AUSTRALIAN TURF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23302, 22 March 1939, Page 11

AUSTRALIAN TURF

AJAX AND DEFAULTER CLASH THOUGHT UNLIKELY PAGEANT'S STAYING VICTORY [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY, March 17 While Ajax was maintaining his winning sequence in Melbourne Defaulter was working quietly at Rantl- \\ ick and should be in first-class condition for his autumn campaign, whicli is expected to open with the Chipping Norton Plata at Warwick Farm on April 1.

Defaulter is engaged also in t*he Rawson .stakes at Koflehill a week earlier, but at present it is not considered likely that he will contest this event, in which Ajax is reported to be a certain starter. Defaulter lias had good workgallops up to a mile at llandwick and has attracted favourable comment on his easy action and his agreeable disposition,

Uiere is considerable doubt whether an A j ax-Defaulter duel will eventuate, but the club which is fortunate enough to stage a clash will have one of the best attendances in recent years. Naturally, Australians lean toward Ajax at anything up to a mile and a-quarter, and it is not thought that he would bo beaten even at a mile and a-lialf. His connections make no secret that they wish to maintain his unbeaten sequence, which now has reached 18 races.

In the King's Plate, 1£ miles, Ajax had two opponents, Aitchengeo and Bourbon, and they were not able to cause him any trouble. He was presented with tho C. M. Lloyd Stakes, when again his opponents numbered only two, El Golea and Judean, both of whom swerved when the barrier lifted, losing 15 and 20 lengths respectively, with the result that Ajax simply had a working gallop over a mile to secure the winner's share of the prize, £7OO.

Leonard Stakes Winner Mr. W. 11. Kemball, who is one of the best patrons of racing in Victoria, won the Leonard Stakes at Flemington last Saturday with Amiable, a consistent four-year-old mare by Lord Quex from Agreeable. She was drawn on the flat side of tho straight six furlongs course, seemingly the only section on which horses can win these days. High Caste added another £IOSO to his Australian record by his success in tho Ascot Vale Stakes. High Caste had his first real race in the Commonwealth, for tho best filly of tho season, Zonda, went with hira for the first half of tho last furlong and momentarily looked like holding him. However, at tho finish High Casto was going away and won as well as-ever before. With him out of tho way, Zonda would have been the leading juvenile of tho season. She is a direct' opposite in type to the New Zealand-bred colt, being small, but she more than compensates in quality and courage. , Mr. R. Wootton's two-year-old colt York won his second race at the Warwick Farm meeting last Saturday, carrying an apprentico and scoring attractively. He is easily the best horse owned bv Mr. W cotton in recent times. The Beau Pere colt Bel Qiseau ran prominently to the turn, where his condition gave out. , Limulet Unlucky

Mildura was started at Warwick Farm and did well to finish second over six furlongs, a course a trifle too short. He was beaten by Creditor, a smart galloper by John Buchan Irom tho Paper Money mare Financial. Mildura is owned by Mr. E. J. Watt, who still has a useful team, of whom Gold Rod is the best, and is one of the most attractive gallopers trained at Randwick.

Limulet was unluckily beaten at Warwick Farm, most people considering that he should have won instead oi finishing third. He lias not been a luck.\ horse, but may yet bo a credit to Limond.

Posterity was represented by a two-year-old winner The Stork at the Hawkesbury meeting this week. The Stork has been some time in striking form..

Triumph lor Light-weights The Australian Cup, as usuaj, provided a triumph for the lightlywoighted division, the Windbag four-vear-old Pageant scoring from the former West Australian Dark David and Ortelle s Star. Pageant has been a difiicult horse to train, but F. W. Hoysted kejbt on racing and galloping him until he overcame the soreness, and it was a triumph to win the longest flat race in Australia with him. W. Elliott, the rider of Dark Davul. claimed that but for repeated checks in the vital stage his mount would have won. The race was peculiarly run, the topweight, Manolive, at one stage being 15 lengths clear of \oung Crusader, who was as far in front of the rest of the held. Manolive broke down and was pulled up at the turn, where Younu Crusader was beaten, but the two pacemakers had done their work too well for Spear Chief and Bourbon, who finished respectively fourth and fifth. Bourbon did show a little dash at the end, but Spear Chief was a very tired horso and apparently is not as good as his Queensland form suggested, although 0. Price should win races with him. There is no doubt that he is a good galloper up to a mile and a-half.