DEFEAT OF £45,000 RACEHORSE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 144198, 15 September 1913, Page 3

DEFEAT OF £45,000 RACEHORSE.

PRINCE PALATINE BEATEN AT GOODWOOD. In tho suddenness of the-catastrophe which overtook Prince Palatine at the end of July in tho fullness of his glory there is tho element of high tragedy. Men as well as horses may ponder the sad history of his downfall. In tho morning, says tho Daily Mail, the world was grovelling before him. He had been bought by Mr. J. Joel for £45,000, by far the highest price over paid for a racehorse or other living creature since life on this planet as “a yearling £2OOO had been paid for him, and how during last year alone ho had made £20,730 in prize money. Thcso are amazing figures even in these days of booming trade and rising values. It seemed impossible that a golden horse such as this could lose a race. Tho Goodwood Cup, and the Doncaster Cup were counted his already. "Prince Palatine must drop , dead to lose the Goodwood Cup this afternoon,” said ono of tho loading authorities.

But in the afternoon the raco for tho Goodwood Cup was run and Princo P, dal HU) was hopelessly beaten by horses of comparatively mean repute. Tho King and all tho notables of tho racing worjd wore there to honour his victory, hut he was pulled up terribly distressed behind horses to whom ho could have boasted before tho race started that ho could “buy tho lot up.” There may bo some technical explanation of his defeat, adds our contemporary. Ho may havo “hit a leg” or been “out of condition.” Half-a-dozen things may easily happen to a racehorse. Or it may bo that horses think and that Princo Palatine .resented being bought and sold as a nioro racing machine or oven that ho was overweighted by tho consciousness of tho terrible responsibility for all the gold ho carried. Owing to his defeat £SOOO is taken off his price, but the'owner is not likely to rejoice that his horse will cost him less.