CARBINE AND PHAR LAP.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18599, 21 June 1930, Page 7

CARBINE AND PHAR LAP.

CHAMPIONS OF THE PAST AND THE PRESENT. (By Samuel Griffith, in Melbourne Argus.) Racing enthusiasts ever have *been “worshippers of the rising sun.” Always it is the champion of the moment that is nailed as “the best horse ever seen, on a racecourse,” with—since the early nineties—the addendum to drive home the point, “better than Carbine.” Newhaven, Poseidon, Comedy King, Poietrel, Eurythmic—to mention only a few — each in his turn has been placed on an equality with the great son of Musket. Now, the latest idol. Phar Lap, is being acclaimed as “the noblest Roman of them all.” Those who went racing 40 years ago. however, and saw Carbine do such wonderful deeds are by no means certain to subscribe to this belief.

Probably many of the present generation of racegoers have an imperfect knowledge of Carbine’s performances. They may know that as a five-year-old he won the Melbourne Cup with 10.5, which is still the record weight, and is likely to remain the record for many years to come. But let us see how Phar Lap’s three-year-old career to date compares with the corresponding period of “Old Jack's” history. Phar Lap had no difficulty in winning the A.J.C. and V.R.C. Derbies; he scored an equally easy victory in the A.J.C. St. Leger; and in the weight-for-age events he made his opponents look like park hacks. In at least two of the weight-for-age races, however, it was obvious that, recognising that their chance of defeating Phar Lap was hopeless, the riders of the other horses simply went for second and third money. They made little or no attempt to get on terms with the champion. Allowed to stride along from the start Phar Lap, a beautifully free mover, though apparently “on the bit,” made record time on more than one occasion. Whether he would have been able to go any faster had he been called upon it is hard to say; nothing could get near enough to test him. The one blot on Phar Lap’s record is his Melbourne Cup failure, yet it was no fault of his that he cut up so badly. His preparation had been interrupted, and for nearly a fortnight he did very little hard work. I w r as standing in the weighing enclosure at Flemington with Mr J. H. Davis when Phar Lap returned after winning the Derby, and we were astonished to see how badly the colt had pulled up. He was very distressed. James Scobie remarked to us, “Se how much better than Phar Lap my colt (Carradale) has pulled up; I’m sure to beat him in the Cup.” And no doubt Carradale would have borne out the prophecy had he not run off the course; for after he had fought for his head over the first mile Phar Lap’s condition gave out. I doubt whether he would have been placed even had he been allowed to stride along, for he was not fit enough on the day to run out a fast two miles, though he improved with every race and gallop. R. Lewis is still being blamed for that defeat, unjustly, I believe, for he simply rode to orders. Phar Lap is an infinitely better and far more muscular colt now than he was on Melbourne Cup day. Carbine’s Versatility. Phar Lap’s success in the King’s Cup was nothing out of the common for a colt of his calibre, for it was a poor field. As a three-year-old. Carbine ran in 13 races, of which he won nine and was placed in each of the other four. Ensign luckily defeated him in the Victoria Derby, but Carbine easily won two other races during the week. To show his versatility he carried Bst. 121 b heavy weight for a three-year-old—into third place in the Newmarket Handicap, and finished within a length of such brilliant sprinters as Sedition (7st 31b.) and Lochiel. He was narrowly beaten three days later in the Australian Cup by Lochiel s at only a pound difference in the weights. Carbine defeated his great antagonist, Abercom, and others, in the Champion Stakes, three miles, on the Thursday; and he wound up a busy week by beating Lochiel and Carlyon in the Loch Plate on the Saturday. Did this arduous campaign knock him out? Not a bit of it! Carbine went to Sydney for the A.J.C. Autumn Meeting, and began inauspiciously by running second, beaten by a neck, to Abercorn in the Autumn Stakes, with high-class performers in The Australian Peer, Lochiel, and Cranbrook eight or ten lengths behind him This, however, was just a “pipeopener” for one of his greatest races. Carrying 9st.. a record weight for a three-year-old, Carbine, after encountering a rough passage, put in an amazing run in the straight, and snatched victory from Melos (to whom he was conceding 121 b.) on the post, with the four-year-old Abercorn, from whom he w r as receiving only four pounds, a moderate third. At the half-mile post Lady Lyon collided with Carbine and knocked him almost on to his knees. He dropped back last of a strung-out field, and was still well in the rear as they turned into the straight. If there has ever been a finer performance by a three-year-old than this I have not heard of it.

Carbine was good over all distances, from six furlongs to three miles. He was not allowed to rest on his laurels after his Sydney Cup battle, for next day he won the All Aged Stakes, one mile, and completed a double the same afternoon by defeating Lochiel and Abercorn over two miles in the Cumberland Stakes. The “Class” in the w.f.a. races was much higher than in recent times. Carbine had not quite finished his job, so he rounded off the week by trouncing Abercorn. Melos, Lochiel. and two others in the A.J.C. Plate, three miles, on the last day. People are now asking. “What weight will Phar Lap be allotted for the Melbourne Cup?” Nobody can say. The answer will not be forthcoming until the end of June. But it may be •interesting to recall how Carbine fared as a four-year-old (which will be Phar Lap’s age) in the Cup. After winning his second Sydney Cup with 9st. 91b., he was awarded lOst. in the Melbourne Cup, 41b. more than was given his rival, the five-year-old Abercorn. Though somewhat, disabled by a split foot, bound up with wax-end, and a sick jockey on l his back. Carbine ran .second to the sensational Bravo, a good six-year-old, carrying B.st. 71b. Mick O'Brien left his bed that morning against his medical adviser's Instructions; he could not bear the thought of any other jockey riding his favourite. O'Brien was in the last stages of consumption, and, being very weak, he could not do full justice to his mount, which was a fortunate circumstance for the backers of Bravo. Great Weights Carried. Next year Carbine, ridden by Ramage—for poor O’Brien had left the Turf for ever—made light of his lOst. 51b. in the Cup, defeating one of the greatest “paper” certainties in the history of the race Highborn, with only 6st 81b on his back. As a six-year-old, the following season Carbine headed the Melbourne Cup handicap with the steeplechaser’s weight of lOst. 121 b., but he had closed his racing career brilliantly at the A.J.C. Autumn Meeting by winning the A.J.C. Plate, and Flemington saw him no more. Admirers of Phar Lap, relying to a i great extent on the time test, may

eontend that modern racehorses are superior to those of the last century. It is the considered opinion of sportsmen who have been intimately connected with the Turf for a long time that we certainly have faster horses up to about about a mile, and more of them. Greatly improved tracks. a different style of riding, and intensive breeding for speed with a view to producing two-year-old winners, are accounting for this to a marked extent. But there is evidence to prove that we are worse off for first-class stayers than we were in the 'eighties and 'nineties. Where, for instance, could we obtain horses such as Merman. Newhaven. The Grafter, Georgie, Australian Star, and others to send across the water to beat the best of the English horses on their own ground? Possibly Strephon will prove successful if he withstands a preparation, yet he could hardly run second when a three-vear-old in the Melbourne Cup. with 7st. 61b, whereas at the same age Newhaven carried 7st. 131 b., and, leading almost from the start, came right away from the field in the last half-mile. Aurum, as a three-year-old, carried Bst. 61b.—141b. more than weight-for-age—and finished third after striking trouble at the home turn. In England Aurum was tried to be as good as Cesarewitch winner Merman, but unfortunately he did not stand a thorough preparation. In the Melbourne Cup Aurum had to give the second horse, The Grafter, weight! The following year The Grafter won the Cup with 9st. 21b. Then he was sent to England, where he won the City and Suburban and other races.