GREAT TRENTHAM FIELD

Taranaki Daily News, 26 April 1935, Page 12

GREAT TRENTHAM FIELD

AMYTHAS’ MIGHTY VICTORY CHAMPION PLATE OF 1919 . , TRIUMPH FOR SIRE DEMOSTHENES f (By “Hurry-On.”) PROBABLY one of the finest fields that ever contested a ,weight’’r for-age race in New Zealand during the last decade was the one th&t lined up for the Champion Plate on the second day of the Wellington Racing Club’s spring meeting of 1920’. This event, now known as the Harcourt Cup, is fun over a distance of one mile and a-duarter and every, one of the 11 starters in 1920 was a proved performer over the distance.' Unfortunately the day was a bad one, rain fell almost continuously and the track was heavy. Otherwise, it is quite probable that a remarkable time would have been put up.

The field that faced the starter was as follows:-r Arrowsmith, 9.4 (J. Campbell) bracketed with Kilrush, 9.4 (JI. Young). Vagabond, 9.4 (W. Bell). Amythas, 9.0 (A. J. McFlynn). Trespass, 9.0 (J.’O’Shea). Surveyor, 9.0 (H. Gray). Karo, 8.13 (B. Deeley). Bonnie Maid, 8.13 (L. G. Morris). Oratress, 8.13 (M. McCarten). Humbug, 7.11 (R. Reed). Duo, 7.11 (R. S. Gagby).

the V.R.C. Derby. On the first day of this meeting he had finished a close fourth to Royal Stag in the .iorts P'- ’icap under the big burden of 9.10. As he subsequently won this race, a Stead Memorial and a Wellington cup, he was class eno - ’ for any field. Karo was one of Demosthenes’ bestdaughters. She woh the Squatters Handicap at Randwick and fairly ran away from the opposition in the Auckland Cup on 1919. Bonnie Maid had woh a Great Northern St. Leger. Oratress at the time appeared a little out of her class but a fortnight later she scored a decisive win in the New Zealand Cup, proving herself to be a mare of class. There were two three-year-olds, Humbug and Duo. On two-year-old form the former was the better of the pair but Duo had beater his rival in’the Wanganui Guineas and was to prove himself easily the best three-year-old of the year. In spite of all this galaxy of talent there was only one horse in it at the finish—Amythas. Campbell on Arrowsmith opened up a big break on the field going down the back and. came into the straight lengths clear. However, McFlynn on Amythas was not alarmed and was content to allow his mount to lob along in about fourth place, but once heads were turned for home he made his effort. Lengthening his stride in a characteristic manner, Amythas ran past Arrowsmith at the distance almost aS though/he were standing still and with that glorious effortless stride of his went on»to gaiq an easy victory from Karo, who came along with a late run to beat Arrowsmith by two lengths for second money. Just behind Arrowsmith, Duo finished strongly in a manner that predicted his subsequent win in the New Zealand Derby. It was a great field and a splendid race won by a super horse who, had he been able to stand up to a thorough preparation, in. the opinions of shrewd judges might easily 1 have woh two Melbourne Cups. The result was a triumph for his sire Demosthenes, as not only Amythas but also Kara and Duo were by this son of Desmond.

What a wonderful array of talent was to bb found in this field! Arrowsmith, one of the most brilliant sprinters ever to. race in this Dominion, had shown that a mile and a-quarter was yithin his capabilities by a brilliant win in the Prince; of Wales Cup at Ellerslie the previous autumn. To demonstrate how good he was he carried 9.13 to victory in the Stewards’ Handicap at Riccarton. Coupled with him was Kilrush, who on the first day of the meeting had carried 9.4 into third place in the Wellington Racing Club Handicap behind Gasbag 7.2 and Bonnie Heather 6.13. Vagabond was another solid performer, with the previous New Zealand Cup to his credit.

Next on the list was Amythas, then a . your-y ear-old. This son of Demosthenes was one of the finest gallopers to grace the. New Zealand turf. He was one of the “freak” type, being able both to sprint six furlongs with, the best of them and to stay on for a .week. He had made a clean sweep of the previous autumn’s' three-year-old classics but had met defeat by Trespass a month previously in the Eclipse Stakes at Wanganui. Though short of work that day, he had improved immensely in the interval. The form of Trespass, except for his defeat of Amythas, had not been quite up to the standard of the rest of the ; field. :

The deeds of Surveyor are too well known to need recounting. He had been the best two-year-old of his year and as -a three-year-old he had run a fine third to Richmond and Artilleryman in