Some Curiosities.

NZ Truth, Issue 72, 3 November 1906, Page 2

Some Curiosities.

Now that the public of Australia is more than, usually racing mad, it is of interest to recount two or three curiosities m connection with the Melbourne Cup. The Gup was first run m 1861, and including that year there have been . 4{> • races : for the historic. event.. It is curious to, note > m the'nr,st place, that only once has the Cup been won twice by the same horse, and that was m. the first two years, when Aroher won.. But there are other peculiarities of the race. For instance, out of the 45 winners, 12 were 3-year-rokls, 9 were 4-year-olds, 12 were 5-year-oUls, 5 were o-year-olds, and 7 were aged. Of this number 3 carried between 5 and Gst, n between 6 and 7st,' 19 between 7 and Bst, 9 between 8 and 9st, 4.- between 9 and lOst, and 2'over lOst, the two latter being; Archer (1802) with iOst 21b, and Carbine (1890 V with lOst 51b. Now for- the other curiosity. Taking the first letter of the winning horses' names. Ihe following; result is reached-.— A, -S ; B, 4= ; C, 4 ; D, 3 ; G, 4 ; H, 1 ; h, 2 ;,M, 5 : N, 1 ; P, 1; R, 1; S, 1 ; T, 10 ; W, 2 ; Z, 1. Again, the colovs of the winning horsffs wer« :— Bays, 26 ; browns, 1.2; ehestnutsj 3 ; blacks, 2 ; preys, 2. The superstitious may possibly find m thess rccallective calculations an omen for the cominir., winner.