WINNERS AT RICCARTON

Taranaki Daily News, 11 August 1932, Page 10

WINNERS AT RICCARTON

NUKUMAI’S great record A BARGAIN STEEPLECHASER. UUP WINNER’S CURIOUS CAREER. Racing luck is strikingly illustrated in the history of at least three winners at Riccarton on Tuesday. These three are the wonderful old horse Nukumai, who won the Jumper's’ Flat Race, the Aucklander Billy Boy, winner of the Grand National Steeplechase, and Fast Passage, the Winter Cup victor. Nukumai’s career is without parallel in the annals of New Zealand racing. Ho is now in his fifteenth year, and thia is the opening of his eleventh season on the turf. It was appropriate that he should have wop, for tho last flat event in which he was successful was the same race four years ago. Moreover, he also won it in 1924 and again in 1925. He had an earlier try, in 1923, but was unplaced. Nukumai is engaged in the Grand National Hurdles to-day, He knows all about this race, too, for he ran second in 1025 and won in 1928 A wonderful reception was accorded him when he triumphed in tho Jumpers’ Flats Race on Tuesday, but it would be nothing to the ovation he deserves if he succeeds to-day. The public loves a gallajnt horse and thei’e are few such game ones as Nukumai. Nukumai’s' total winnings in stakes amount to £10,763 10s, averaging a little over £lOOO a year for 10 years. He was bred by Mr. S. G. Davidson, Hawera, who declined several tempting offers for him and still owns Ijim. LONG ABSENCE FROM RACING. Billy Boy is young compared with Nukumai, being only eight years old, but his career also is remarkable, He was bred by Mr, H. Rothery, To Kuiti, his sire being the imported horse Archiestown, and his dam Lady Lila, who was 21 years old when he was foaled. She was also the dam of two other good jumpers, Tenacious and Lady Comet, Billy Boy had one race as a three-year-old in December, 1927, He then met with an accident and his chances of ever racing again were considered to be very slender. Mr, Rothery leased him with a purchasing clause at a purely nominal figure, and it was not until after an interval of three year? and three months that Billy Boy raced again. This was in Match of last year, and in four starts before the season closed in July he was not once out of a place. Ho won the Hunt Club Cup at Ellerslie in June and a hurdle race at the Taumarunui meeting held at Ellerslie, in July. In August, Billy Boy ran second m the Kakuranga Hunt Cup, and in October he won the Waikato Hunt Cup. This year lie has risen to great heights. He won the Autumn Steeplechase at Ellerslie in March, the Winter Steeplechase in June, the Wellington Steeplechase in July, and How the Grand National Steeplechase. His stake-winnings are approximately £2645, involving a handsome return for Messrs. G. J. Quirko and R. W. A. Lewis, Qnehunga, who bought him from Mr. Rothery under the purchasing clause some months ago, and now race him in partnership. FAST PASSAGE’S RECOVERY, Fast Passage, winner of Tuesday’s Winter Cup, is a sister to Waterline, one of the few horses that ever defeated Phar Lap.. Fast Passage competed in the Great Northern Oaks at Ellersge last March and was running well when she suddenly collapsed at the six-fur-longs post and dropped right ‘back last, finishing down the course. This was the second time such a happening occurred and her trainers v/ere at a loss to locate the trouble. At one time it was thought her racing career was at an end,' but careful treatment proved Successful. Last month' Fast Passage ran second in th© Whyte Handicap and the Parliamentary Handicap at Trentham, and on Tuesday her consistency met with its reward, - At Trentham L. J. Ellis rode the Whyte Handicap winner Royal Bengal, and his brother, A .E. Ellis, rode 1' ast Passage. This week the position was reversed, A. E. Ellis winning on Fast Passage, while L. J. Ellis was . second on Merry Peel. Earlier in the <lay A. E. Eljis suffered a fall in a race and his brother, having his first ride over country, took his place on Snowfall in the Grand National Steeplechase. Snowfall is trained by another brother, E. J. Ellis, and last year, ridden by A. E. Ellis, won the Grand National,