SURPRISE IN OAKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22155, 8 July 1935, Page 7

SURPRISE IN OAKS

QUA SHED'S NARROW WIN SON DEFEATS FATHER GUINEAS VICTRESS THIRD • [I'KOAI Ol'lt OWN COItHESPOXDKNT] By Air Mnil LONDON', Juno U> An outsider won the Oaks, the most important classic raco of the season for fillies, and her owner thereby beat his own father. The winner was Quashed, her owner, or lessee, being Lord Stanley. The disappointed man was Lord Derby, whose filly Coronal finished only fifth. The French-bred filly Mesa, owned by M. Pierre Wertheimer, was the favourite, but she came in only third, with the Blandford filly Ankaret second. There were 17 runners. .Bobsleigh went wrong and had to be withdrawn from the Derby, and everyone expected that Lord Derby would find consolation by winning the Oaks. The stable, hopes were centred round Coronal, and not round Quashed. The Oaks proved to be Lord Stanley's first classic win. First to congratulate him was his father. After the race Lord Stanley said: "I cannot help viewing the result with mixed feelings, as i have beaten my father's better-fancied filly. However, we had a mutual agreement, my father and I. that wo would be equally delighted if either of us won." Mesa Unlucky in Running Quashed has never showed such form as she proved to possess, either in public or at home. The filly was bred by Lady Barbara Smith, to whom her dam, Verdict, was bequeathed by her father. Lord Coventry. The sire is Obliterate. Mesa won the One Thousand Guineas at Newmarket, and had since remained in England under the care of Mr. F. Hartigan, at Weyhill. She is a plain filly, but possesses many good points, and she looked very well. The contest proved full of drama. If the fates ignored Lord Derby to give the race to his son, they made M. Wertheimer their sport. Mesa never found an opening until she was less than a furlong from the winning post. She must have been ten lengths behind the leader then, but she made up nine lengths of that, and had there been another 100 yds to go she would have won. If things had gone her way through the race there is no doubt that sho would have won easily. Problem for the Stewards Nothing went kindly for Mesa. Before tho race the point had to be decided whether the Australian jockey W. R. Johnstone could ride her. He was suspended for seven days by the stewards at Longchamp, and the question whether he was.eligible to ride was one for which there was no precedent. M. Evremonde de St. Alary, a member of the French Jockey Club and an honorary member of the English Jockey Club, was at Epsom, and he explained that when a jockey is suspended in France for a minor offence he is eligible to rido during the period of his suspension for tho owner who retains his services. This simplified matters. for M. Wertheimer has first claim on Johnstone. It was then decided that he was eligible to ride the filly in the Oaks. Coronal had made great improvement since she ran at Newmarket, and was a good second favourite. Of the others the eyo lingered over the Irish filly Solerina, a delightful individual, who ran an exceptionally good race for upward of a mile and finished fourth, just in front of Coronal. Winner Last Early in Race It was a good start, and Light Tackle went off in front, leading Sunkiss and Foxlair. Quashed, who had been slightly amiss, was slowly off, and when they were passing the City and Suburban post she was last of all. Indeed, so badly was she going that she looked like tailing herself off. It says much for her courage and stamina that she was able to come through her field and gain a higldv meritorious victory. At the top of the hill there was a good deal of jostling, and one or two may have suffered in consequence. Coming to Tattenham Corner Sunkiss had taken the lead from Light Tackle. Solerina had always been in the first half-dozen, and Coronal had moved up. Approaching the straight Mesa was holding a good position, but Johnstone elected to try to come through on the inside. It was at once apparent that the filly was hopelessly shut in. Margin o! Short Head About half-way up the straight Ankaret took up the running, with Hyndford Bridge nearest her. The latter may have got her head in front for the moment, but Ankaret went, 011 again. In the meantime Coronal had been pushed to the outside, but was disputing tho issue with tho leaders. Quashed had been steadily improving, and was running on, and Solerina was still holding her place. At tho beginning of the last furlong Mesa had fought her way through, but sho was a long way behind. She began to make up ground in magnificent style, but the winning post came all too scroii. Desperately ridden by Jelliss, Quashed got up to win by a short head from Ankaret, whose rider, F. Fox, was thus deprived of the great dortble of the- Derby and Oaks. The time, 2.41 2-5, was slow. RACING IN AUSTRALIA M. McCARTEN ON TIPSTERS The successful jockey, M. McCarten, who has been visiting his mother at Hawera, said that some New Zealanders did not care much for racing in Australia, but personally lie liked it and if he had to make the choice again he would still prefer Sydney. A certain section ol people in Australia had little good to say of either the New Zealand horses or jockeys, and at times thero was a fair amount of prejudice (o overcome. However, he had been fortunate in having done well from the beginning and now had the patronage of owners who were seldom without a good horse. Voitre's phenomenal run of luck was an example of the opportunities offering for a good Now Zealand jockey. "He is meeting with remarkable success and is now riding for prominent owners, some of whom had probably never heard of him a couple ol months ago." Referring to tipsters in Australia McCarten said their methods wero rather clever. Tlicy picked out a likely horse for a meeting and sent it out as a special. If tho horso won they acclaimed their judgment, but if it lost, then it was a certainty beaten. Either tho jockey rode a verybad race or the horso was not trying and clients were told to watch it in its next few starts. As tho horse they selected was usually a useful performer it generally won within its next three or four runs, whereupon they recalled their earlier tip and vindicated themselves by stating that in tho interim the horse had not been a trier. Some of the sensational news the tipsters put in their small racing papers was really amazing, but nevertheless they found a great sale, owing to their perfect descriptions of the position which a horso occupied throughout its races.