NOTES BY PHAETON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 9

NOTES BY PHAETON.

AMMON RA'S CONSISTENCY. THREE SUCCESSIVE VICTORIES. BRIGHT DERBY PROSPECTS. If, would, no doubt, ho regarded as a little early to pronounce Amnion Ra tho tlireo-ycar-old of tho season, but. as tho Aucklandbred gelding has scored three victories in as many starts. each time displaying brilliancy, he appears certain to maintain his position as tho outstanding favourite for the Australian Jockey Club's Derby. With regard to the race for tho Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick last Saturday, wo have yet tr. learn how many Derby candidates were included in tho field. However, what we do know -is that Amnion Ra carried his 71b penalty without distress and that lie romped homo an cany winner, encompassing the nine furlongs in tho good timo of 1,525n In tho various comments bv Australian crilicß on Amnion Ra's prospects of winning tho Derby there is no marked tendency to question his ability to stay out tho mile and a-half, but, of course, until ho is'tested over tho distance some little, doubt is sure to exist. The ganging of staying capacity is a, question upon which some of the keenest men have gone well astray. Take the recent case of Mollison, who carried nil before him at two years "Id and who led off so promisingly at a year older that the A.J.C. Derby wbb considered to be almost at his mercy Mollison failed to stay, and it is held that tho mile and a-half journey exacted from him in the A.J.C. Derby left him impaired. Anyway, ho was never again asked to tackle a longer distance than a mile. By all accounts Amnion Ka has built up in a manner that causes him to fill tho eye most pleasingly in the matter of physique, and that ho can carry weight he demonstrated at two years old. Then, summed tip on pedigrco grounds, a great deal can bo advanced for him. Got by Limond, the St Simon strain is found on tho top line. The Bend Or strain is the feature of tho pedigree, for it comes in no fewer than three times through noteworthy channels. namely, Kendal, Cyllene and Ormonde. A Derby victory for Ammon Ra would, therefore, have a right to be accepted as well in keeping with his high breeding. PHAR LAP AT RAND WICK. SPRING ENGAGEMENTS. The fact of Phar Lap having been left in tho Caulfield Cup seemed to create some uncertainly whether ho would bo sent to New South Wales to contest tho weight-for-age race? at the Australian Jockey Club's Spring Meeting, which opens on October :i. However, tho point has been definitely settled, for the champion is now at Rand wick. Phai Lap is engaged in the Spring Stakes, one mile and a-half. Craven Plato, one mile and a-quarter. and the Randwick Plate, two miles, all of which events he won last year. The prize-money attached to these races will bo much below that of previous years. The sum of £17,17 was the product of Phar Lap's three captures last year. This year the total amount of added money to tho three races reaches only to £3250. eo it will bo realised that there is a pronounced shrinkage in the value of each event Phar Lap is engaged in the Hill Stakes, to be run at tho Rosehill meeting to-day. and, as he is unpenalised. he will carry 9.0. Last year ho won the Hill Stakes under 9.4. easily beating Nightmarch, 9.3, the mile being encompassed in 1.40. DONCASTER ST. LEGER. WINNER BOUGHT AT AUCTION. Sandwich, who carried Lord Rosebery's colours to victory in this year's St. Leger at Doncaster, formed one of the collection of yearlings sent up to auction in the autumn of 1929 by tho Irish breeder Mr. J. J. Maher, and that he was viewed with some favour oven at that youthful stago ie shown by the. fact that tho commissioner acting for Lord Ilosebcry had to carry the bidding to 3GOO guineas to secure him. By all accounts, Sandwich is a colt of commanding physique, and. having distinguished himself in tho long-distance classic event, ho may bo submitted to tho test of contesting the Ascot Gold Cup when ho reaches the age of four years. Summed up on pedigree grounds, thero is much to be expected from Sandwich as ho ages. His grandsjro Swynford, who traced to the famous Isonomy. was proved to be a first-rater, and it is held that, but for ail unfortunate mishap terminating his racing career shortly after winning the St. Leger of 1910, ho would have won a placo among tho great performers. STUD ITEMS. HOW GREAT HORSES ARE BRED. It, is morally certain that tho breeders of some of tho great horses of the past did not spend days in analysing blood linc3 when they mated eires and dams. Dealing with tho breeding of Trigo, winner of the Derby and St. Leger in 1929. tho Irish Times has this to say of his fourth dam Stella:—"Everyone knows tho reason why thc late Mr. Peter Murphy bought Stella. It was none other than that ho wished for a shapely mare for his stud at not exceeding 50 guineas. He found his ideal at 42 guineaß. Then there is also the. story—it is authentic—of tho American breeder of ono of these many ' horses of the century.' Tho horso in question having gained renown, a pedigree export investigated closely his descent. The expert hied to tho breeder inquiring why ho had ' balanced this, that and the other blood lines in tho marc's ancestry with such-and-such lines in tho sire's pedigree.' The expert gave his imprimatur t<~ the pedigrco and then awaited the breeder's reply. This was the reply: 'My dear fellow, I'm glad to havo your approval of my horse's pedigree, but, if you must know why his dam and Hire were mated, tho reason was that the sire was the nearest to my stud bv a. hundred miles!' " The story of how the great Isinglass came to havo Deadlock as his dam has been told over and over again, but i(, will bear repeating to show how a chance remark had more to do with his birth than an analysis of blood lines. Ono day tho Duchess of Montrose mad< the remark to Captain McCalmont that tho namo Wenlock in a dam spolt success as n breeding proposition. Tho captain remembered ho had culled from his stud tho Wenlock mare Deadlock, and her purchaser, a farmer, had used her as a cart, horso Somo days later she was seen by her former owner, who bartered a colt for her and then mated her with Isonomy, tho result of the union being tho great Isinglass, who won 11 races in 12 starts, including tho Two Thousand Guineas, Derby and St. Leger, and who won prize-money to tho amount of £57,455. Chance, therefore, has had n deal to do with the breeding ot great horses and will continue to do bo in spito of all theories. THE CARBINE LINE. Two grandsons of Spearmint (son of Carbine) distinguished themselves in hurdle eventß run respectively at Randwick and Moonee Valley last, Saturday. Kirna, bv Cyklon, registered his victory at Randwick. and Spear King, by Spearhead, won at Moonee Valloy. Tho English-bred horse Tho Bastard, who recently arrived in New South Wales, is referred to as " a miKiiificent specimen of tho thoroughbred family." Cot by Spion Kop, son of Spearmint, tho new arrival traces to Carbine, so that ho is likely to bo accorded good opportunities to keep up the fine record attaching to tbe illustrious family to which ho owes descent.