AMERICAN HORSE WINS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18999, 23 October 1923, Page 9

AMERICAN HORSE WINS

THE INTERNATIONAL RACE ZEV DEFEATS PAPYRUS. EASY VICTORY BY FOUR LENGTHS. Pw«* — By Telegraph— CopyrigfaS NEW YORK, October^. The international horse race, over a mile' and a-half, for a purse of £20,000, resulted as follows: Mr Horry Sinclair’s Zev (America) ... 1 Mr B. Irish’s Papyrus (England) ... 2 Zev won by four lengths. The time w«* 2rain 35 2-ssec. The times by quarters of a mile were as follow—23 4-s»eo, 50 2-ssec, Imin ISseft Imm 40 4-ssec, 2min 7 3-sseo. 2min 35 2-Sseo. Zev got away with a lead, Papyrus seem* ing to stop. Zev took the lead as -they" passed the paddock gate and held a lead of a length until they reached the hom* stretch, where Zev’s jockey (Sande) called upon the American colt lor speed. Papyrus was driven hard by Donoghue, but he Failed to get up, and when he passed under tint wire Zev was running under restraint. Few international sporting events in past years have aroused so much popular interest as this race,which was witnessed by more than 70,000 perrons—one of the greatest crowd* in the history of the American turf. The weather was fair, but the track was heavy as a result of rain which fell yesterday. The previous uncertainty whether Zev would run to-day and the summoning of M> Own as a possible substitute were due to Zev not working well on Wednesday morning and developing blotches which it was thought might be hives. The locomotive of the special train which was carrying My Own from Maryland to Belmont Park jumped the track, but eo far as is knoitn My Own was unhurt. —A. and N.Z. Cable.

DETAILS OF THE RACE. ZEV’S GREAT PERFORMANCE TOO FAST FOR' PAPYRUS. NEW YORK, October 2L Basil Jarvis, the trainer, is sorely di#* appointed at the showing of Papyrus. H® said that Zev was a wonder of a horse, bat he thought that Papyrus would have don® better on a faster track. The stop was something they never had on English courses, and it bothered him, and he was never able to hit his proper stride. P.apyrus was fairly beaten by a great horse,*and the result might have been the same under anv conditions. - - jockey. Steve Donoghue, declared that Zev was a better and faster hors® than Papyrus. The latter ran well enough, but he lacked the speed to match Zev. Donoghue explained after the race that' Papyrus was continually slipping on,- the mirv track. ” The rate receipts totalled 482,000 dollars, of which 190.000 dollars were given in prizes for various races.

Attempts are being made by western raiv jug promoters to arrange a race between Zev and My Own at Christmas for a purse of 100,000 dollars.

Throe races preceded the Zev-Papyru* contest, and sufficient indication of ' the track’s _ unfavourable condition is afforded when it is mentioned that the riders of the horses came back heavily spattiered with mud. San<Je rode a horse named Osprey m the third race, and the throng rushed across the field to watch th®l American jockey, whose horse, however, took only third money. Donoghue and Sarde shook hands just before the trainers saddled Zev and Papyrus. The American horse overtopped the Britisher by several inches. Both horses carried 9.0. When the two colts wept- to the post both horses broke away fasti as the barrier was lifted, but Zev got ,jnto the load almost immediately and led by 8 hmgth at the end of the first furlong and ■ j y another - length at the third furlong. Papyrus, however, steadily moved forward until they wore nearly even at three-quar-ters of a mile. Zev then spurted, and was a length ahead at the mile post and two lengths ahead as the two horses cam© into the stretch to the judge’s stand. Papyrus then rushed forward and reduced • the distance between himself and Zev to a length and a half, but Zev made affinal spurt during the last three furlongs and finished four lengths ahead of his opponent. Although Papyrus ran a game rac® he never really threatened Zev, who continued to hold the lead from beginning to end, proving that all the rumours concerning hia bad condition were unfounded. It is interesting to note that Zev was cxtremely_ nervous at the barrier, whil® Papyrus lived up to his reputation of being quite unexcitable, and gave Donoghue little trouble, while Sand© had his hands full with his mount. Some observers declare that Papyrus was in front for the first third of ( tho first furlong, but Zev overtook him with an amazing burst of E peed, and at the end of the first furlong waa in on the rails. Neither jockey used tha whip, both urging their horses by hand and heel.

Zev’ s -victory makes him the greatest American money horse, having won in excess of 250,000 dollars. Ho wins £O,OOO dollars and the international gold cup by this race.

The mud appears to have proved Papyrus's undoing. Observers declared that: it c)ung to his heels and seemed to hold him down, disrupting al l Donoghue’s plans and strategy. The horse’s unfamlliarity with a dirt track, coupled with the fact that the dirt had been turned into mire 8s thick and sticky as molasses, led to his defeat by a large margin. Jarvis was the first to congratulate Sande and Hildreth, the trainer of Zev. The spectators while delirious with joy at Zev’s victory gave Papyrus and Donoghue a rousing cheer as they cantered off to the stables.

Although the weather men had predicted an overcast sky tor the great race the arm was shining brilliantly when the horses trotted out upon the very muddy and heavy track. Zev, who is considered to be the best mud horse in America. wa s said to be specially shod with toe tips and oatilks, while Papyrus is understood to have worn smooth plates. Jarvis and Donoghue, however, felt no misgivings of Papyrus’s ability to negotiate the heavy going. The settings for the race had much beauty in them. Belmont’s spacious infield and stately trees, russet under the influence of autumn, and the towering stands offered a tine background for the colourful crowd, in which everv *vf American life appeared to be represented. Society dames, “flappers,” actresses, male and female racing enthusiasts, tourists, officialdom, foreign visitors, and a considerable proportion of j the local British colony filled the various: enclosures.—A. and N.Z. Cable.

BEFORE THE RACE. ANXIETY REGARDING ZEV. NEW YORK, October 19. Many rumours are current, making the preliminary situation of the Zev-Papynw race quite confusing. Mv Own, who has been racing in Maryland, was suddenly ordered to bo brought to New York .by special train. Admiral Grayson, the owner, declared that he was unable to understand the Jockey Club’s purpose. It is said that Zev may be withdrawn and My Own substituted. Tlie Selection Committee examined Zev, and found him unsatisfactory, but reserved Its decision until the arrival of Admiral Grayson’s crack three-year-old My Own. The' New York Sun declares that My Own will be substituted for Zev as the American representative to meet Papyrus to-morrow. A later message stated that Zev wal pronounced fit, and would race Papyrus,