THE NEW ZEALAND CUP.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18547, 3 November 1923, Page 14

THE NEW ZEALAND CUP.

DENTS OF ; THE RACE. BY PHAETON. The forthcoming New Zealand - Cup will mark the fcjty-first contest for the Riccarton race. How time flies 1 Who could think that 40 years had almost sped their flight since, the Southern race was instituted in 1883 and Mr. Dan. O'Brien led in the Australian-bred horse Teaman as the winner? Yet so it is. Few of the 11 owners who had their colour* sported in the first New Zealand Cup run at Riccarton remain with us to-day. Mr. R. ;J. Mason, who was a partner with the late Mr. R. H. Vallance in the ownership of Australian-bred Turquoise, is, I think, the only one that still holds a place in the busy throng of the present day. • When Taamaa Beat Nonsense. The first New Zealand Cup promoted by the Canterbury Jockey Club was brimful of sensation.: and the finish that eventuated was quite in keeping with the situation. A short time before the race the, Hon. W. Robinson was popularly considered to hold the key to the Cup problem with a four-year-old named Cheviot, who claimed full-brothorship to the doughty Six Modred. but a movement in favour of his four-year-oid stable mate. Nonsense, set the . tongues wagging, and then came the announcement that R. Derrett (on whom Mr. Robinson had first call) had sent in his colours. This incident added its duota to the situation, and especially, so when Mr. Dan. O'Brien, the owner of Teaman, secured Derrett's services for his horse. When the day of the race arrived Nonsense, who was ridden by the late James Wattie, ruled a strong favourite, and it was left to Derrett on Tasman to upset what was regarded as a " good thing." After a great finish JLasman beat Nonsense by a short head, and the circumstances under which that short head defeat of the beautiful daughter of Albany and No Name was brought about must have been very searching to Mr. Robinson, as it must have been very pleasing to Robert Derrett and Mr. Dan. O'Brien. " Peppered " Lochlel Wins. The raoe of 1887 is well studded with sensational items, one of which is the sharp reverse that came to the members of the Southern betting ring, as it then existed. Mr. G. G. Stend had three horses engaged in the New Zealand Cup that year, viz., Maxim, Lochiel, and Beresford. In. those days the betting was pretty solid, and Lochiel was the one the public singled out for special attention. The ring was tempted to take undue liberties with Lochiel under the belief that if Mr. Stead was to furnish the winner of, the Cup such would have to be effected with Maxim. It was Quite well known that Maxim was something out of the common, hut here we havo an illustration that it is not always profitable to be on the same plane as the stable as to the capabilities of a particular animal. Some f'w days before the race a commissioner was put on to sound the ring as to what amount they would lay about Maxim, and the price offered. The inquiry made with reference to the bay son of Musket and Realisation did not meet with what was regarded as the proper response from the " books," .with the result that Mr. Stead struck Maxim out of the race and decided to trust to Lochiel and Beresford A searching situation thus confronted the pencillers: Maxim, the one they had saved in their books, out of the race, and Lochiel, the " peppered" one. favourite. Lochiel got home . first three-quarters of a length in front of Gipsy King, and then there was a deep rumbling in the camp of the betting men. An objection was actually, lodged against Lochiel being declared the winner on the ground that the race was not started at the proper point, but after an inquiry this was ruled out. The victory, of Lochiel left a lot of people lamenting, and some backers never received what was due to them over the victory achieved by the brown son of Prince Charlie and Nellie Moore. Three-year-olds in Evidence. An interesting record is bound up in the Cup of 1888, when the three-year-cld division monopolised all tho places. Manton, who ruled favourite, romped home an easy winner in front of Son of a Gun. with Exchange close up third. That Manton was a colt of high class he subsequently demonstrated by winning the C.J.C. Derby and Canterbury Clip, and but for an unfortunate attack of influence, which, there is reason to believe, affected him ever after, he would probably have attained very much more prominence than that which is associated with his name. Manton was a son of Musket and the Traducer mare Tres Deuce. Impulse and Lottie. The race of 1894 is known as Auckland's year, the two leading places being filled by horses hailing from this district. Impulse, who carried Mr. S. Bradley's colours, brought off a surprise by defeating Mr. J. Keari's Lottie, and there were 15 others in tho field. Impulse had previously won up, to a mile and a-half. but a popular opinion prevailed that a journey extending to two miles would prove beyond his tether, and he was one of the outside division. The St. Lcger gelding, however, completely confounded his critics, and no one was more pleased at that happening than Mr. George Cutis, who played a big part in advising the course that should be pursued in training the. bay gelding, who -was not of robust constitution.. When the Cup of 1895 came up for decision the Australian-bred colt Gipsy Grand, who carried the colours of the Dunedin sportsman Mr. J. Stephenson, ruled favourite, and his