MYSTERY HORSES

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1078, 16 September 1930, Page 12

MYSTERY HORSES

TILT AT NEW ZEALAND TRAINERS •_ BIG SPRING HANDICAPS Edgar Wallace, famous writer of | thrillers and mystery plays, spends his j spare moments in writing Turf notes for one of the great London dailies. It’s a pity that Edgar could not be persuaded to visit Australia. Just at the moment he would be in his element, as he could write a story entitled “The ►Spring Mission Mystery.” and have as his characters the stars of the Turf World, comments a Sidney critic. It is rather interesting to note that j .Mr. Wallace would have quite a large i number of players to cast in this new j play. Unfortunately he would have j to drop Tom Pinch, as the mystery of ! that horse has been solved. Therefore, I he can have no place in this mysterious | play which almost borders on comedy. * Comedy—or Drama? At present it is comedy, as most rac- j ing men can appreciate the finessing j that is taking place, firstly in the en- j deavour to get a good price, and sec- t ondly in the endeavour to miss Phar j Lap. But it will not be a comedy if a well- j backed public fancy is withdrawn from - one of the important events of the j spring at the last moment. Nobody can object to an owner or trainer doing the best he cun for himself, but at the same time the ethics of racing must oe kept in mind. Dominion Trainers Under Fire Some of the New Zealanders are apt to forget them, and it would be unfortunate if the good name and popularity at present enjoyed by most of the visiting New Zealand trainers who regularly visit Sydney were endangered by the actions of one or two who care not for anybody but their desire to get rich quicklv. It is to be hoped that the mystery ; attached to several horses is cleared , up in the next few weeks. Phar Lap is still engaged in both Cups. It . is unlikely that he will run tn both. . That lie could win the Caulfield cup j with lOst there is little doubt. Con- i sequently owners and trainers of other : horses who would have good chances if Phar Lap was an absentee have [ tlieir hands tied. When Weight Tells Phar Lap’s Melbourne Cup chance may not be as good. Not only is it a more difficult race to win that the Caulfield Cup, but the last half-mile at Flemington tells under a huge weight, especially when opposed to good three-year-olds. As a general rule the three-year-olds miss the Caulfield Cup, which accounts in a large measure for the success of heavily-weighted horses in that race. _ ... Last year Telford announced that he did not think Phar Lap would run in the Melbourne Cup. The champion ran and was beaten. It is to be sincerely hoped that the doubt that existed last year almost until the time of weighing out will be removed this year. About NigHtmarch Nightmarch hardly ever looked better in his life. So far no announcement has been made as to l>is mission. He is to go to Melbourne, but whether j he will run in the Caulfield Cup or : Melbourne Cup. or both, lias not been j stated. Possibly McAuley is waiting j to see which way the Phar JLap cat ] jumps. If the chestnut runs at Caul- i field —and there are less unlikely hap- j penings — Nightmarch may be reserved j for the Melbourne Cup. Metrop. Or Caulfield Cup? I Glare is another mystery horse, j Truskett is having some trouble with the* ex-New Zealander or otherwise I he might have been, in Sydney. Probably he will make the trip if he goes on all right, but if he does not the Caulfield Cup may be his mission. Glare has been “specked” for the Melbourne Cup, but nobody knows, I not even his - owner and trainer, whether that horse can run two miles. He has never been tried over that distance. The Caradale mystery has been cleared up by his withdrawal from the Metropolitan. Would that more owners adopted the same attitude with their horses. First Arrow is being kept on the safe side for the Doncaster by the books, but nobody knows except his immediate connections whether he is coming to Sydney. He is trained by Lou Robertson at one of the down-the-line courses in Melbourne, and so far has not sported silk this spring. Will Yet is another about whom backers are anxious to know in which race he will run this spring. Will Yet is still in Brisbane, and although a few doubles have been taken with him no move has been made for him for the Epsom Handicap. Some say that “mystery” horses rarely win important races. Will the hoodoo remain this year?