Editorial. THE CÙP CARNIVAL

Taranaki Daily News, 21 November 1930, Page 4

Editorial. THE CÙP CARNIVAL

Another New Zealand Cup meeting has stepped into the pages of history, and while much is being made of the shrinkage in’ totalisator and other returns at the gathering, all of which follows in the general decline, one fact cannot be missed, namely, that the standard of racing at Riccarton this November compared favourably with that of previous years. ' - ■ For all-round high-class- quality the fields seen out at the reepnt gathering have not been equalled for many years, while the racing was of the cleanest possible order, and the displays of 6 horsemanship uniformly good. Patrons of the meeting, completely wrapped up in the enjoyment of the sport, probably faffed to notice monetary shrinkages. The crowds were there as ih the past; the horses and horsemen were there; and the only difference to be noted in the general “washing-up afterwards was the reduced spending powers of the sporting public. The gentlemen who control the destinies of the premier racing club in New Zealand, the Canterbury Jockey Club, were, early in the season, fully apprised of the changing conditions of the money market, and acted accordingly, but, on the whole, the prize-money offered at the recent meeting was on a generous scale and it is more than likely that the receipts will balance the expenditure. In this the Canterbury Jockey Club is better placed, financially, than the majority of racing clubs. ' For one thing New Zealand racing folk have to be sincerely thankful, and that is that the.pronounced superiority of Phar Lap sent several of our bestjhorses helter skelter for the homeland. Otherwise New Zealanders would not have had the chance +n the mighty Nightmarch in action at Riccarton last week. And possibly other noted performers like In the Shade, Concentrate; Gesture and lesser lights amongst these horses stablemates might have still been on the other side of. the Tasman, That the presence of the first-named trio added immensely to the importance of the Canterbury meeting goes without saying; ih fact? without Nightmarch, Concentrate and In the Shade,’the New Zealand Cup would hardly have been worthy of the name. The popularity of Nightmarch’s victory in the New Zealand Cup was acclaimed by all. It was not merely a matter of money talking” but pure and unadulterated admiration for a great horse, who, after a heart-breaking campaign im Sydneythe early spring, returned to the land of his birth. to break all weightcarrying records in the Dominion’s most important handicap race. Of the pair which followed him home in that memorable Cup, In the Shade’s owner was rewarded with a good stake later at the meeting, and if Concentrate’s owner, had elected to run his very fine horse in the Metropolitan Handicap on the last day of the gathering he also might have gained a rich prize. But there is'such a thing as asking a much-travelled horse to do too much, and Mr. R. J. Murphy is too good a sportsman to do that, His turn may come at Ellerslie, but that is m the lap of the gods. Cylinder did all that his greatest admirers anticipated, and his three fine wins stamp him'as a great three-year-old. that Hector Gray’s horsemanship had much to do witlrhis sensational defeat of Nightmarch in the G. G. Stead Memorial Cup on Saturday is admitted, but his New Zealand Derby win was clear-cut and indisputable, and he has now proved himself the best three-year-old bf the season. Another of the Limond breed, Praise, though beaten m the Derby, proved equal to carrying off the honours m the nines race, the New Zealand Oaks, and was followed home by yet another Limond, Lady Pam. The dual classic success is a great advertisement for the Koatanui stud and for the wonderfu y successful English-bred stallion. Two-year-olds of quality were featured on four days at the meeting, and the outstanding youngsters were Tea Chat, a son of Tea Tray and the Bezonian mare Philomela, and Solvent, a daughter of Diacquenod and Currency, the latter being by Paper Money-Kilroy; but it is open to doubt whether the two-year-olds seen out this season are as good as those of previous years, though from a time record point of view they must be rated fairly high. . } Other outstanding features of the meeting were Autopay s decisive Stewards’ Handicap win, Laughing Prince’s handsome victory under 9st. 61b. in the Jockey Club Handicap, and the game effort of the veteran, Star Stranger, to gam first honours with 9st. 41b, in the Metropolitan Handicap, a feat which he only failed to accomplish by the narrowest of margins, in wonderful time (2min. 32sec.), and conceding over 2st. to the winner.

“ Paritutu.**