MELBOURNE CUP

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23191, 10 November 1938, Page 8

MELBOURNE CUP

• CATALOGUE'S WIN, EFFORTLESS VICTORY I ■ | 'AGED GELDING'S DISTINCTION JOCKEY'S SUCCESSFUL TACTICS I [rROM OOR OWN correspondent} ; MELBOURNE, Nov. 4 ; ■ Dumbfounding the crowd of 100,000 | . at Flemington, the eight-year-old New i, Zealand gelding Catalogue—oldest and plainest horse in the field of 22—raced | to the front six furlongs from home in j the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, and I! won the £IO,OOO stake with the greatest l{ of easo. Catalogue was almost another Wotan, who, however, won his race differently. He flashed into the picture in the • closing stages of the race in 1936, to j 6natch an amazing victory. Catalogue, on the other hand, was never further back than third, and gained the final lead so early as to deprive the race of any semblance of a thrilling finish, j New Zealand horses have played a decisive part in the last three Cups. ! .Wotan won in 1936, Willie Win was | second in 1937, and Catalogue won this year when most hopes for a Now ZeaI lander's success were pinned to lloyal Chief, who started favourite and finished fifth. The Trump, winner of both the Caulficld Cup and Melbourne Cup a year ago, was last. Although Catalogue was one of the group of ninth fancies in tho betting and, therefore, was not a rank outsider like Wotan, the circumstances of his success are even more romantic. Oup History Made Catalogue made history in several ways. Only once before, 73 years ago, had a horse of his age won the Cup. That was when Tory -Boy won in 1865 Five aged horses had won since then, but tliey were all seven-year-olds. Cataloguo also had the distinction of being tho first horso to carry No. 5 saddle-cloth to victory since saddlecloths were introduced 48 years ago. ■ No. 4 saddle-cloth has been first past tho post on six occasions, the greatest of any number. But the point about Catalogue's success that has caught the fancy of the Australian public most is that he is owned by one woman, Mrs. A. Jamieson, and trained by another >-oinan, Mrs. A. .W. McDonald.

No Credentials Whatever No one, apart from his immediate connections, thought much about Catalogue's chances in the Cup. Mrs. Jamieson made a decision to bring Catalogue and Conveyer to Australiu when she planned a holiday here. A nephew advised Mrs. Jamieson to take the two horses directly to Melbourne, where it was considered the conditions would bo more suitable than in Sydney. That programme was adopted. Catalogue had no credentials for the two-mile journey of the Melbourne Cup and his first glimmer of Australian form was when ho finished third, three days before the Cup, in the Hotham Handicap, but as he was inclined to tire toward the close, the run did not really encourage thoughts of a Cup success. „ F. Shean, who rode Catalogue in the Hotham Handicap, said later it was the first time he had seen the horse. He accepted the ride for the Cup that day. Sliean had already ridden Buzalong to victory in the Caulfield Cup, and so completed a rare "double," although it was performed only last year when A. 1 Reed, a former New Zealand jockey, rode The Trump to success in both Cups.

Jockey's Good Tactics Shean's tactics had much to do with the success of Catalogue. When he found that his mount was going so smoothly he did not hesitate to allow him to bound to the front at the six furlongs, and consequently, the only extra ground the horse covered was in the straight the first time. Unlike other Melbourne Cup winners, Catalogue finished full of running and had to be £ersuaded that the race was over, eaning his head over the neck of the frey mount of the clerk of the course, e almost danced back to scale. He was a queer old winner, but a real one, and he is destined to be among the bestremembered horses who have won the Cup. • * ' Australians are asking why New Zealand horses continue to show such superlative form in Australia. Horsemen are of opinion that the limestone country in New Zealand, on which the best horses are raised, more nearly approaches, the pastures in England, from which come the best horses in the world. Pastures in various favoured parts of New Zealand seem to develop bone and tissue to a much more satisfactory degree than the grasses on 6ofter countries. Young bloodstock also has more opportunity to develop quietly in the Dominion, because of the absence of severe summer heat and insect pests. But, although New Zealand horses have taken such a conspicuous part in the last three Melbourne Cups, Australians take some measure of consolation in the reflection that Ajax, who has had 13 successive wins, is still the best horse in this part of the world. Royal Chief, redoubtable New Zealander, had three chances to beat him, but the honours were with Ajax and Australia.