RICCARTON MEMORIES

Taranaki Daily News, 8 November 1935, Page 12

RICCARTON MEMORIES

SOME MEMORABLE.CUP CONTESTS

SENSATIONAL RACE. OF 1887 RECALLED

LOCHIEL BROKE THE BOOKMAKERS

(By

“Hurry On.”)

JUST 70 years ago the race was run at Riccarton over a distance of one' mile and. a-half, known as the Canterbury Jockey Club Handicap. In 1869 the distance was increased to two miles but its name was not altered until 1883, when the Canterbury Jockey Club changed the name to the'New Zealand Cup. This means that, tomorrow’s big event at'Riccarton is the 53rd New Zealand Cup. Round many of the 52 contests of the past has been much glamour and on occasions some sensations. "Despite a temporary eclipse during the “boom” years it is once again the Dominion’s most im-portant-two miles event, as can be seen by the representative field that has paid up'for to-morrow. /

The first New Zealand Cup was won by Tasman, owned and trained by Dan. \ 1 O’Brien, who later in his life was resifor a time at New Plymouth. He •'»>., purchased Carbine as a yearling and subsequently sold him for what was thought, to be. a wonderful price—3ooo guineas. / Bob Derrett, the crack horseman of the time, was Tasman’s rider.. • Derrett .• ro<jle for the Hon. W. Robinson but he had a disagreement with him and at the 11th 4iour ’secured the ride on Tasman. .The Robinson 'stable had two. runners, Cheviot and Nonsense, and though, the former was the popular choice a late commission saw Nonsense start favourite. Though he ran a great ■ race Tasman beat him. by a head in a - thrilling . finish. This must have been ..rather- bitter for Mr. Robinson, but his dispute with Derrett was patched up shortly afterwards and ' Derrett made amends by piloting home . Vanguard for him the following year. . The late R. J. Mason, who was subsequently to win fame as the doyen of trainers, won the race with Spade Guinea ‘in 1886, but the honours were With the . second horse, Nelson, as he carried 9.10 * as against Spade Guinea’s 6.10. Nelson was . one of the most famous horses of this period, but though he won importent races- in both New Zealand and .’/■ Australia' he was never successful at Riccarton.'. ’ i A The 1887 Cup was the most memorable in the history of the race. ,Mr. G. G. Stead had three horses . engaged and though Maxim was withdrawn, to win the Derby on the second day, the stable d - was left with Lochiel and Beresford in the field. • Fore some tirpe Lochiel had i been the subject of much argument. i i The bookmakers took a risk about him, believing Beresford to be the stable elect. z Lofhiel won from Dan O’Brien’s three-year-old Gipsy King, with Beresford a length away. The result was disastrous to the bookmakers, some of whom were tunable to meet their liabilities and the '■ New Zealand/ring never really recovered from the reverse. That was not the ohly sensation in ;;thfe race, a protest bein'g entered on the ground that it had been run over the v wrong distance. The half-mile post was ’ about 60 yards nearer the finishing point

.than the two mile post. It was alleged that the field was sent off from the first post, the lyelcome Stakes starting mark. The objection was disallowed, but there was- a strong feeling that there were good grounds for the objection, though

it was admitted that Lochiel would have won in any case. Lochiel subsequently won good races in Australia, and later found his wky to a New South Wales stud, where he. was a great success as a sire. The grey Canteen beat a strong field of 14 runners in 1903, the minor places being filled by two great three-year-olds, Wairiki and Achilles. There was a sensation after the race when x Canteen's rider, J. McCombe, and D. Carneron, who rode Roseal, were disqualified for two years and one year respectively for foul riding. Canteen was Subsequently sold to Australia and was the medium of a- huge but unsuccessful plunge in the Melbourne Gup. So big . was this plunge that Bobby Lewis, who ' rode him, was lajd the whole stake, over £6OOO, to nothing. Despite a phenomenal trial Canteen never looked likely over the last half mile that day at Flemmington. “ The years 1905 and 1906 saw first the hottest favourite to win and then the greatest outsider. In 1905 that great three-year-old Noctuiform, starting at odds bn, romped home from, die New Plymouth horse Paritutu and Quarryman. Noctuiform’s owner, Mr. G. G,. Stead, laid several of the sporting scribes something to nothing about the colt and paid them on the following Monday morning in. brisp five pound notes pin? ned on cards, t inscribed “With Noctuiform’s compliments.” It was left to Taranaki to provide the “boil over” the following year, .when Star Rose, trained at Sentry Hill by the late Charlie Parker for Mr. R- J. Matthews, npw living in retirement at New Plymouth. Star Rose ran to the front passing thestands- the first time and stayed there to the end, winning by two lengths from Multifid. t He, was neglected on the totalisators and paid a dividend of over half a century. This was the last occasion ' the, double total-? isator was operated in New Zealand and there was only one pound invested, upon the Star Rose-Captain Shannon combination. ' Two Manaia residents who held this ticket both benefited to the extent of over £lOOO. Taranaki’s last win was scored in 1925, when The Banker, trained by Oney Cox at Hawera and ridden .by. M. McCarten, beat two good horses in Te Kara and* Count Cavour. Cox has Mrs. Graham’s Verbi'us four-year-old Fersen in to-morrow’s race and high hopes are entertained by his supporters ■ that he will follow in The Banker’s footsteps.