THE MELBOURNE CUP

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1926, Page 11

THE MELBOURNE CUP

SPEARFELT’S GREAT WIN NAOS SECOND; PANTHEON THIRD. ENORMOUS CROWDS ATTEND. By Telegraph—Press Asen. —Copyright. Received Nov. 2, 7.45 p.m. Melbourne, Nov. 2. There was an enormous attendance and the weather was ealm and fine for the Cup Day at the Victoria Racing Club’s meeting at Flemington. The Governor-Gen-eral and State Governors, with the Empire Parliamentarians and scores of New Zealanders, were present. The going was good. The Melbourne Cup was won by Spearfelt, with Naos second and Pantheon third. It was a great race, for Comus set a merry pace over the first mile, five horses having winning chances at the distance. Spearfelt came with a great run and won brilliantly. Naos came fast in the last furlong. There were twenty-one starters. Bulbus was the early leader. Passing the stand Coqius went to the front and at the ten furlongs led by fifteen lengths from Balbus. Then came Valaisian, Piastoon, Limerick, Rampion, Beedos and The Banker, with Naos last. At the mile Comus had increased the lead to twenty lengths from Balbus, who was followed by Pantheon, Rampion, Valaisian, Limerick, The Banker, Piastoon and Spearfelt, with The Slave now last and Naos beginning to move up. At the seven furlongs post Comus began to tire and Pantheon was with him for half a mile. Others prominent were The Banker, Royal Charter and Spearfelt, with Rampion dropping back. Pantheon and The Banker were in the leading coming around the turn from Royal Charter and Spearfelt, with Naos coming fast. The first four were almost on level farms at the entrance to the straight and a great race home followed. Spearfelt gradually forged ahead and won by half a length from the fast-finishing Naos, with Pantheon a neck away. Next came Royal Charter and The Banker, then Our Prince, Johnny Jones, Valamita, Tookarby, Spearer, Valbee, Rampion, Limerick, Miss Disraeli, Beedos, The Slave and Piastoon, with Comus and Balbus last. The time was 3min. 22Jsec. The first four furlongs of the race occupied 52 seconds, the next four 49, the third four 504, and the last four 504. Spearfelt cost 120 guineas as a yearling. Speatfelt is owned by Mr. D. Grant, who purchased trainer V. O’Neill’s share for 2500 guineas in October. Spearfelt was third for the Cup in 1924, when the time equalled the Australasian record held by Windbag and Kennaquhair. THE WINNER UNDISTRESSED. Cairns, the rider of Spearfelt, stated he was a long way back in the first portion of the journey but made a good run behind The Banker. Spearfelt was the fittest horse in the race and was not in the least distressed at the finish. Cairns was originally engaged to ride Heroic. Later there was a possibility that he would ride The Banker. He was engaged on the course to ride Spearfelt. He is a native of Palmerston North and was apprenticed to Jack Carter, of Blenheim. His first winner was Hydrant. Cairns is 38 years of age, O’Neill, the trainer of the winner, is also a New Zealander. The top weight, Brendas Son, led nearly all the way in the Steeples and won easily, ridden by the ex-New Zealander H. Thompson. The Yan Yean Stakes furnished a great finish. Metellus was prominent in the early stages but lost his position at the half mile and then won in the last stride. This gave the rider (H. Cairns) his second win for the afternoon. The New Zealand-bred Cherry Ripe, .after being sixth in the early stages of the Hurdles race, finished fast and won nicely. Cherry Ripe is trained by Amounis’s mentor, F. McGrath. Despite a big weight Fujisan scored a brilliant win in the Highweight Handicap. The rider, Pike, also won this race last year on Red Gauntlet. Maritza, finishing fast, won the Nursery Handicap nicely. The owner, J. P. Arthur, formerly raced Fujisan. Maritza cost 100 guineas as a yearling. The results are: — MELBOURNE CUP. (Of 10,000 sovs. added, second horse 2000 sovs., third 1000 sovs. Two miles. SPEARFELT, 9.3 (H. Cairns) 1 NAOS, 7.0 (N. Percival) 2 PANTHEON, 9.3 (J. Pike) '.. 3 Winners of the race since 1909 were as follows: 1910— S. Green’s Comedy King, 7.11. Time, 3.2741911 — J. F. Kirby’s The Parisian, 8.9. Time, 3.2711912 — W. Brown’s Piastre, 7.9. Time, 3.27 J. 1913 — J. Chamber’s Posinatus, 7.7. Time, 3.31. 1914 K. S. McLeod’s Kingsburgh, 6.12 Time, 3.26. 1915 Mrs. E: A. Widdis’ Pat’robas, 7.6. Time, 3.281. 1916 -W. G Stead and E. A. Luttrell’s Sasanof, 6.12. Time, 3.2741917 — D. M. Seaton’s Westcourt, 8.5. Time, 3.26 J. 1918 — C. L. MacDonald's Nightwatch, 6.9. Time, 3.25 f. 1919 Sir S. Hordern and A. D. Murphy’s Artilleryman, 7.6. Time, 3.241. 1920 — W. and F. A. Moses’ Poitrel, 10.6. Time, 3.2.5|. 1921 F. W. Norman’s Sister Olive, 6.9. Time, 3.27 J. 1922 — C. L. Dubois and W. R. Bennett’s King Ingoda, 7.1. Time, 3.28-J. 1923 A. T. Craig’s Bitalli, 7.0. Time, 3.24 J. 1924 — Baillieu, Clark and Hughes’ Backwood, 8.2. Time, 3.26 J. 1925 R. Miller’s Windbag, 9.2. Time. 3.22’. CUP HURDLES RACE. (Two miles.) CHERRY RIPE (11.3) 1 CASH KING (9.2) „. 2 SPARKLING MESELLE (10.12), ~...; 3 Nine started. Won by half a length, with three lengths between second and third. Pindarus was fourjh. Rambler pulled up and Renown fell. Time, 3min. 40'Jsec. Railway Highweight Handicap. Six furlongs.—Fujisan (11.9) 1, Mete (8.7) 2, Quixotic (10.3) 3. Twenty-three started. Won by half a length with a neck between second and third. Garrula was fourth. Time, Imin. 13{sec. November Nursery Handicap. Five furlongs.—Maritza (8.0) 1, Canon Law (8.3) 2, Herewinkie (7.7) 3. Eighteen started. Won by half a length, with a neck between second and third. Ccnsatis was fourth. Time, Imin lisec. Cup. Steeples. Two and a-half .miles.— Brenda’s Son (12.11) 1, Reparation (9.13) and Scotch Thorn (9.3)j dead heat 2. Ten

started. Hannan was fourth. Tarquil, Mountain Grand and Liberate fell. Time, 4m in. Yan Yean Stakes. Seven furlongs.— Metellus (9.12) 1, Ataman (8.0)-2 Tommy Dod (8.4) 3. Fifteen started. Won by a head, with a similar distance between second and third. Epilogue was fourth. Time, Imin 38$sec.