WAKEFUL AND DESERT GOLD

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 10207, 18 February 1919, Page 8

WAKEFUL AND DESERT GOLD

In a recent issue of the Sydney ,fArrow/’ "Musket” contributes an article on Wakeful and Desert Gold, from which. I extract the following;— "Which do you consider the better mare —Wakeful or Desert Gold? Could an article bo written on the subject on Wakeful and Desert Gold? are questions that have been asked by correspondents more than once of late. DESERT GOLD’S PEEFORMANCES. It has to be admitted that only Desert Gold's Australian, performances can be discussed in this article with any degree of confidence, for one is not in a position to say whether the quality of "her opponents in New Zealand was up to the standard of the Australian thoroughbreds but I 'should think they were not. Although there are some great horses in Maoriland. it may be safely asserted that in her New Zealand races Desert Gold nei’cr met such competitors at their best as Dottrel, Cetigne, Magpie, and Wola,r°That Desert Gold was a phenomenal galloper in her own land her record will show. At one period in her career she won 19 races without a break, and went right through her three-year-old season without once meeting defeat—it races in all, Up to a mile and a half the daughter of All Black and Aurarius can be regarded as the equal of any thoroughbred that has ever graced the - Australian or New Zealand turf—perhaps the very best, but that is open to question Beyond 12 furlongs she has not been successful in open company, her only win being the Great Northern St. Leger, of one mile and three-quarters, which is restricted to three-year-olds. At a mile and a half she wo it four times as a threo-year-old in New Zealand—two Derbies and two Oaks. But she was never allowed to start in open compony at any distance further than a mile and a quarter when three years old. At four years she ran third to Ki 1 boy and’ Tbe Toff in the Trentham Gold Cup, two 'miles, and at five she was similarly placed in the Auckland E.C. Handicap, one mile and a half, but as in the latter race she carried 10.1 and was only half a length and a neck behind the winner, to whom she was conceding 361 b, there was a deal of merit in the performance. In Australia she won twice as a five-year-old at a mile and a half —the Governor’s Plate at Plemington, and the Autumn Stakes at Eandwick—but in tho King’s Plate, two miles, at Plemington, she beaten by Wallace Isinglass in decisive fashion. All her six-ycar-old racing has been done in Australia, and although she never ran faster before, she has not one win in four starts, though in three of the races she added consistently to her ■lustre. In the Spring Stakes at Pandwick, just when she appeared to have the field well beaten, Poitrel snatched a victory from her by half a head. Then in the Craven Plate she experienced her first unplaced performance, though only a neck away from tho winner, Cetigne, who was a short head advantage of Wolaroi, who, in turn, was half a head in front of Estland, with Desert Gold another half-head away. In each of these races she made all tho running, and was more instrumental than the winners in the two new records that wore then made In the Melbourne Stakes she again met Cetigne, Wolaroi, and Estland, and accounted for all three comfortably, but the English horse Magpie stood between her and victory. Though beaten again, she won many new admirers by tho way she kept Cetigne and Wolaroi at a respectable distance in tho early part of the race, and it was execrable luck for her to have to answer a challenge from Magpio after beating these two cham.

pions. So she lost by a neck perhaps tho best race she ever ran. In the Melbourne Cup she finished eighth, but as two miles is evidently too far for her, she did well to finish where she did with 9st 6ib. WAKEFUL GOOD OVER ALL DISTANCES. Now for Wakeful.

