SPORTING.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 October 1921, Page 11

SPORTING.

AUSTRALIAN J.C. DERBY. SOME REMINISCENCES. (By Phaeton in Auckland Herald.) The fifty-seventh A.J.C. Derby, ruling, as it does, the first “blue ribbon” contest of the season, has always given the Randwick race a special prominence, but, in addition, many stirring incidents associated with it remain vividly with those who have kept in touch with the race over a long stretch of years. There is one incident connected with the A.J.C. Derby which stands by itself in these lands, and, what is more, seems likely to remain so. This is associated with the race of 1874, when Kings borough carried the colors of the then Governor of New South Wales (Sir Hercules Robinson, afterwards Lord Rosemead) to victory. No one requires to be told that times have greatly changed since the period at which Sir Hercules Robinson filled the role of Governor in these lands, and, with all the elaborate trappings of the present day thrown in, it is not altogether surprising that, with the sparkling romance which surrounded the sport in those days, the old-timers should retain very kindly recollections of the past. The victory registered by Sir Hercules Robinson’s colt, Kingsborough, can appropriately be referred to as one of the most-treasured incidents of old-time racing in the Southern Hemisphere.

Almost every race of note can be counted upon to supply a fairly ,strong number of surprise victories, and the A.J.C. Derby is not out in the cold in that respect. In the race of 1877 it was though! _hat the Yettendon—Lady Chester colt Chester, who carried the colors of the late Mr. James White, held the key to the position, and he ruled a strong favorite, hut in a close finish he was beaten by a head by Woodlands, a colt owned by a “knight of the book and pencil,” Mr. A. Silberberg. It is related that the latter was greatly excited as he rushed to the enclosure to receive his colt. a"nd, fearing that there might yet be a slip, he plied the trainer with the query, “Is he de veight?” B. Colley, who steered Woodlands, tipped the beam all right, and the owner of Woodlands was rendered completely happy. The race of 1882 was burned into the memories of a large number of keen men, for it was responsible for the defeat of a red-hot favorite in Segenhoe. who came from James White’s stable, and who to such a degree that the bookmakers were found demanding odds of 5 to 2 at the finish. To the dismay -f almost everybody, Segenhoe was never really dangerous, and Mr. E. de Mestre’s colt, Navigator, scored an easy victory. The defeat of Segenhoe was taken very badly, and the trainer, the late Mr. Michael Fennelly, who was numbered among those completely nonplussed over the defeat of the much-boomed son of Maribyrnong and The Fawn, is stated to have addressed the jockey, W. Yeomans, after the race with the query, “How did you come to lose?” Subsequent running completely confirmed Navigator’s victory, for the latter subsequently won the V.R.C. Derby, V.R.C. >St. Leger, Australian Cup, and A.J.C. St. Leger, while Segenhoe proved a perfect failure. The hot favoritism displayed for Segenhoe in connection with the A.J.C. Derby and the misplaced confidence of his party for that race -furnished a striking illustration of how very far astray a leading stable can get in arriving at the proper estimate of a colt, even with the most efficient means of testing a Derby candidate at command. The fact that Segenhoe cost 2000gns. as a yearling and that he won his first race—the Maribyrnong Plate—were really his only credentials to bring him. into the limelight. The race of JBB5 was rendered notable by reason of the White stable declaring in favor of Uralla in preference to Nordenfeldt. The first-named had the services of that prince of horsemen, the late T. Hales, but Nordenfeldt always had the best of it with his much-favored stable mate when it came to racing, and, amidst a scene of much excitement, the Auckland-bred colt won by a length. Here was another illustration of a stable being unable to successfully guage the situation as between two horses in which they had the complete handling. The fact of Nordenfeldt having been bred in Auckland, the Derby victory for which the son of Musket ■was Responsible led to a great outburst of enthusiasm when the joyful news came through. Truly these were the days when, enthusiasm carried the proper ring. Nordenfeldt was subsequently estimated by Mr. Fennelly to be one of the greatest colts that he bad trained.

