HONOURS TO NEW ZEALAND

Taranaki Daily News, 11 October 1929, Page 5

HONOURS TO NEW ZEALAND

Editorial.

Phar Lap’s magnificent victory in the Australian Jockey Club Derby on Saturday adds another winning bracket to New Zealand s already long list of successes in the blue riband of the Australiaii Turf and the remarkable innings that New Zealand bred or owned equines have had in recent years must occasion our sporting brothers across the Tasman very deep thought. All Dominion-bred winners of the classic have not carried New Zealanders’ colours, nor have New Zealand-owned winners a been bred here. The natural corollary, is that although we la taken a very large share in the honours of the race New Zealanders’ luck has been partly responsible for so many rich prizes coming t 0 M Nordenfeldt, who'won the A.J.C. Derby in 1885, was sold out of this colony to Mr. Jairies-White, and proved the best distance penformer of his time in Australia. In addition to. winning the A.J.C. Derby, he scored in the Craven and Randwick Plates and I in ie VR C Derbv and finished third in the Melbourne Cup. In 18 Mr Spencer Gollan, who afterwards raced with a fair measure ot success in the Old Country, won the A.J-C. Derby with Bonnie Scotland and in the following year Mr. Dan O’Brien- (afterwards mine host-of the Criterion Hotel in Devon Street Nev Plymouth) created a surprise by winning the race with boo. Kay. . Ten years later, 1905, will be ever remembered by Australians and New Zealanders alike. It was “Stead’s Year,” and the remarkable and sweeping victories of the New Zealand division aie well worth recounting. .Noctuiform, ridden by L IL Hewitt, wo the Derby from his stablemate, Sun God, who had F D. Jones in t saddle. Gladsome and Nightfall were in minor places behind, the mighty Emir in the Spring Stakes. So-ended the hist day of tl But there were bigger things to follow. On the Monday, Machine,Gun set the .ball- rolling by winning the Shorts Handicap under the steadier of 10.13; Isolt won the Spring Maiden Stakes; Maniapoto. (who had failed dismally .when sent out favourite for the Epsom j romped' home in the Metropolitan Handicap; Lp-to-datc was third in the Steeplechase; Sun God won the New Stakes; Nightfall defeated Canteen in the Squatters’ Handicap- New Zealand’s share of the spoil on the third day comprised Gladstone s Craven Plate, Sun God’s Grantham Stakes and. Isolt s. Wycombe Stakes, Canteen being runner-up, To round off the ineeting on the last day Isolt won the Members’ Handicap. Up-to-date the Steeples and Nightfair the Randwick Plate. Of £lB,OOO distributed in stakes at the gathering New Zealanders took £9OOO. " Australians had things pretty well to themselves uiu.il 191 b, when Kilboy set the ball rolling again by winning, the Derby; biplane and Gloaming, both Australian-bred but New Zealand-ownec, won in 1917 and 1918 respectively, making three on end for Maoriland. Cupidon won in 1921, Ballymena in 1923, Prince. Humphrey in 1928 and Phar Lap this year. So that in the last 14 years the honours have come to New Zealand on no less than seven occasions. . . . “Moturoa.”