GOOD-BYE TO GOLD MEDALLIST.

Otago Witness, Volume 25, Issue 2321, 25 August 1898, Page 35

GOOD-BYE TO GOLD MEDALLIST.

A message just in time for la&t week's issue stated that Mr Stead had sold Gold Medallist and that the colt was to go to England by the Rakaia. It is reported, I know not on what authority, that the buyer is Mrs Langtrey, who races in England under the name of Mr Jersey. Whoever the buyer may be, he or she has got hold of a really good colt. The son of Medallion and Corolla was bred by Mr Stead, and won his six races as a two-year-old. He began by creating a great surprise in the Faol Stakes at Auckland. Muliiform had dead-heated in the Welcome Stakes, decishely thrashed Sir Lancelot in the Juvenile Plate, galloped home in front of Blazer in the Electric Plate, beaten Blazer in the Mussolburgh. Plate, and dead-heated with St. Clements in the Glasgow Plate— by the?e efforts establishing a great reputation before going to Aucklaud. Naturally, he was regarded as a good thing for the Foal Stakes, and they backed him down to the price of £1 Us, hardly bestowing a thought on Gold Medallist, who, being untried in public, was suffered to go out paying £8 12s, and won. Next day. Multiform being scratched, Mr Stead relied on Gold Medallist alone, and, carrying 9.10 in a handicap that ran down to 6.7, the chestnut won by four lengths, leaving 14 behind him. Next he clowned St. Paul and the Cup winner Nestor in the Royal Stakes. These were doughty deeds, and the people up there began to hold the opinion that Medallist ooulcl b^at Muliiform. A very soft win from Goldleaf in the Middle Park Plato hardly added lo Gold Medallist's reputation ; but his winning of the Dunedin Champagne and his great performance in the Eclipse Stakes, defeating Multiform on each occasion, gave rise to the presumption that we had unearthed a f-econd Carbine, and strengthened the opinion that Medallist was a better colt than Multiform. That opinion did not, however, receive verification last season. Mr Stead trusted to Multiform for the Derby and Canterbury Cup, and won both, whilst Medallist got beaten by Daunt in t" e Juvenile Plate. At Dunedin, too, Medallist had to succumb to Blazer in the Musselburgh Plate, and his stable mate Conqueror beat him in the GUtSgow Plate. Then, going to Auckland, Medallist had to represent the stable in the Derby, owing to Multiform getting hurt, and he rolled like a log when challenged by St. Crispin in the straight, and it was not until coming to the Royal Stakes that Corolla's son won a race that season. His victory in that event was, however, most decisive. Next he landed the Champion Plate, beating Mountebank. His defeat by Daunt in the Hawke's Bay Stakes followed, and he was second to Conqueror in the Eclipse Stakes, second to Multiform (the latter conceding 51b) in the Challenge Stakes, and third to Waiuku and Bona Fide in the Thompson Handicap. His record stands thus: — Started in 17 races, won 8. second in 8, third in 1, total stake earnings £2934- 12s. This is highly creditable; and v . though we should now be thinking more highly of the colt if his wins had come in his second instead of his first season, and though very few retain the theory that he is equal to Miiltiform, still he can 'fairly be termed a high-class horse.