MILLIONAIRE’S ILL-LUCK

Taranaki Daily News, 14 April 1932, Page 11

MILLIONAIRE’S ILL-LUCK

GRAND NATIONAL HOPES DASHED.

ENGLISH CLASSIC CANDIDATES.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) London, February 25.

There are some owners who never seem to have any luck. One of these is Mr. “Jock”" Whitney, the American multi-millionaire, whose chief ambition for Several years has been to win the Grand National. His hope this year was Sir Lindsay, the joint favourite with Grakle and Gregalach, and he was just about to leave New York when he learnt that his beautiful horse had broken down and was never likely to race again* The best that can be hoped for him is that he will end his days as a hack. The accident to Sir Lindsay occurred at Newbury. All appeared to go we'll 'with him, and when he closed with the leaders on entering the straight he was hailed as the winner. But, just as suddenly, he began to fade away, and he finished sixth. On being taken to the paddock, the reason for the way in which he had “stopped” was at once apparent. The fetlock of the off hind leg was almost touching the ground, the trouble being due to the breakdown of a ligament. Jack Anthony, Sir Lindsay’s trainer, who is still hobbling around on crutches, at once declared the horse to be a hopeless case, and next day he was scratched from the National. I am afraid Mr. Whitney will despair of ever winning at Aintree. It may be recalled that he paid £7OOO for Easter Hero to Captain Lowenstein, the Belgian millionaire who fell from an aeroplane whilst crossing the English Channel. Although Easter Hero was favourite for three Grand Nationals, and was undoubtedly a brilliant ’chaser, he failed to win any of them. Again, two years ago, Sir Lindsay would probably have been successful but for the fact that his rider lost both irons, and he finished third. The Newbury accident was wretched luck for Jack Anthony. He was a brilliant rider in the National, but so far he has been most unfortunate in attempting to train the winner. Similarly, Percy Woodland, who enjoyed two successful rides in the big steeplechase, has not yet captured the prize as a trainer.

A message has been received from Steve Donoghue, who is on his way home from America, which implied that he had been engaged to ride Mannamead, one of the crack Man ton colts, in the Derby. It also stated that Donoghue believed that he would be on the winner. It was a surprising report, because it had been anticipated that the three-year-old would be ridden in his classic races by the stable jockey, Dick, and it now seems that Donoghue was only tipping the horse for Epsom, and expressing the hope that he might ride him.

Manton is amazingly rich in three-year-old talent. The crack two-year-old was, of course, the Golden Hair colt, who has been named Orwell, but, for a reason, or simply a suspicion that cannot be specified, it is doubted whether he will stay the Derby mile and ahalf. On the other hand, the stamina of Mannamead is taken for granted.

Several of the classic candidates, including Orwell, have been entered for the Greenham Plate, which is run at Newbury in the third week of the sea-, son. Orwell, however, may be reserved for the Column Produce Stakes at Newbury in the following week. These are his only engagements prior to the Two Thousand Guineas. Mannamead has only one possible engagement before the Guineas. Whether they run in any of these races will, of course, depend on the colts’ fitness. Wc know that their preparation will not be hurried, for there is no more patient trainer than Lawson. It would not surprise me, in fact, if we did not see Mannamead at .Newmarket in the Guineas. I think he .is sure to require more time to reach racing perfection than Orwell.