DELUGED WITH OFFERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 492, 23 October 1928, Page 14

DELUGED WITH OFFERS

PRINCE HUMPHREY’S WIN IN A.J.C. DERBY MR. C. MACINDOE RETURNS “Prince Humphrey’s win was ! most popular. 1 never remember such a welcome on a racecourse —everybody seemed to go mad. “The cheering started when the horses were half-way down the straight and the 85,000 people seemed to go on cheering until the horses went back to the birdcage.” Mr. C. G. Macindoe, owner of Prince Humphrey, has every reason to be proud of his horse and of the great reception given him when he won the A.J.C. Derby. On the Niagara last evening, on his return from Sydney, Mr. Macindoe was still full of enthusiasm about Prince Humphrey’s performance. *T have just come over until Friday,” he said, “then I am returning to Australia by the Maheno to see Prince Humphrey run in the .Victorian Derby on Saturday week, November 3. “It has been reported in some New Zealand papers that I had refused 4,000 guineas for Prince Humphrey. As a matter of fact 1 have refused 5,000 guineas. “I have been deluged with offers for him, but I am not taking any of them. After running in the Victorian Derby Prince Humphrey will return to Auckland. He will not run at the Christchurch meeting, but I hope to have him at the Auckland meeting at Christmas time. SOME CORRECTIONS “I would like to correct several misstatements which have appeared in some of the New Zealand papers (not The Sun) about Prince Humphrey,” continued Mr. Macindoe. “He is a colt, not a gelding; he was originally bought by Mr. McKenzie for 70 guineas, and I paid 500 guineas for him. “My trainer, J. T. Jamieson, was always confident that Prince Humphrey could win the A.J.C. Derby; he always said that he could beat any hors© on the course. “Until the A.J.C. event Prince Humphrey had never been fully extended. One morning on the course, during training operations, he and In the Shade were set going over a mile. Soon after they started' another horse, which was really loafiing on the course, pulled across in front of In the Shade and they collided. Prince Humphrey finished the mile trial by himself ancl covered the distance in I.4l—the fastest time recorded that day, but. even then he did it alone.” Speaking of Prince Humphrey’s pupular win, Mr. Macindoe said that just as the horses entered the straight, tho crowd started yelling, “MoJlison is beaten!” and then 85,000 people seemed to take up the cry, “Prince Humphrey wins ” It was stated in Australia that it was the most popular and enthusiastic A.J.C. Derby win in the last ten years. MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCE “The horse was in beautiful condition when he went out for the race,” said Mr. Macindoe. “He was like a ball of muscle. Mollison, the favourite, who had already started in and won nine races, ran the race of his life and ho had every advantage. Coming into the straight Prince Humphrey went on Cimbrian’s heels, and this caused my horse to lose four lengths. His win. therefore, is all the more meritorious. The Prince responded magnificently when Munro, his rider, touched him in the final effort. “The boy who rode Mollison ran a good race and had a good passage all the way. Both Mollison’s owner and trainer said after the race that he was beaten on his merits. “All the staff of the Hotel Australia, where we were staying, had backed Prince Humphrey, and I’m sure that if he had lost the race they would all have been bankrupt. “After the race 1 was presented with the Blue Riband by Lord Stonehaven, and I presented a large picture of Prince Humphrey to the Australian Jockey Club. “Our friends in New Zealand were awfully kind. I received over 250 cable messages and others from all parts of the world congratulating r.» on my win.” Mr. Macindoe stated that in a race run before the Derby Prince Humphrey was badly interfered with in the straight, otherwise he would have won on that day. Furthermore, he would have caught Limerick. In another race, the Craven Plate, a slipping saddle destroyed Prince Humphrey’s chances. The A.J.C. Derby was worth about £6,650 to the winner. The great colt has already won £IO,OOO. In Australia two detectives are guarding the horse. He is now in Melbourne, where his next big battle will be, and in which it is hoped he will again beat Mollison and Strephon, Mr. Sol Green’s horse. Mr. Macindoe said that New Zealanders are made very welcome in Australia, and sportsmen across the Tasman are keen to see visitors from the Dominion.