RACING NEWS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23647, 3 November 1938, Page 17

RACING NEWS

By Sentinel

Wotiin The New Zealand Cup candidate Wotari established an Australasian record when he won the Melbourne Cup in 3min 21£sec. Rehandicapplng The result of the Melbourne Cup does not say much if anything in favour of rehandicapping horses for a two-mile race for winning over a much shorter distance. Bourbon Bourbon, who finished second in the Melbourne Cup, was got by Tippler— Spearfoot by Spearhead from Battle Scene by Martian. Battle Scene won the Great Easter Handicap in 1923 Lord Quex

Lord Quex, in addition to siring Catalogue, a winner of the Melbourne Cup, also got Paganelli, who shares with Machine Gun and Amigo the fivefurlong record at 58sec. Symbolism At the dispersal of the Elderslie Stud held in 1919 Symbolism, the grand-dam of Catalogue, was purchased by Mr T. H. Lowry at 775 guineas.: She was carrying Killashandra and afterwards produced Brampton,. Symballo and Gasman in addition to other foals. Symballo is the dam of Symcony and The Crooner. A First Win

• Catalogue and' Conveyor were taken over to Australia by A. McDonald, the well-known cross-country rider. Women trainers are not allowed in Australia, so Mrs McDonald had to be represented by her husband, whose first win as a trainer was in connection with the Melbourne Cup, a most notable start;

A Final Failure The owner of l'Aiglon, winner of the last Sydney Cup, had a nice bet going on the Melbourne Cup. He took £SOOO to £65 about horses by The Buz zard winning the two cups. Biizalong accounted for the Caulfield Cup, .and l'Aiglon, Maurader, and Gay Knight werl in the Melbourne Cup, but none gained a place. The Buzzard is a geat-granefson of Carbine Another FnvestoY had something like £ 13.000 to £2OO about Nuffield winning toe two Derbies and the cup, and with the two classics to his credit, the col looked like completing the treble, but he was another three-year-old to fail over two miles. > . . • Worth Winning

At one time the Melbourne Cup was the world's most valuable handicap race, on at least three occasions being worth more than £13,000. When Bitalli won in 1923 the gross value was £13,288, of which £10,288 went to the winner. In Carbine's year the cup was worth £13,230, and the pnzeSner was £13,215 u when Windbag Won. England's • richest race is the Eclipse Stakes of 1928, wonbj-Fair-way the stakes totalling £13,306. but it was not a handicap. In recent years America has taken the lead with £20,000 handicaps. Phar £9428 for his Melbourne Cup. and more than £13,000 for his victory in Mexico, and even bigger rewards are obtainable at Santa Anita. It ifrnpt likely that Bitalli's record will be broken for a long time to cpme. At one time all nomination and acceptance fees (often totalling £3000) were added to the stake, but now they are retained by the club, and the first horse receives an even £7OOO. A Slow Race

The time recorded by Catalogue in the Melbourne Cup, 3min 26jsec 1? the slowest put up since 1934, when Peter Pan won in heavy going in 3min 40isec. Catalogue obtained a useful lead in a slow-run race, and the start could not be wiped off over the last six furlongs. Although the going was stated to be slow, six furlongs were run in lmin 13|sec by Manrico with 10.0. a mile by Judean 8.9 in lmin 38$sec, and a course record in connection with the steeplechase. A Correction

In making reference to Sly Fox s breeding, an exchange states that his great-granddam. Lydite, was. got by Tasman. In the Turf Register for 1898-99 Lydite raced as a four-year-old and was returned as by Derringer from Leisure Hour. Derringer; was got by Musket from Rosalie. Derringer and a sister in Cartridge were sen* to England. Queen Cole, a half-sister to Derringer, is the dam of Battleaxe, a good performer in his day

A Single Nomination When nominating Catalogue for the Melbourne Cup, it was also intended to engage him in the Caulfield Cup. Williamstown Cup and Moonee Valley Cup. The instructions to nominate were given by phone, and by mistake the only nomination made was for the Melbourne Cup. Mr • C Boyle the owner of Dainty Sue informed the writer of the mistake during the Wellington spring meeting. However, all s well that ends well, and a win in the Melbourne Cup is a big red-letter day in a racing career. A Link with the Past

The success of Catalogue in the Melbourne Cup forms a link with the long-distant past, as Mrs A Jarmeson is a daughter of the late Mr Robert Reay a notable and prominent personage in the early days of racing in New Zealand. The late Mr Reay fspelt Ray in the records) owned trained and rode Temple ton when he won the Dunedin Cup of 1878. Templeton had previously won the race in 1875. He also owned Sinking Fund, who dead-heated in the Dunedin Cup of 1879 with Mata, but was defeated in the run-off. TempJetpn won the first Auckland Cup run in 1874 Mr Reay won the Great Northern Derby in 1877 with Danebury, and rode his own horse. In 1870 he rode Mr M. Studholme's Knottingley when he won the Canterbury Jockey ■Club's Handicap, now the New Zealand Cup He also rode Ada. the winner of the first New Zealand Derby, run in 1860. and other winners he steered to victory in the same race were Defamation in .1871, Calumny in 1872, Tadmor in 1874 after a dead heat with Rangi. Daniel O'Rourke in 1875, and The Dauphin in 1881—six winners in all. The late R. Derrett won the classic eight times. The Canterbury Cup was won on Stormbird in 1867, on Knottingley in 1868, and on Templeton in 1878. Mr Reay also owned and rode Maritana when she won the Wellington Cup of 1879, the Tiinaru Cup on Tommy Dodd in 1876. and other winners. His son, R. Reay, won the Timaru Cup on Ahua and other races in the saddle. As an owner he won the last Dunedin Cup run at Forbury Park with Starshot: He then turned his attention to the light-harness horse, and his connection with that branch of the sport practically ended with getting a oadly broken leg at the start of a race at Forbury Park, an accident from which he never fully recovered.