A FAMOUS SPORTSMAN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 116, 22 June 1914, Page 2

A FAMOUS SPORTSMAN.

CARBINE'S FIRST OWNER.

The death of- Carbine will be regretted by sportsmen throughout Australasia, but no one will feel it so keenly as Mr Dan O'Brien, who was instrumental in bringing the popular idol to early public notice.

As a matter of fact there was a certain amount of luck attached to Mr O 'Brien's acquirement Of Musket's son, for it was only after a disputed bid that he secured the colt.

Like most old timers; Mr O ; Brien was a heavy bettor, and it was this weakness that induced him to take his champion to Australia, where there was a

more solid ring' to' be expected .than in New Zealand. Carbine's owner was a native of Australia, and in his. youth had considerable experience of. , rougb rj.ding pit a : big cattle station near 'Melbourne. It was while employed at this exciting calling, that he first took a fancy td race riding, and .eventually went into the service of Mr 'Ci' B. •Fisher! A,s a horseiinan O 'Brien showed plenty of aptitude, and in his. very first, essay won .a -saddle, : 'and bridle, on-.a horse called ;-Snooker. ~ .Subsequently, he became: one. of .Mr, Fisher 'g, .Reading jockeys, aud : was : associated with th-e early victories of such., great as, Biigelitej, and Angler. After .a ■successful career with this doughty, trio, O'Brien; was .asked, tp play second string, in the.matter of the Fipher ; rid:-,, iiigV'tOi: Joe. Morrison, <tp . Beijftg ew^oyment:he.deter-, t,o exploit fch,eraping of New Zealand, aud, on , landing *n Otago was at engaged by Mr Jas. M'Kerizie to traih. Storiubird aiid'Vir 1 . ginia.■ TV. . , " .7, THte

ort stay in, ,the Dohiinion sufficecl to demonstrate that inqnejr. was. not so plentiful her#.,as jn;; Australia,. and he was soon back again in the land of his birth. Shortly after arriving in Melbourne he came into a good deal of property left by his father, but the proceeds did not last such a thorough sportsman long. When it had vanished O'Brien determined to give New Zealand another trial, ■ and landGtl in Ghristcliurch about the time when the late Henry Redmond's,.stable was sleeping tfye board. For a time he roved frbiri ohe meeting to another in all parts of the South Island; always with a small toam of horses. The Otago gqldfield's meetings were amongst his favourite resorts, for lit 'th&t''timtl''faoriey 'jilentiful, both on the racecourses'and in the pool rooms. After a couple of successful trips to Central O.tago ~ he determined to settle in Christchurch, and one •of the first racehorses in Tambdurini turned otit to be a veritable goldmine. m: i : ;j. ! AN EARLY CHAMPION.

| With this great old battle*'O'Brien Won innumerable iades, and the doughty pair were well known on almost- every race track in the. South Island. ' ' Old Tam,'' like Carbine, was qijite at home over any journey, and included in his successes such valuable events as the Timaru Cup, Ashburton' Cup/ GiJiO: Handicap; (predecessor .to the New Zea»land Cup)V- Canterbury . Cup, -and iWelllngton Cup,: i r , Always a fjepe bettor, O 'Brien must have amassed a small for: tune out of Tartibourini's'successes, and aifter parting with him to' tlie late Abe Sneidet 1 he got"together a useful toain included Loch Neagh, Tommy Dodd, Auckland Kate, and Fishhook. Success still continued to come his way, and for a time he was indeed one of fortune's favourites. About this time the English cricketer, Mr F. W. Neilson, determined to take on racing on a large scale in Canterbury.' ! l He bought 1 out the stables of O'Brien, R. Reav, and F.

W. Delamain, and engaged the first-i named to ride and train for him. Thej: j new venture did not turn out too well,? > for though Templeton proved almost in-|. vineible all over .the colony, the- other j members of the team were not overj successful. — ; *■!

A change" of voqation. U On severing .This connection with tbej ; Neilsen O'Brien took over-r the Empire Hotel at Oamaru, and after I. a successful- career there purchased the; - Hotel at Eiccarton. 4 It wasL at this traeV'ttet- : 6^ri&>-:l^ ; ranothert, turn of - second only! • to his subsequent biri& This was. of Tas-U man, oiie of"the ganiest/ and niost sue-: j cessful thorpughbreQs that ever; raced in/' New Zealand. With" ,//Tassy/'/he won' • the first i»sjipcident-' ally a small fortune in bets, while vie-: tories in- the. Wellington Cup, Dunedin; J.C. Handicap, and TiniaruXlup:followed : • in quick succession. AltogetherTasman ? credited O'Brien, with 31 races, and in: most of tliem/he carried/quite a lot of I ; his owner's jspare cash,. With the passing.' of Tasmany .;p ? Brien! Trenton? from Mr Steftd, son:of Musket nodded fu^%r ; : t?6' his suc-P cesses both in New '..JZealand and Aus- \:. tralia. Rubinar*:<^/pother good onei; that passed through; and, when f! retired to the ( . stud/she produced two |; others that> e^i^ecl/distinction for ther ' rose and black/ stripes' in Vandal and j i Florrie. At short' internals came Laun-j j ceston, Freedom, Loyalty, Philson, Ma-{! tatua, Dunkeld, Hazel, Response, Town?? Moor, Gatling, and Bob Reay, all of'! * whom helped to keep up their owner's « I prestige as a trainer of the first rank. Fi i BApK ACROSSfTHE TASMAN. j] | Notwithstanding his run of sue- j j cess in' New Zealand, jO'Brien always had a hankering for Australia, and some' j years ago he made Randwick his head-! | quarters. There he raced a few of his ! own horses with a fair amount of sue-/' cess, but gradually dropped out of the • business. Apart from his undoubted"* ability as a rider and trainer, O'Brien was an all-round sportsman, of no mean prder. In his youthhe -cbifld cut 4>ut; - .ft hundred yards mth the* sionals of his <&£; and not'"infreqiiiehtly broiight off successftil coup® oit the [bind# 1 / track. He Was also a,,decent pigeon shot, r but latterly has taken 116 more than A spectator's interest in the mahy giports ' that he at one time excelledin. O'Brien ' still -resides in Sydney, where/ despiter his three score years,' he is j ust as ke&r . 7 on racing matters as when he owned, the mighty Carbine. .[ TEMPLATE, -i