The race of 1890 -furnishes another striking chapter that there is no royal road to success in racing, and. that weight of money counts for little when the silk is up and the whips are out. In the year named the Chester —Tempe gelding Titan, who had been bought by the late Mr. E. G. Brodribb for 4600gns. after a series of brilliant performances at two years old, figured an odds-on favorite, and it was stated that his il’-fated owner had him backed for a small fortune. Titan was never in a position to flatter the hopes of his plucky owner, and the upshot of a sensational finish was a head victory for Mr. H. C. Dangar’s Gibraltar from Mr. W. Gannon’s Gatling, with Mr. D. O'Brien’s Whimbrel a similar distance away third.

The contest -for the A.J.C. Derby of 1896 furnished a striking illustration as to what can happen when, as the saying goes,, jockeys go to sleep on their task. The seven contestants were allowed to dawdle along on the journey, with the result that in going that was described as good 3m 14s were consumed in compassing the mile and a-half journey, which wound up by the favorite, Coil (ridden by E. Huxley) being defeated a head by the Carbine cole Charge (ridden by M. Harris).

In 1910 there was another sensational surprise, and this was effected by possibly the worst horse that is named among the list of winners of the Randwick blue ribbon. Tanami, the equine responsible for the rout of the favorite division, ruled one of the greatest outsiders, and he won from another outsider in Bobadea. Tanami, who was got by Dalmeny, never succeeded in winning another race, and how he managed to win the Derby at Randwick is, indeed, a stiff conundrum.

The race of 1905 holds a special place, and it was a New Zealand-bred colt that succeeded in establishing a fresh time record. This was Noctuiform, who romped home an easy winner in front o-f his stable mate, Sungod, in the light-ning-like time of 2m. 32£s. Noctuiform and Sungod, who were both descendants of the Auckland-bred Multiform, carried the colors of the late Mr. G. G. Stead, and, as they were both privately bred at IYaldhurst, the victory for New Zealand was o fthe complete order. , Djrbjr s>f 1#1» at Baadwipk hold*

a special place in that the judge was unable to separate Artilleryman (G. Harrison) and. Richmond Main (A. Wood), and as a result a dead heat went into the records. It was a stirring contest between two colts of high merit, and the respective horsemen formed the subject of much eulogistic writing. Opinion was much divided as to which of the Derby head-heaters would prove the best as the season advanced. Richmond Main beat his brown rival in the V.R.C. Derby, but in the Melbourne Cup (in which they both carried an impost in conformity with the weight-for-age scale). Artilleryman defeated Richmond Main in such style as to cause the New South Wales colt to look like a secondrater.

The A.J.C. Derby has been pointedly before New Zealanders in the last few years. In 3916 Messrs. W. G. Stead and E. S. Luttrell supplied the winner with Kilboy; in the succeeding year Mr. G. D. Greenwood's representative, Biplane, scored; while the following year saw Gloaming carry Mr. Greenwood’s colors again to victory. Both Biplane and Gloaming were bred in the State of Victoria, and the fact of their winning iff the nomination of a New Zealand sportsman is an interesting*record. This year Mr. G. D. Greenwood claims Cupidon (by Martian—Bebe) who won the race, and Mr. J. Williamson makes his initial attempt to win a Derby with Loyal Irish.

The sum paid for horses that proved equal to winning Derby honors is always interesting. In looking up facts bearing on the A.J.C. Derby I find that the four highest-priced yearlings that captured the blue ribbon at Randwick were Nordenfeldt (1200gns.), Trident (SOOgns.), Maltster (810gns.), and Cisco (1050gns.). The yearling prices of some other winners during the period mentioned were as follows:—Melos (500gns.), Stromboli (500gns.), Picture (llOgns.), Cranberry (330gns.), Hautvillers (430gns.), Sylvanite (is9ogns.), Poseidon (SOOgns.), Parsee G6sgns.), Tanami (300gns.), Cetigne (200gns.i, Biplafte (375gn5.), and Gloaming (230gns.). Kilroy, who won the Derby of 1916, was ’ purchased a ‘few davs before the race from the breeder, Mr. J. B. Reid, by Mr. W. G. Stead, for GOOOgns., and Mr. E. S. Luttrell, another New Zealand sportsman, acquiring a half interest, the colt won the Derby for a partnership. The cheapest of all Australian Jockey Club Derby winners was Bob Bay, who as a yearling was sold for 35gns. The latter won the Randwick blue ribbon in the colors o-f Mr. D. O’Brien.