Tiie daughter of Trenton and Insomnia started 41 times for 23 wins, 12 seconds, and four thirds; so that she was three times unplaced. This is not so good a record us that of Desert Gold —so far as wins are concerned —who has 43 to her credit out of 51) starts; but when ono considers the class of races she took on, it has to bo admitted that Wakeful was more versatile —no distance was too short or too long for her. Tho fact that she did not race till she was a four-year-old may have made her a better stayer than Desert Gold, hut the surprising feature of her ability was that at six furlongs or three miles she was a champion. Since her time there have been several who, perhaps, would have beaten her at three miles, but none who could hold their own with her at all distances. Trafalgar would probably beat her over the longer journey, but at six furlongs or a mile would not he in it When she come to Randwick for the Easter meeting of 1902 she started off by winning tho Autumn Stakes, ono mile and a half; on the second day she easily won the Sydney Cup, two miles; the third day tho All-aged Stakes, ono mile, fell to her; and on the fourth day she carried off the A.J.C. Plate, three miles. At her next visit to Randivick —in the spring of tho same year—she won the three races she started in-—Spring Stakes It miles; Craven Plate, li miles; and Randwick Plato, 2i miles. In open company, Wakctul 'yon five races at miles, ono at two miles, ono at 2i miles, and two at three miles. Her greatest performance, in my opinion, was her second to Lord Cardigan in the Melbourne Cup of 1903. In that race she carried 10st, which is equal to Carbine’s lOst slb when the sex allowance is conceded, and she had the bad luck to meet the best three-year-old of the season, who, through not starting in cither the A.J.C. or \ .luC. Derby (both of which he could have won), had only -sst Blb, or 12lb , weight-for-age, to carry; while Wakeful carried iSlb above that scale. As Lord Cardigan won the Sydney Cup the same season with 8s t 71b, or 51b oyer weight-for-age, the impossible task which Waseful was asked to accomplish m the Melbourne Cup is apparent. She was, of course, beaten; but there are many to-day who say that had her jockey not taken her to the front so early-five furlongs from home —she would won. That, of course, is doubtful, but there is no denying the fact that she assisted Lord Cardigan to wm by making the running over the final five iurlongs. . In one of her shorter races sue nad none the best of luck in being beaten by a horse who was many pounds below what his later form showed he should have carried. In the Caulfield Futurity Stakes of 4902 she was second to Sir Foote with 9st 131 b, while he had fist 101 b. Sir' Foote a fortnight later won the Newmarket Handicap with Bst, and a month afterwards the Doncaster Handicap with 9st 41b. Here again she was asked to do the impossible. _ A detailed list of the winnings of each of these wonderful mares shows the tluferent distances they were successful at. Wakeful, it will be seen, was a champion from five furlongs to three miles, while Desert Gold could not claim that distinction beyond a mile and a hair. Hex© ar© tho performances of eacu. WAKEFUL (hv Trenton—lnsomnia). At four vears: Second D<*>na Trial, five furlongs: unplaced Paddock Handicap, sis furlongs; first Oakleigh Plate, fi\e furlongs and a-half: first Newmarket Handicap, Ax furlongs; first Doncaster Handicap, ono mil©; third Sydney Cup, At'^v” 11 years: First Caulfield Stakes, nine furlongs; second Oauliitld Cup, one mile and a-half: first Melbouriie Stakes, ono mile and -a-quarter; nltii Melbourne Cup, two miles (won by her stable-mate. Revenue): second r lying Stakes, seven furlongs; first bt. George Stakes, one mile; second lutur- . itv Stakes, seven furlongs; first Essendou Stakes, one mile and a-half; second Champion Stakes, three miles; first All-aged Stakes, ono mile; thiird Loch Plate, one mile and three-quar-ters: first Autumn Stakes, one mile and a-half; fimt Sydney Cup. two miles; first All-aged .Stakes, on© mile; first A.J.C. Plate, three miles. At'six years; First Spring Stakes, one mile and a-half; first Craven Plate, one milo and a-quarter; first Ranawick Plate, two miles and a-quarter; second October Stakes, ono milo and a-quarter; first Caulfield Stakes, nine furlongs; first Eclipse Stakes, one mile three furlongs; first Melbourne Stakes, one roiln and a-quarter; second Flying Stakes, seven furlongs; first C. B. Fisher Plato, one milo and ahalf; second St. Georg© Stakes, nine furlongs; first St. Helier Stakes, nine ■firrJongs; third Caulfield Futurity Stakes, seven furlongs: first Essendon Stakes, one mile and a-half; first Champion Stakes, three miles; second All-aged Stakes, one mile. . At seven years: Second Spring Stakes, ono mile and a-half: third Craven Plate, ono mile and a-quarter; second Randwick Plate, two males and a-quar-ter: first October Stakes, ono mile and a-quarter: fourth Caulfield Stakes, nine furlongs; first Dolip.se Stakes, lone mile throe furlongs; first Melbourne Stakes, ono milo and a-quarter; second Melbourne Cup, two miles. DESERT GOLD (by All Black— Aurariusl..

At two .years: Third Wellesley Stakes, four furloußs; second J uvcnuo Handicap. four- furlongs; second Welcome Stakes, four furlongs; second Invell Handicap, four furlongs; first Pioneer Handicap, five furlongs: first Great Northern Poal Stakes; six furlongs; first Twentieth Royal Stakes, six furlongs; second Great Northern Champagne stakes, six furlongs; first North Island Champagne Stakes, seven furlongs: first Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes, six furlongs: second Eleventh Manawatu Stakes, six furlongs; first Hawke’s Bay, Stakes, six furlongs and a-half. , , At three yearp: First Hawko s Bay Guineas, ono mile: first Champion Plate, one mile and a-quarter; first New Zealand Derby, ono mile and nhalf: first Now Zealand Oaks, one mile and a-half; first G. Q. Stead Memorial Stakes, ono mile and aquarter; first Islington Plate, one mile; first Forty-second Groat Northern Derby, one mile and a-half; first Twenty-first Royal Stakes, six furlongs: first Wellington Stakes, five furlongs: first North Island Challenge Stakes; seven furlongs: first Awapunf Cup, one' mile and a-quartor; first Twelfth Manawatu Stokct, ,six .furlongs: first Groat Northern Oaks, ono mile and a-half; first Great Northern ■St. Leger, ono milo and three-quar-ters.

At four Tears: First Champion Plate, ono mile and a-quartor; fust Islington Plato, ono mile; first Waterloo Stakes, one mile: first Twenty-fifth Challenge Stakes, seven furlongs; second North Island Challenge Stakes, seven furlongs; third Trentham Gold Cup, two miles: first Awnpuni Gold Cup, two miles and a-quartor.

At five years: First Champion Plate, one mile and n-quarter; first Electric Plate, four furlongs: first G. G. Stead Memorial Stakes, one milo and a-

quarter: first Islington, Plate, ono milo: third Auckland P.C. Handicap, ono milo and a-half; third Kelbnrn Plato, four furlongs: first Awapuni Gold Cup, ono milo and a-qunrter. Tho above is Desert Gold’s New Zealand record. Below is her Australian running.

At five rears: First St. George Stakes, nine furlongs; second Caulfield Futurity Staked, seven furlongs; first Governor's Plate, one milo and n-hnlf; second K.ingr’a Plate, two miles; first

Autumn Stakes, one mile and a-quar-ter; first All-aged Stakes, one mile. At six years; Second Spring Stakes, one mile 'ami a-half; unplaced Craven Plate, one mile and a-quarter; second Melbourne Stakes, one mile and a-quar-tor; unplaced -Melbourne Cup, two miles.