an easy victory from Tea Cake and Spam. With Bernborough now out of the weight-tor-age races, Flight appears to hold a mortgage on those races, and seems now likely to pass Tranquil Star’s record as the greatest stake-winning mare of the Australian turf, having now won £28,599 in stakes as against Tranquil Star’s £29,690. Bernborough sustained a serious injury to the seamoid bone in his near .foreleg. His trainer, H. T. Plant, stated that he considered the veterinary surgeons might have difficulty in saving the horse for the stud. Bernborough was very lame, and although in pain, was taken to his sable in a ’float. Set-back in Derby The Derby result was a set-back to the majority of backers. Prince Standard tailed to stay the mile and a half in the A.J.C.Derby in Sydney, although considered to have an excellent' chance. His stable companion, Concerto, outstayed the opposition in that race and won by half a head from Flying Duke. Prince Standard was one of the outsiders in Saturday’s race, but finished strongly to beat Tribunal, which appeared all over a winner when he took the lead a furlong from home. Proctor just struggled along to gain third place. The favourite, Flying Duke, failed badly after having every chance. Concerto ran to the front soon after entering the straight, but failed to stay. Star Act was never a possibility. Neither was Two Grand, one of the best-backed horses in the Derby and the Cup. In the Cantala Stakes, St. Fairy, which proved himself one of the best horses racing in Victoria over the last few seasons, finished determinedly to defeat The Sirdar and La Patrice. St. Fairy won the Caulfield Cup last vear, and ran a good race in the Melbourne Cup, in which he finished fourth' last year. After a spell St. Fairy returned to work some time ago. St. Fairy finished full of running yesterday, and held off The Sirdar to win by a neck. La Patrice attempted to lead all the way and lasted to inside a furlong from home, and then weakened slightly. A.ttley, the favourite was never prominent.

Outstayed Field Chaytor, the top-weight and favourite for the Hotham Handicap, outpaced and outstayed the field, defeating Knockarlow by a length and a quarter, with Oatcake close up third. Chaytor is not engaged in the Melbourne Cup, but 10 other starters are final acceptors. Both Knockarlow and Oatcake ran fairly well, but will have to improve considerably to have any chance in the Melbourne Cup. Other starters included Stenelaus, Little Tich and Cherle Marie, which failed badly, and their cup chances appear hopeless.

Results: — Wakeful Stakes, of £lOOO. For three-year-old ' fillies; one mile. — Sweet Chime 9.4 inc. 141 b pen. (W. Cook) 1; Amelia 8.4 (J. Purtell) 2; Laurette 8.9 inc. 51b pen (H. Badger) 3. Twenty-two started. Length and a half; three-quarters of a length. Time, 1.40 J. Maribyrnong Plate, of £l5OO, five furlongs.—Moonbeam 8.0 (H. Badger) 1; Jalna 8.0 (J. Purtell) 2; Dhotrium 8.5 (W. Cook) 3. Two lengths; half a length. Time, 1.01. L. K. S. Mackinnon Stakes, of £2000; weight-for-age; one mile and a Quarter.—Flight 8.12 (J. O’Sullivan)!; Tea Cake (H. Bastian) 2; Spam 8.11 (W. Cook) 3. Five started. Six lengths; one and a quarter lengths. Time, 2.4 J. Victoria Derby, Of £5000; one mile and a half. Prince Standard 8.10 (Briscoe) 1 Tribunal 8.10 (H. Badger) .. 2 Proctor 8.10 (R. Heather) .. .. 3 Seventeen started. Length; two lengths. Time, 2.33. Cantala Stakes, of £2000; one mile. St. Fairy 9.8 (A. Breasley) 1; The Sirdar 7.2 (G. Podmore) 2; LaPatrice 8.10 (G. Hope) 3. Twenty-one started Neck; length and three-quarters. Time, 1.37,1. Royal Gem was scratched. Hotham Handicap, of £1500; one mile and five furlongs.—Chaytor 8.10 (A. Breasley) 1; Knockarlow 8.0 (J. Purtell) 2; Oatcake 8.1 (E. Fordyce) 3. Eighteen started. Length and a quarter; half a neck. Time, 2.431 equals course record. Champion May be Sold at Auction (Rec. 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, November 4. Bern borough’s owner, Mr. A. O. Romano, will probably auction the champion as a sire, according to C. J. Graves in the Sydney Telegraph. Mr. Romano, who recently received an offer from America of £5OOO for Bernborough as a stallion, says that he has no stud facilities and would like to see the. horse go to a good Australian stud. According to veterinary surgeons Bernborough is proving himself sensible and courageous in adversity and the swelling in his leg is already going down. The joint will not be set in plaster, until an X-ray exam- , ination has been made. Though no apparent reason has been found for Bernborough’s breakdown, many trainers blame the hard Caulfield Cup race with 10.10 up. Mr. Romano told • the Sydney Morning Herald that, if it is necessary, experts will be flown from America to treat the champion. Bernborough has had 37 starts for 26 wins, two seconds and two thirds. He has won £25,504 in stakes made : up as follows:— Two years.—Four firsts and one ; second in five starts. Total stake ; winnings £lO3. ' i Three years.—Four firsts in .four starts—£l9B. ; Four years.—One third in two ! starts —£10. • p Five years.—Three firsts and one i second in eight starts—£B7o,

Six years.—Ten firsts and a third in 11. starts. — £19,956. Seven years.—Five firsts in seven starts—£4367. New Zealand-Bred Colt at Sydney SYDNEY, November 3. Deep Sea, a two-year-old bay colt by Nizami from Mimulus, scored his second win in two starts by leading throughout in the first division of the Nursery Stakes at Rosehill yesterday. His previous victory was also ovei Skip Court, in the Canonbury Stakes at Randwick. The colt was an oddson favourite yesterday. Result:— Nursery Stakes, four furlongs an a half.—Deep Sea 8.12 (Musson) 1, Skip Court 8.12 (McGrowdie) 2; fellowship 8.5 (Skelton) 3. One and a quarter lengths; length. Time, 55jsec. Twelve started,