SAPLING STAKES

Southland Times, Issue 23227, 16 June 1937, Page 10

SAPLING STAKES

FAVOURITES FAIL SEARCH OF RECORDS OF RACE (Special to The Times) CHRISTCHURCH, June. 12. Although the first three places in the Sapling Stakes were this year filled by the favourites, the first selection on the win machine, Sandusky, the virtual favourite, had to accept second place and add another name to the long list of public selections that have failed in the two-year-old contest. A search of the records discloses that the last favourite to win was Nantwich, away back in 1925 Since then all first selections have failed to gain the main honour, though some of them were unlucky. In 1926 the third favourite Richore defeated Haydock, who was second favourite, and Acre, the first choice, was third. The 1927 winner was the second favourite Enawah, with the first selection, Vestas, out of a place. Sonoma Child, third in demand, defeated the favourites, Grand Light and Wrackler, in 1928, and the 1929 victor was the sixth favourite, John Jinks. An evenmoney proposition that year, Grand Canyon, ran a bad race and was one of the last to finish. The same fate befell takers of Red Shadow’s shares in 1930. He ran off the course at the straight entrance, but at the time had no chance of catching Arethusa, the third favourite, who won narrowly from an outsider in Gold Chips. The ponified Silver de Oro, seventh favourite, downed Tempest, who shared favouritism with his stablemate Ciro in 1931, and the following year an odds-on chance in Indianapolis had to strike his colours to the. ninth favourite. Taxpayer. Then came War Buoy. This subsequent juvenile champion was only third favourite, in second place being Village Guy, who had most support in a strong field. Gamble was the victim of bad luck at the start of the 1934 race, for which he was favourite, victory going to the third in demand, Moana Tama. In 1935 Double Great, coupled with three others, was a firm favourite over Frisco Lady, who easily defeated Gaillard, with Double Great only a fair third. Parisienne, last year’s winner, was less in demand than the minor place-fillers, Frisco Boy and Southern Chief, the latter being a strong favourite.

There is nothing surprising in the defeat of favourites in a race of this kind. Many of the winners were privately trained, and some of them, particularly those that show early speed, are liable to be training off on the day of the race.