SENSATION IN DERBY CUP.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18053, 13 January 1927, Page 2

SENSATION IN DERBY CUP.

DEAD SILENCE FOLLOWED WIN OF INVERSHIN. (Special to the “ Star.”) LONDON, November 25. There was a sensational ending (writes “ Centaur ”) to the race for the Derby Cup, which is one of the most important of the long distance handicaps during the back-end of the season. Air Reid Walker, veteran owner and steward of the meeting, had two horses engaged, Invershin, a winner the previous time out. and the lightly-weight-ed Innuendo, but as the result of a home trial the owner was constrained to make a declaration in favour of Innuendo. Invershin had a good chance on public form, and, being ridden by a capable jockey like Charlie Elliott, he would have been at any rate about third favourite at S to 1 or so. The declaration, however, could not be ignored by the betting public on the course, and the horse's price drifted out to 40 to 1. Innuendo was not rushed to a short price, because few people were enamoured of his chance, but Invershin was roughly cold-shouldered. After all, no one wanted to back a horse that was being practically ruled out by the stable. And then, of course, Fate decreed that Invershin should win, and that Innuendo should be nowhere Really the incident was extremely regrettable. No one doubts that Mr Reid Walker made the declaration in the best of good faith, but it was only one more instance of private trial form being flouted by public form. Favourite Unplaced. Perfect Son, the disappointing favourite of the Cesarewitch, and subsequently the disqualified winner of the Newbury Cup. was again given a chance, and this is the one that the crowd flocked to back. It was a case of 10 to 1 bar one, but Perfect Son proved himself a most imperfect son of Son-in-Law, and could not even get a place. The pony-like filly ' Nem Soha, carrying bottom weight, filled second place, and she might have won outright but for the alertness of Elliott on Invershin. The latter had been entitled, because of the “ declaration,” to hang about and wait for the cortiing of Innuendo, but this colt failed to

come, and, when Elliott realised the situation, he did quite the right thing by getting the best he could out of his mount. He came to win a race with a horse that was full of running, and in fact scored a very clever victor}'. You can imagine the dead silence that followed. It was too staggering lor words, and no one looked more dumbfounded than the owner who had just won the Derby Cup. Who could have had any doubt that he would gladly have undone his act of declaration had it been possible? Ilis own calculations would not have mattered so much. Everyone in racing is constantly experiencing that sort of thing. But the act of declaration had involved so many in the disaster. A Point of Policy. The incident raises again the question of why there should be declarations to win at all. Should not every horse that goes out to race be also out to win, if it can do so, on merit? There is positive danger attached to the use of the existing policy. Invershin and Innuendo have proved it once again. The lazy horse at home will be transformed in public. The brilliant horse at home is posibly halfhearted in public. That sort of thing

cannot be safely guarded against. Mr Reid Walker had previous evidence with Delius of a horse tailing to do in public what he had shown in private. Not so long ago the Aga Khan vowed he would never make another declaration. and I imagine Lord Astor came to the same conclusion when his Bright Knight, at 20 to 1. beat the shortl priced St Germans, for whom he had “declared,” in a race at Newmarket last year. Little else remains to be said about the Derby Cup. Third place, went to Sir Abe Bailey’s three-year-old Hercules, while, besides Perfect Son. Myra Gray, the winner of the witch, was among those in the ruck. At Hurst Park. In the concluding big two-year-old race of the year—at Hurst Park—Lord Woolavington's Applecross won easily from Knight of the Grail in the most appalling weather conditions. On previous running Applecross is little behind the best of tiie year, which include Mr Curzon’s Call Boy, Lord Derby's Sickle and Sir M. M’Alpine’s Birthright, and it is being mooted that Lord Woolavington has a bright chance of pulling off the Derby for the third time. lie has a colt called Caledon, reputed as good as if not better than Applecross,

at home, but it. has not been possible as yet to bring him on to the racecourse. The year after Captain Cuttle won him the Derby a similar rumour gained currency, but, when that dark un was exploited, lie turned out to l>e a gay deceiver. Ilis name was Tom Pinch! Tom Pinch, by the way, is now at the stud in France.