praises were sung in a particularly high key. However, it was left to a New Zealand three-year-old in the shape of Euroolydon to clip the wings of the Australian colt. The victory of Euroclydon carried all the elements of a big surprise, for he actually ruled the greatest outsider of the field tI..U contested the race. What a " good thing" the New Zealand Cup of 1885 was for Euroclydon under 7.0 he very amply demonstrated subsequently, when he captured the Derby and Canterbury ■. Cup in dashing style, reducing the then existing record for two miles ana a-quarteT in connection with the latter race to 3m 57}:;. The brilliancy displayed by Euroclydon in the spring of 1895 furnished a striking illustration of how far keen judges can get antray in properly sizing up a three-year-old. At four years old Euroclydon made a bold bid for dual winning honours in the Cu;-, and, as he beat all his opponents with the exception of Lady Zetland, .he very nearly succeeded in recording the feat. • Outsiders Bun Dead Heat, When the New Zealand Cup came vp for decision in the spring of 1900 Malatua and Tprtulla stood out as warm favourites, but the glorious uncertainty of racing was once again to form the subject of an illustration. The favourites suffered a complete rout, and the finishing touch to a sensational contest was a dead heat,' in which the six-year-old Fulmen (7.13) and the five-year-old Ideal (7.5) were the actors. . Fulmen was a son of Castor, while Ideal was a daughter of Dreadnought. ......... „ . , Canteen's Cup. The New Zealand Cup of 1903 is well burned into many memories by reason of sensational incidents in connection with the finish and the luck which attached to Canteen being declared the winner that year. Achilles, who carried top weight (9.6) that year, ruled a warm favourite, with Canteen (7.12) next in demand. Achilles was in the van.as the field turned for home, and the favourite was still leading when they reached inside the distance, st which point Canteen challenged. About a hundred yards from home Achilles was interfered with, and Canteen got home half a length in front of Wairiki. An inquiry instituted by the stewards led to the disqualification o-' the rider' of Canteen for a period of two years for (in the words of the finding) foul riding, and the rider of Rosea], was sent into retirement for 12 months on similar grounds. The Star Rose Surprise. The surprise par excellence associated with the New Zealand Cup was that brought off in 1905 by the Taranaki-owned gelding Star Rose, who carried the colours of Mr. R. Shore. There was a field of 15 that year, and the favourites were Paritutu and Multifid. Star Ros. had nothing to his credit, but he was in at the minimum, and. staying it out well, he beat Multifid by two and a-half .lengths, a thumping dividend following his victory. Mr. Dan. O'Brien could never be brought to think otherwise than that Multifid should have won the Cup in which Star Rose figured, and not a few keen judges were in full accord with the wellversed veteran on the point. When Bobrikofl Went Down. The New Zealand Cup of 1909 is burned well into memory by reason of the downfall of a very hot favourite in the shape of Bobrikoff. • A few days prior to the decision of the Cup the black son of Finland and Gossip electrified the course-watchers at Riccarton by galloping a mile and a-half in the great time of 2m 31 4-ss. and after that many of the glib-tongued division dubbed the Cup "the Bobrikoff Stakes." On paper tho race certainly looked a " good thing" for Bobrikoff, but swallow-catching gallops do not always work out well, and so it was in the case of Bobrikoff. The favourite was done with when the final teat came in the straight, and a trio of outsiders in the shape of Lady Lucy. Roosevelt, and Sir Priza fought out the. finish. The collapse of Bobrikoff in the New Zealand Cup of 1909 furnished a good illustration that a scorching gallop can lead people astray, especially when the actual test is over a longer course than that compassed in training. That Bobrikoff was quite himself at the C.J.C. meeting he very amply proved subsequently, when he won the G. G. Stoad Memorial Cup in the splendid time of 2ra 7 2-ss. A Forced March to Victory. When the Cup of 1913 was oh the tapis and the candidates on the scene at Riccarton were numbered the day before the contest, the particular equine destined to lead the field home was still on the other side of Cook Strait. That was the St. Ambrose mare Sin£.)is, who had missed her passage from Wellington to Lyttel'wn by the Maunganui on the preceding Wednesday. Sinopis was put on board the Maunganui on Fridas—the day before the race —ana she was not landed at Lyttelton until Saturday morning. This forced march for Sinupiß. it was popularly considered, would affect the little mare, and she held a place with tho outside brigade. Sinanis confounded all the smart people, for she was always found taking a. prominent band in the settlement,. of the question, and the character of her victory was such as to leave no room for cavil, for there was a gap of three lengths and a-half between her and Sea Pink, to whom she was conceding Jib, and she completed the journey in !)m 26 -l-Ss. A trip across Cook Strait on the eve. of the race is not, it must bo admitted, calculated to inspire confidence that the p.nimal involved in such an experience would cnerse triumphant in the Cup contest, but the Sinapis incident ie a reminder not to ruasmfy matters. «• - J