GREAT NORTHERN DERBY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11408, 3 January 1923, Page 7

GREAT NORTHERN DERBY

WHEN FAVOURITES WENT DOWN. Defeat of bot favourites- under any circumstances is always calculated to lead to much discussion, but when such defeats are associated with a contest for Derby honours the incident survives tor a. long period (writes "’Phaeton”). The history attached to the Great Northern Derby shows that the blue riband event run annually at Ellerslie under the auspices of the A.R.C. for a period extending to 48 years has contributed its fair proportion of surprises, and some of these were of such a pronounced character as to cause them to be burned deep Into memory. A Derby contest at Ellerslie in which a pronounced surprise was recorded was. that associated with the race of 1895. Mr G. G. Stead’s fillv. Blue Fire, who came to Ellerslie as a Derby and Oaks victress at Riccarton. was considered a perfect moral for the Hllerslie race, and odds were accordingly laid on her a-bilit.v to win. Ktepfeldt, however, was equal to challenging the favourite at the halfdistance, and the upshot of an exciting finish was a head victory for the firstnamed. The winner, who was a daughter of Nordenfeldt, and who carried the colours of Mr L. D. Nathan, was of quite diminutive stature, an-’ on looks she was not to he compared with Blue Fire. To find Blue Fire running second to Stenfeldt under Derby weights constituted a nice little conundrum for the students of racing to -engage their thoughts, and the old truism, “You never can tell- till the numbers go up,” it may be guessed, was freely quoted when the victory of Nordenfeldt’s pony daughter over Maxim’s sturdy descendant was under review. Three years after Blue Fire suffered defeat in the Derby at Etlerslie another presumed moral in the shape of Gold Medallist, who also carried Mr Stead’s yellow jacket, went down. The son of Medallion was backed for the Derby as though the race was all over, hut weight of money does not win races. St. Crispin. who was the least backed of the contestants, challenged Gold Medallist for the lead at the "distance, and, when he was -seen to get the better of the favourite, the roar that went up from the stands was something to be remembered Gold Medallist was no doubt brilliant as a sprinter, hut the hot favouritism displayed for his Derby prospects was quite unwarranted. -This was amply proved by his subsequent form. The defeat of Seahorse in the Derby of 1900 holds a front place among sensational events connected with the Ellerslie classic event. The son of Nelson haying carried all before him in the spring, which included the New Zealand Cup, C.J.C. Derby, and Canterbury Cup, the Great Northern Derby was regarded as entirely at his mercy, and he ruled a strong oddston favourite. The great uncertainty that overhangs racing was, however, destined to receive another striking illustration. Miss Delaval, who had run unplaced in the Summer Cup a few days previously, developed a run of the astonishing character, at the business end of the Derby trip, and in an exciting finish she beat the favourite a neck. Thevictory- of Miss Delaval demonstrated in a remarkable manner what can happen in. racing. It had been actually decided by her owner, Mr D. A. McLeod, to use the scratching pen in connection with her Derby engagement, and it was completely on the off-ehance that she figured among the field. It was -argued that Seahorse was not quite himself t)ie- day Miss Delaval heat him. That may have been a perfectly justifiable contention, but the stiff conundrum was to account for Miss Delaval’s sudden hound into form when she was considered to be "off.” Then there is the case of Kilwinning, who sprung a surprise in the Great Northern Dprby of 1910. The son of Kiloheran, who was popularly regarded as an inferior second string held by Sir George Clifford, was without any Derby qualifications, and only a few days previous to his being entrusted to carry silk in the Derby he was actually beaten out of a place m the Christmas Handicap under 8.2. Kilwinning went to the front in the Derby contest with a view to ensuring a sound pace for his stablemate, Taskmaster, and, developing a. staying quality that few considered him capable of, he led throughout, and in an exciting finish with Taskmaster won by half a length. Those who go a-racing must always be 'prepared for surprises, and Kilwinning’s Derby victory furnished a striking reminder to bear that fact in mind. The race of 1920 saw another supposed certainty in the shape of Rlossini go down, and it was again a colt carrying Sir George Clifford s colouts that upset what was popularly regarded as a certainty. (Coming to Ellerslie with Derby credentials won at Riccarton, the support showered upon Rossini was of a, particularly strong character. The race was run at a slashing pace all the way, and when Rossini went up at the distance his victory was loudly proclaimed. It was all too soon, however. Royal Stag, who rolled into his task with marked courage, cut down the favourite at the halfdistance and beat him half a length in tile fast time of 2min 34 2-s«ec,