NEW ZEALAND CUP

Taranaki Daily News, 3 November 1934, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND CUP

TO-DAY’S FIELD WEAK ONE

MANY HORSES IN AUSTRALIA.

STAR ROSE’S BIG SURPRISE. (By “Hurry On.”) In the days of bookmakers the New Zealand Cup at Riccarton was easily the most important event in the turf year of this country. It held almost the same glamour and interest in New Zealand that the Melbourne Cup does in Australia to-day. Owners and trainers “saved up” horses for.this race for twelve months, or sometimes even more. Even up to about 12 to 15 years ago it still retained much of its glamour, but those days are past. To-day’s race to the general sporting public is little more than a big South Island handicap. . “Old timers” will say that horses now are not what they used to be; that no present performers can compare with Tasman, Vanguard, Lochiel, St. Hippo, Seahorse, Noctuiform and Warstep—all winners of the big Riccarton two miles event. But this is not the reason. New Zealand is probably producing better horses to-day than ever; but where are they? They certainly do not figure in to-day’s race. A glance through the field for the Melbourne Cup is a sufficient answer. Here' we find Nightly, Mirabond, Sir Simper, Limbohm, Theo and Gladswood, all of whom first saw the light in Now Zealand. If this sextette could only be added to the field at Riccarton to-day there would be an array that could compare favourably with the best of the past. x

Australian buyers have only of recent years become fully alive to the value of New Zealand-bred thoroughbreds, and usually' the New Zealand trainers made for home with their teams directly the Randwick carnival was over early in October in time for the Cup. The big stakes offered by the Flemington, Caulfield, Moonee Valley and ■ Williamstown clubs, together with the falling off in stakes in New Zealand, have proved too big a lure. Some of the best horses are now dropping the New Zealand Cup in favour of the big Victorian races. So today the horses that a decade ago would be lining up at Riccarton are being given their final trials for the Melbourne Cup. It is in many ways a sad state of affairs, but there are compensations. New Zealand’s reputation as a breeding place of thoroughbreds is rising rapidly, and the ultimate gain may yet be the greater. The hottest favourite ever to win the New Zealand Cup was Mr. G. G. Stead's great three-year-old Noctuiform, who scored in easy style in 1905. That was a great meeting for Noctuiform, for he also wsn the Derby and the Canterbury Cup. Mr. Stead was always very friendly with the sporting scribes and laid several of them a “bit to nothing” about Noctuiform in the Cup. He paid them all on the Monday in crisp new five pound notes pinned on cards inscribed, “With Noctuiform’s compliments,” The Greatest Outsider.

Taranaki provided the runner-up to Noctuiform in Paritutu, who had a great record at Riccarton. He was a well fancied runner the following year, but Taranaki sprang the greatest surprise m the history of the event when Star Rose romped home and paid over half a century. The son of Daystar had not a very impressive record behind him, but his shrewd owner “Mr. J. Shore,” the name under which a well known Waitara sportsman raced, knew his horse was a true stayer. He “set” him for the cup and backed him as soon as the nominations were in at long odds. Multifid dominated the betting that year, going out a hot favourite. Star rose’s owner had been in the game a long time and knew that the right place for a staying lightweight was in front. Passing the stands the first time Star Rose raced to the front to open ap a break on the field. The favourite made a game bid to overhaul him in the straight but the Taranaki horse had something in reserve. He had two and a half lengths to spare as the judge Was reached. That day marked the last occasion that the double totalisator was in operation on a New Zealand racecourse, and it marked its final appearance in dramatic fashion. Bettors had a bad time that day. Star Rose was the absolute outsider of the field in the Cup, and to make matters worse, another little fancied runner, Captain Shannon, won the Stewards’ Handicap. The double totalisator operated on this race and there was only one £1 ticket invested upon the winning combination. This had been telegraphed from a South Taranaki township by two well known sportsmen who divided something over £2OOO as a result. It was better than winning one of the present day art unions.