IS WINDBAG THE EQUAL OF POITREL?

NZ Truth, Issue 1079, 29 July 1926, Page 11

IS WINDBAG THE EQUAL OF POITREL?

Herculean Task In Melbourne Cup

THE withdrawal of Windbag" from the A.J.C. Metropolitan indicates that his spring mission will be the weight-for-age races at Randwick and the Melbourne Cup at Flemington.

UNTIL his withdrawal it was generally 'conceded that Windbag would have a cut at the Metrop; before tackling the Melbourne Cup, for even had he been defeated m the longdistance handicap at the.A.J.C. Spring Meeting, there would have, been nothing to, have prevented his attempting to win his second successive Melbourne Cup. j But the champion's owner, B6b Miller, stepped m, and to the surprise of everyone, including Windbag's trainer, Geo. Price, the' Magpie horse was taken out of the Metrop. Mr. Miller's action will not causa Geo. Price any neartburnirigs, for it was well known that Price was anx» ious to pass, by the Metrop. and tackle the Melbourne Cup with the champion. ' One doubts Windbag's ability to win again this year, for he has the crusher of 9.13, and few horses achieve distinction with a weight like that In Australia's greatest handicap event

Last year Windbag was sue-. eessfuP with 9.2, and he was responsible for a great performance, though the consensus of opinion was that #lanf red was unlucky to be beaten. This view is shared by a connection of Windbag's owner, who had the horse going for thousands, so his opinion roust carry weight. Only once m, the history of the race has one horse won the Cup twice. That

horse was Archer, who took out the first two Melbourne Cups m 1861 and 1862. Many of the equine giants of the past have attempted to emulate Archer, but all have failed, and it is noteworthy that even Carbine had two shots at winning the Cup for a second iand a first. • The question naturally arises, "Is Windbag 1 the equal of Carbine?" One would find it very difficult to answer that question m the affirmative, and there are thousands who cannot see the Magpie horse the equal of Poitrel, who won the Cup m 1920 with lOst aboard. Only twice m recent years ' has the Cup been won by a horse carrying m the region of IQst, Carbine being successful w i t.h 10.5 and Poitrel with 10.0. Kennaquhair was beaten into second place m 1918 by Nightwatch ; and Kennaquhair was wont to run Poitrel very close m weight-for-age races, no matter what the distance. Windbag's principal weight-for-age opponent is Pilliewinkie, who has beaten the Magpie horse m two scale x aces > w nl lo Heroic also has beaten Windbag at weight-for-age over a mile and three-quarters. If Pilliewinkie is not as good as old Kennaquhair was at his best — and he certainly is not— Windbag's task appears herculean.