BEGINNER’S LUCK IN RACING

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1931, Page 4

BEGINNER’S LUCK IN RACING

DERBY WON WITH FIRST HORSE. A'MMON RA'S FORTUNATE OWNER. (Dy “Muskpt,” in the Sporting Globe.) There is an element of luck in buying a Phar Lap as a yearling for 160 guineas. A buyer requires pluck—and plenty pf it : —to give 4000 guineas for a two-year-old gilding. Mr. C. C. Sheath gave this ammint for Ammon Ra in New Zealand • last January, and his pliick has been rewarded, for the horee has more than repaid his purchase price, and ha 6 added considerably to his value. Apimon Ra won the A.J.C. Derby on Saturday. He has earned £17,411 in etakbs; of which £9175 has been secured in Sydney this spring. And ah there are the Caulfield Guineas, Victoria Derby and Grfeat Northern Derby ahead of him, he ' should, by the end of January, have amasshd the beet part of £25,000'.

'Mr. Sheath has set his mind on winning the 'Great ' Northern Derby, run in Auckland oh January 1. The gelding is now ih Melbourne ready to run in the Caulfield Gujrieas. His bply. other start in,Victoria will be in the Victoria Derby, and then he will be returned to New Zealand for the Great Northern Derby. Mr. Sheath is a Sydney man who made a fortune in business in New Zealahd in a comparatively few years. Ammon Ra. is the only horse he has owned. Beginner’s luck again! Mr. Sheath took a great fancy to Ammon Ra the firet time he saw him. When he purchased the horse he decided to have him trained in New Zealand, and left him under the care of J. T. Jamieson. ' ;

■ It is a pity that Ammon Ra was not entered for the Melbourne Cup. Jamieson has all along maintained that the Limond gelding, would stay the Derby distance, but it seems that the connection's were not sanguine of his stuyihg the two miles of the Cup. There are many racing men who share that opinion,' despite the Derby success. Ammon Ra did. all that was required of him ip the Derby in the style of a high-class horse,, but it was brilliance rather than, stamina that pulled, him through. His speed had’ to be conserved in order that he could eec out the distance. One‘thing that assisted in this was his tractable temperament. McCprtcn; hi?d no difficulty in holding him behind the leaders.

• For the firet time in Sydney, Ammon Ra was ■‘greatly .upset prior to the . race. Re sweated'freely after being saddled Up, and ori going to the post he appeared to be in a sour mood. Rere- the generalship of McCarten was a factor; he htfnfpured hie mount, and got him to the barrier 'w ithout further trouble. ‘ Tlje face is easily described. McCarten took'bp a position behind Girod and Speedway: and- remained there until the hofife turn.'- There he went; ahead, and that' was the end of the chances’ of the others. ' Amnion Ra must be a very clean-winded horse, for he hardly blew ' on pulling up. It ie probable that the finish of the Derby- would have been far more exciting 'if Johnnie Jason had been at' his beet. ' The 'Treclare gelding had an interrupted preparation owing to a slight injury, and b’it for that he would have been a fitter horse on Saturday. He pint up a Uilliant fight, but’ was not good ehobgh on the dAy for the winner.

J. T. Jamieson was the first tp admit that his. horse might have been beaten had Johnnie Jason been fully wound up. . /. . But a more striking performance than that of Johnnie Jason was recorded by KOonieela. Early in the race he was tailed off last—a long way from the leaders. He seemed to bp. hopelessly outclassed. In the straight, however, he put in a- powerful rpn apd, finishing brilliantly, was only narrowly beaten by Johnnie Jhson for second place. Koorheela is a brother to Amounis, and cost Sir James Murdoch 1300gns. as a yearling. -This was the first occasion in which he had been placed; in a race. The colt has extravagant knee action, and evidently that id’the cause of his beginning go slowly in races. On account of his good forin in the Derby' it lias been, deejded- to send Koomeela to Melbourne to run in the Derby and Clip. He' is still somewhat backward, but i is a 'good stayer; '.Hi? prospects of turning - the tables •on Ammon Ra do not appear to be bright. Illustrious was easily the best-look-ing horse in the Derby field. Though fit as hands could make him, he failed simply because the journey was too far for him.