American Critic Rates Gloaming Third Best

Northern Advocate, 13 May 1939, Page 11

American Critic Rates Gloaming Third Best

An American critic of some repute, in ranking the greatest horses in the world, placed Phar Lap as being the best of all times, with Kingston next and Gloaming third best. It is a tribute which probably never before lias been paid to New Zealand horses. Strangely enough, he docs not mention the mighty American Man o’ War in his list, nor apparently does he take much stock of England’s champions. The present American idols. Seabiscuit and War Admiral he considers to be “quitters,” and states that “as for War Admiral, at weight-for-age Stagehand will beat his cars off.” Evidently ho has, not heard of Ajax!

His praise of Phar Lap is unstinted, even if his facts are not altogether accurate, for lie states that Phar Lap (was ridden by a stable boy in the jAgua Calientc Handicap (hardly a tribute to the ability of leading Vicjtorian jockey W. Eliott). and also credits the great Night Raid chestnut with having covered a mile in 1.34 4-5 in Australia. He also claimed that Phar Lap covered at least an extra half-furlong farther than the mile and a-quarter when he won the Agua Caliento Handicap in the world record lime of 2.0 1-5 —hardly credible for even Phar Lap. His ranking reads: —

000‘01<: 0 o , ' • ■ iU.ri!Li doj. rti'nii: 01 o t I-.*, • • ■ uas OID'So!: I01 Oo 1 ij • • • • .jwuUjiiTi''i; 000^0(0 11 n 00 (iijl ,n») mi 11U.104XM (1 0 10 mi . • • • .■rtiijuioyijj i1 o‘xu i 11 n: ox x;:i ■ ■ • • uo£s.«ui>l oos tl. - !: 7. !: li: i'j • • • (hr) .iuijj S.U’II'-H, I r. I S’l.i IMS