NOTES BY PHAETON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21130, 12 March 1932, Page 9

NOTES BY PHAETON.

AUSTRALIAN CUR WINNER. ADELAIDE HORSE'S SURPRISE. How pronouncedly a horse will, as the saying goes, dodge his connections is well exemplified by Madstar, who brought off a surprise victory in the Australian Cup at Fleming ton laat Saturday. Last season he won three races, including the Port Adelaide Cup, 1 mile Gfur. 74yds.; but this season he had disappointed and ran unplaced in the Melbourne Cup. His party had strong belief in him as a stayer, and ten days before Saturday's race he was one of the favourites, but his failures on the earlier days of the Flemington meeting caused him to lose casta. However, he developed surprising dash in the cup and ran the 2J miles in 3.523, the last four furlongs in 495. Madstar, who hails from South Australia, is a five-year-old gelding by the imported horse Slardrift, a sou of Sunstar, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and Derby in 1911. AMMON RA AT FLEMINGTON. VICTORY IN LLOYD STAKES. As Ammon Ra suffered a decisive defeat at the hands of Middle Watch in the V.R.C. St. Leger, and was subsequently withdrawn from the King's Plate, it seemed as though he would again be included among non-winners at Flemington. However, he came out on the third day of the meeting and disposed of Chatham and Johnnie Jason in the C. M. Lloyd Stakes, run over a mile at weight-for-ag© with the gelding allowance deleted. As he galloped the mile in 1.38, and dashed over the concluding four furlongs in 47a, his brilliancy was well in evidence. Ammon Pa is now booked to race at the Australian Jockey Club's Autumn Meeting, opening at Randwick on March 26, on which date the A.J.C. St. Leger is set down for decision. In that race he will probably have an opportunity of wiping out the defeat ho suffered in the V.R.C. St. Leger, ns Middle Watch is also engaged in the classic event at Randwick. HIGH-PRICED DOMINANT. DEVELOPING FORM AT LAST. Dominant, having realised G750 guineas when he was tjold at auction as a yearling in the autumn of 1928. was straightaway placed prominently in the limelight, but as lie proved a complete failure at two and three years old disappointment was writ largo against his name. He managed to win one small race last season, but ho has scored three victories during tho last few weeks, which points to his being on the up-grade. However, ho is mostly confined to sprint events, and is evidently good up to seven furlongs, for in a recent race over that distance ho was credited with completing the journey in the fast timo of 1.25. A syndicate of four sportsmen was connected with the purchase of Dominant a3 a yearling. Dominant is by Saltaab, whose son Strephon was the outstanding performer in Australia at three years old in the season of 1928-29 and whoso stake winnings at that stage of his career amounted to £17,893. PROMISING TWO-YEAR-OLD. WINNER AT FLEMINGTON. Powerscourl, who won the Ascot vale Slake 3at the Victoria Raciog Club's Autumn Meeting at Flemington. was early selected as a colt that would be included among important winners, and ho promises to bo Victoria's leading candidate for Derby honours next season. Interesting features in tho pedigree of Powerscourt nre that on each side he traces to the celebrated Goldfinch mare Chelandry. and also on eacli side has strains of St. Simon and Donenster, and can also boast a strain of Musket through a very noteworthy channel (Trenton). Fouerscourt is by The Night Patrol from tho Traquair ninrc Traquette. Tho latter produced S.ilat is, a tine hors?. bv Shepherd King, who won tho Caulfield Futurity Stakes in 1923.

ASCOT GOLD CUP. GREAT WEIGHT-FORAGE RACK. The. Ascot, Gold Cup is our of (ho most, coveted rncP3 011 (lie English turf: and with the distance two miles and a halt and the conditions standard weigh t-for-ago i ti_ furnishes a great lest of stamina. Tho list of entries published shows that Franco is likely to be strongly represented in the next race on Juno IP. a trio of notable performers in Tourbillon. Brulefto and Bruleur hailing from that country. In 3024 a French-owned pair, Massino and Filibert do Ravoie, fought out th"l finish, the first-named winning by a head. When Twenty Grand and Mate, wero encased in making racing history in America last vear it was said to bo likely that they would bo to England with a view to contesting tho Ascot Gol<i Cup, but neither figures ns nn cn.trfl.nt. snd uppftioitly tho ""stay-at-home " policy is regarded as likely to prove more profitable than a trip to England. LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL. KEEPING THE FIELD DOWN. Tho large number of starters for the Liverpool Grand National Steeplechase in recent years was held to constitute a menace, for in not a few instances horses wero engaged in tho great cross-country evont simply to gratify the desiro of their owners to seo their colours carried. It is contended that many a good horse's prospects have been ruined by the " rough " division. 111 1929 the starters m umbered no fewer than OG, and last year IJ went to the post. With a view to restricting the field the conditions attached to the race have been made more stringent, and it is now laid down that no horso will bo regarded as eligible for nomination unless by tho date of closing entries it has either been placed first, 6ocond or third in a steeplechase of three miles or upward of the value of £2OO to the winner or tho equivalent in foreign distances and money, or in a steeplechase at Aintree, Liverpool, or has won ft steeplechase of tho vnhio of £SOO to tho winner. Tho entries for the approaching Grand National have been brought down to 53, so that the new conditions havo already had the result aimed at. An interesting feature of the entries is that three previous winners are engaged, namely Gregalach, Shaun Gollin and Craltle. STUD ITEMS. AN OLD-TIME STORY. Many an interesting story is connected with tho mistakes made in buying and selling horses, and on© of an outstanding character related is that in which the stallion Buccaneer was involved, remarks a London writer. Buccaneer was bred and owned by Mr. J. Cookson, a, man of vast experience and knowledge of the thoroughbred family. Yet at the outset of the horse's career Mr. Cookson sold the son of Wild Dayrcll under the mistaken impression that he would not sire stayers. Buccaneer went to Austria. Ho had scarcely left England when his sons Paul Jones and Soe Saw and his daughters Fonposa and Brigantino appeared and placed Buccaneer at the head of tho winning sires. That was in 18(38, and eight years later his Austrianbred son Kisber came over to England and won tho Derby. After Formosa had appeared Mr. Cookson sent to Austria to repurchase Buccaneer, but tho Austrinna sent him word that they had seen the Racing Calendar—he was not lor salo. IMPORTED Y. COLONIAL SIRES. Tho progeny of imported sires almost swept tho board at the Victoria Racing Club's recent autumn meeting. During tho three days over which tho meeting extendod 18 races came up for decision and no fewer than 16 winners wero credited to sires imported from England. The only colonialbred sires represented by winners wero Heroic (by Valais) and lownit (by Grafton). Even the two hurdle races decided at the meeting were won by the progeny of imported sires.