PETER PAN’S GREAT TASK

Taranaki Daily News, 28 June 1935, Page 10

PETER PAN’S GREAT TASK

MELBOURNE CUP TOP-WEIGHT

CAN HE SECURE HIS THIRD CUP?

TRAINER AND JOCKEY CONFIDENT

(By “Hurry On.”) T7VER since his victories at Randwick in the autumn, Australian writers have been speculating as to what weight the Victoria Racing Club’s handicapper would allot to Peter Pan in the Melbourne Cup. In view of the fact that he romped in last November with 9.10 on his back it was recognised that he would have well over 10 stone and the general estimates were between 10.6 and 10.8. The publication of the weights on Tuesday demonstrated that these were fairly corrupt, as he has been asked to carry 10.6.

Now, to succeed with this' weight Peter Pan will have to create two new records. The first will be that of Archer and himself of two wins and the second Carbine’s weight carrying effort of 1890. It will thus be seen , that, though the handicapper has not been unduly hard on this great son of Pantheon, Peter Pan has a big task in front of him. Nevertheless he is'a great horse, whose two Melbourne Cup victories stamp him as one of the’finest horses ever seen at Flemington.

When he triumphed as a three-year-old he suffered serious interference and was nearly down five furlongs from home. His chances then appeared quite hopeless but once clear in the straight he put in an amazing run that earned him to victory in *the last few strides. It was a super effort for a three-year-old with only a very limited racing experience. T jA-t gear’s race is too fresh in the minds of most for any detailed description. Despite his steadier of 9.10 and a very heavy track, Peter Pan dashed to the front'three furlongs from the winning post and outclassed his rivals in the straight. He was three lengths clear a furlong from home but though hard ridden none of his opponents was able to make any impression on him in the run v to the judge. It was again the performance of a mighty horse.. ... . Though far from'being a super-optim-ist, Frank McGrath* Peter Pan’s trainer, is confident of his charge’s ability to score his third win in the famous Flemington two mile race. Writing to a friend in New Zealand just after Easter, McGrath' stated that he expected that Peter Pan would receive 10.7 and he fully expected him to win with that impost if landed at the post fit and well. This was saying a lot, but McGrath is a great judge and one who never allows sentinient to run'away with his shrewd common sense.

According to a recent cable message this confidence is shared by Peter Pah’s rider, who has expressed the opinion that his only danger will come from a,good

staying three-year-pld with an advantage of three stone in weight. It may be taken from this that Pike does .not fear other well performed horses such as Sylvandale (the winner of the A.J.C. and V.R.C. St. LegerS), Hall Mark (the Melbourne Cup victor of 1933), Master Brierly (a stable mate of Peter Pan) and Llmarch. Pike evidently considers- that his mount will be able to concede these the weight and still beat them.

Of the three-year-olds the Australians rate Young Idea and Garrio the best and with 7.9 they have three pounds above weight for age, showing that the handicapper has formed a high opinion of their capabilities. They shaped like stayers in the autumn but it is a little early to judge as y°t. New Zealand has also a pair of promising three-year-olds engaged in Legatee and Wotan. Legatee was probably the best performed two-year-old in this country during the current season and, taken to Sydney at Faster, he filled third position behind Young Idea and Garrio in the AJ.C. Sires Produce Stakes run over seven furlongs. Posterity, the sire of Legatee, is by Son-in-Law and this represents perhaps the. best staying blood on the English turf. Wotan has so far had only one race but ph that occasion demonstrated that he possessed not only a wonderful burst of pace but also stamina above the ordinary. Wotan’s sire Siegfried is also by Son-in-Law While his dam Left is by Martian arid ■ has already given the - turf two good stayers .in Gaine Carrington and Peter Jackson. The Victoria Racing Club must naturally be more than, pleased to find Peter Pan" preparing for his‘third cup as his presence with his great impost will create enormous interest in the big event. Racegoers will go almost .any distance and make almost any sacrifice to be there to witness a race that may go down in history. Peter Pan has only to show that he is as good as eVer to draw a crowd to Flemington on that first Tuesday in November that will more than rival the assemblages that used to flock there before the depression was ever heard of.