AMOUNIS A GOOD WINNER

Taranaki Daily News, 24 April 1930, Page 5

AMOUNIS A GOOD WINNER

NOW RUNNING SECOND TO GLOAMING

AUSTRALIA’S GREAT MILE GALLOPER

SPEED AND CONSISTENCY COMBINED

Amounis has passed Heroic on the list of winning horses in Australasia and now Gloaming’s tally, that has withstood many challenges in the past five seasons, is in jeopardy. Will Amounis bridge the gap of nearly £5OOO before he has to bow to the ravages of time? Bred in 1922 by Mr. Percy Miller, at the Kia Ora stud, Amounis was got by the successful sire Magpie from Loved One.. At the sale-ring this handsome colt was purchased by Mr. J. W. Cook, who then disposed of him to Mr. A. P- Wade, thus allowing a sale-ring bargain to slip through his hands. His new owner aspired to win the A.J.C. Derby with. Amounis, then a gelding, and his failure to catch the flying Manfred caused Mr, Wade to sell him to Mr. W. Pcrpsoil. Staying was not Amounis’ forte and this was realised by his new owner and the astute Frank McGrath, who since then trained the Magpie gelding. Over sprint and middle distances they found they had. a horse above the average, and the 1926-27 season was opened auspiciously when Amounis mowed down the field in the Epsom Handicap and could have improved on the Australasian record he set up for a mile, Imin. 36|sec. . Amounis 'at that stage had laid claim to recognition -as an exceptional galloper. . Great though Amounis is, he has been carefully placed in the majority of his races, and it is doubtful if he was ever, as brilliant as Limerick, Gothic and Mollison when they were in their prime. At a mile Limerick was Gothic’s master both times they met, and Mollison at three years was at least the equal of Gothic- Whenever they met Gothic proved conclusively he was Amounis master. Un the ground that the class beaten by a horse counts for more than either time or stakes won (both of which are dependent on circumstances) there can be no doubt that this trio were better than Amounis, though the latter’s constitution has enabled him to survive the test of strenuous racing that has proved too much for his illustrious rivals. o Winning his second Epsom Handicap last • season under a steadier of 9.7, Amounis defeated Limerick (fourth) later at the meeting in the Craven Plate and also included the Williamstown Cup among his triumphs. Three rich weight-for-age races were presented to Amounis in the spring of this season when Greenlin , Figure and High Syce (going off) were his opponents over distances which did not suit them. There was not a great deal of merit in those wins, but the easy money earned enabled Amounis to become classed among the big winners of the Australasian lurr. On hand again for the autumn racing, place-money has continued to swell the winning total of the New South Welshman, and he has engaged with Nightmareh in some interesting encounters, lion* ours breaking perhaps a shade in favour of the New Zealandei. Limerick’s total of £37,971 10s was the first to go by the board and on Saturday Amounis ran Nightmarch to half a head in the Autumn. Stakes, the £5OO allotted to the second horse elevating him to second position on the ladder above Heroic (£38,0621) with£3B,49li. Yesterdav Amounis was engaged in both the Cumberland Stakes (£200(1, la miles) and the All-Aged Stakes (£3OOO, 1 mile) and hisJ choiceJ of either race was sure to have swelled his total. The £2OOO A.J.U. Plate, run over 2| miles on Saturday will be too far for him to stand a winning chance, but if he starts in this event it will be surprising if a minor placing is not his lot. There is no doubt about Amounis’ greatness.. A horse that wins the Cantala Stakes (twice) and Epsom Handicap (twice),. as well as a host of qther important races, must needs be a champion miler, but in all probability nine or ten furlongs now suits him better than a mile, though his wonderful race in the Caulfield Futurity Stakes explodes any theory that six seasons of racing has robbed him of his brilliancy to any extent. -Furthermore, to win the money Amounis has won when racing against champions and near-cham-pions, a horse must be many removes from the average, and-, even in his eighth year Amounis is standing up to>his tasks so. well that Gloaming’s winning total is in imminent danger from this quarter-

saddle) look second-rater*. Whenever Gloaming was beaten it *as usually early in a meeting. He was invincible in his second or third race at a meeting.

Speaking from memory, every horse which had a triumph over Gloaming was beaten by him on other occasions with one exception. Heroic beat him in the Chelmsford Stakes, making a time record for Australia, but Gloaming looked far too sleek and well at that stage to be at the top of his form. When the champion was wound up, he usually showed his ribs. Gloaming and Heroic did not meet again.

.At five years he ran in 12 races without being* beaten. Ballymena “fluked” a win over him at Rosehill, and his defeat by Thespian was also shown to be lucky, as after that, Gloaming beat him in four races in succession. He was only once defeated in 11 starts at six years, when Thespian beat him and ran the mile in 1.36 3/5 at • Ellerslie—a very slow course. He was beaten by a head by Poitrel in the mile and' a half Spring Stakes at Randwick because his rider did not realise what sort of a horse Poitrel was in a finish, and very considerately tried to win all the way, which just suited a great stayer.

Only two of the horses which beat Gloaming could be classed as his equal up to a mile and a half —Heroic and Beauford. And he was past his prime when he met these horses.

At nine years he started ten times, and only lost two races. He was that age when Heroic beat him. Beauford. beat him twice, but on each occasion Gloaming won the “return match in most decisive fashion. When in hisprime, at say, five years, Gloaming was probably unbeatable up to a mile and a half when thoroughly wbund up. Carrying a 141bs. penalty, he ran five furlongs in 58 3/5. He twice ran four furlongs in a tick over 46, and once in 45 seconds —the record for Australasia. Giving her lOlbs. (by reason of a penalty) ho easily beat that fine ga loper, Desert Gold, who won 14 races in successive starts as a three-year old. The only time in his 67 starts that he missed a place was when he got caught in the barrier. The other starters in that race were Warplane, Affect tation and Printemps, not one of whi would have had any earthly chance of beating Gloaming if he had got away from the barrier.