GREAT HORSES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22726, 12 May 1937, Page 9

GREAT HORSES

•A' WONDERFUL TRIO COMPARISON OF MERITS CARBINE AND PHAR LAP BY PHAETON The question regarding the best racehorse that has figured on the Australian turf continues to create much interesting discussion. For a good stretch of years Carbine might be said to have been universally awarded the leading position, and his Melbourne Cup victory under 10.5 still remains undimmed. Forty-six years have sped their flight since the bay son of Musket ran his last race and no one requires to be told that pronounced changes have taken place in connection with .racing in the interval. Throughout all the changes many keen men who have seen all the leading horses in- Australia are still prepared to give the palm to Carbine as the best liorse. Pliar Lap and Peter Pan both command many adherents and opinion is divided in summing them up. That both displayed qualities of the champion order is cn all hands admitted, and so there is very much to interest when champions form the subject of discussion. " Pilot," of the Sydney Referee, who is accepted as one of the soundest judges of racehorses and of racing in this quarter of the globe, recently penned the following anent Carbine, Phar Lap and Peter Pan: —" Comparison of racehorses over a long period of years is always difficult and no one is convinced by arguments put forward with the idea, of proving that one champion' was superior to another of a different date. Carbine continues the idol of many racing men, and not without cause, but there is no gainsaying the fact that he never had to travel the pace that is customary nowadays. Tactics are different, but the _ two fastest. times he recorded —3.28 in a Melbourne Cup and 2.7 in a Craven Plate —would now be regarded as ordinary. Nevertheless, he was a great horse. " The question now vexing some racing men is which was the better, Phar Lap or Peter Pan. Both shone from a mile onwards, and, although Peter Pan won two Melbourne Cups, one with 9.10, and made a mile record of 1.35}, Phar Lap successfully carried 9.12 in a Melbourne Cup as a four-year-old and still holds the Australian time recorde of 2.2} for a mile and a-quarter and 3.49y for two and a-quarter miles. " Time does not prove everything, but in a country where it plays such a prominent part in the training of racehorses it must be given full value. Phar Lap and Peter Pan are not the only horses entering into calculations as latter-day champions. Windbag has supporters. For my part, I still credit Phar Lap with being Australia's best racehorse." As Carbine and Phar Lap were both bred in New Zealand, the Dominion is sure of a good advertisement when the question relating to champion racehorses is on the boards for discussion. TURF IN ENGLAND FOREIGN-BRED HORSES WIN The successes registered by foreign bred horses on the English turf constitute a feature of the early raciuf season. The Two Thousand Guineas sav two French colts, Le Ksar and Goya U. : fight out the finish for first, and Exhi bitionist led the field home in the On* Thousand Guineas. The City ant Suburban Handicap was won William of Valence, and Faites Voj Jeux scored in the Chester Cup. The Great Jubilee Handicap saw tin foreign-bred division, Commander 111. Tempest 11. and William of Valence fill the whole of the places, which mai be regarded as striking proof that the visitors can boast sterling material. Although Exhibitionist was bred ii France, she is owned by the Englisl sportsman Sir Victor Sassoon and has an English pedigree. She was foalec when her dam was on a visit to France Faites vos Jeux is owned by Lady Nuttall and William of Valence by Mr. A Sainsburv. A victory in the Two . Thousand Guineas does not necessarily mean s success to follow in the Derby, but the French colt won at Newmarket in sc convincing a manner as to present hiir as a most eligible aspirant for blueribbon honours at Epsom next month. AMERICAN PROJECT AUSTRALIAN BLOODSTOCK It has been a proud boast in America that the United States might some day rival England in the breeding of bloodstock, and to that end at various times that country has drawn largely on British stock —stallions and mares ol the highest breeding being bought. The purchase of the stallion Blenheim foi £50,000 was announced last year and that illustrious horse is now located in America. Now comes the statement of a project to purchase Australian-bred stock for which the San Francisco Racing and Breeding Corporation is sponsor, having for its object the purchasing oi Australian horses and marcs for racing and breeding. The corporation claim* to have an option on nine first-class horses in Sydney and Melbourne. The prospectus issued reads: —" The immediate object of the concern is to import a racing stablo of handicap stars from Australia and to race them al major American tracks. However, onh entire colts and mares will be imported, the management desiring to retire tin stock for breeding purposes after tin horses' racing usefulness is ended Choice racers will be imported witl the double purpose of garnering somt of the rich American stakes and purses and of profitably disposing of the colts and mares to American breeders whe are desirous of strengthening theii bloodstock strains by crossing with com paratively distant anc'estral lines." STUD NOTES THE CARBINE LINE Australian-bred Spearfelt, who i: located at the stud in Queensland, con tinuos to keep up the credit of th< Carbine line in a fitting manner. _i,i his racing days Spearfelt won higl honours as a stayer, for at live .year; old he won the Melbourne Cup, tw< miles, and the Australian Cup, 2; miles, under the respective imposts o 9.3 and 9.13. Soft Step, a son of Spear felt, has two victories to his credit ii the Queensland Cup, carrying 3.0 atn 9.0 respectively, and Glen's Spear another of his sons, is included witl winners of the Brisbane Cup. Botl these races were run over two miles,. s< that Spearfelt is fittingly known as ; sire of stayers. When Spearfelt was retir<|}l fron racing in 1928 it was stated that a New Zealand breeder was a probable buyer but the bay liorse was bought at r very reasonable figure by- a Queensland breeder and has proved a fireit-class speculation.