SYDNEY CUP WINNER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 January 1940, Page 9

SYDNEY CUP WINNER

WILL BE SENT TO INDIA

L’Aiglon. the winner of the Sydney Cup and other races, has been sold by his owner. Mr Walter Digby, to the Hoyt brothers, and the gelding will eventually be sent to India to race. At the conclusion of the spring meetings in Melbourne, L’Aiglon did not return to Sydney because Mr Digby contemplated a trip to Adelaide with the gelding for the Port Adelaide Cup. However, Mr Digby’s business' interests in New Guinea made it necessary for him to abandon the Adelaide journey, and L’Aiglon was placed on the sale list. F. Southall, who rode for some time in India, knowing that L’Aiglon was for sale, brought the horse under the notice of the Hoyt brothers, who, after inspection, purchased him at a high price. It is understood that L’Aiglon may race in Australia for a few months before being sent to India. He is the type of horse likely to do well in India, as of recent years not many better stayers than The Buzzard gelding have been sent from Australia to the East. The Hoyt brothers have long been associated with racing in India, where for many years their father was one of the leading trainers. Clark Hoyt was a first-class rider, and won most of India's most important events. Although L’Aiglon has a Sydney Cup to his credit, he has been an unlucky horse, and has been placed in many important events, including a Sydney Cup, Brisbane Cup, and Moonee Valley Cup. Bad Instructions. Some people in authority continually give riders instructions that really contribute to defeat, particularly in a big field. “Don't go to the front” may be obeyed to a ridiculous extent. If a rider obtained a break at the start, or through other riders being overburdened by orders not to go to the front then he would be mentally deficient if he pulled up his mount in order to follow instructions issued before any idea was known as to what may take place in a race. In any case, “Don’t go to the front” frequently results in a rider keeping his mount well back from the leaders and then being forced to give away a good start when the pace becomes hot at the finish of a race. It is really absurd for a rider to lose ground when the pace is slow and then have to make it up when the field begins to race at top. There is the golden axiom of racing] that a horse can give away weight but, not a start in a race. An Unpromising Start. Ballad, who won a double at Wingatui, made a rather unpromising start* at the hurdling business. At the Waimate Hunt meeting held last season he led over the first hurdle and then ran off the course. He continued on the outside of the course, pulling his rider out of the saddle and jn fact overpowered his pilot. After the race the rider was fined £1 for continuing in the race after his mount had run off at a hurdle. In his next race at Timaru Ballad was kept on the course by N. J. Dwyer, and then he ran second to Pink Robe at the Otago Hunt Club's meeting. Ballad ran off at Geraldine and at the Wingatui spring meeting finished fourth in the Waikari Hurdles. Jewish Lad gave Ballad 201 b and a four-length beating at Timaru in October and then came two unplaced performances under welter weights at Gore. On the first day at Wingatui Ballad stopped badly after leading to the home turn, but the shorter distances on the second and third days suited him better and he won both. Ballad is. by the way, a brother to Meadow Lark, who once held the record for six furlongs at Wingatui.

Tampering with the Scales. The stipendiary steward, Mr C. F. Hartland, reported that on the morning of the third day’s racing at Wingatui he had discovered that 21b of lead had been placed in the jockeys' scales by some person unknown. This would have resulted in all the jockeys being weighed out 21b under weight. The matter has been referred to the racecourse inspector for investigation.

Plough Horse Makes Good. Peggotty is not the only trotter to have helped pull a plough and then become a shining light on the race track. George Arliss won both trotting races at Reefton last week on' a preparation largely composed of plough work. Owned at Rakaia by Mr S. Shellock, and trained and driven by W. Shellock, who met with some success when he raced Kippagh, George Arliss, like his actor namesake, has at last proved that he can play his part on the day. Solidity was the chief factor contributing to his successes. Used as a general utility horse on the farm, he raced without success some seasons back and was bought at a bargain price by his present owner. Farmers at Rakaia have had little faith in his ability, but now it is the turn of the Shellocks to laugh, as the aged Nelson Derby gelding which is from a mare by Cahn, has made’the grade in handsome style. Punter’s Luck.

A man who in error handed over a £5O note instead of a 10s note when making a bet bn the totalisator at the November meeting of the Feilding Jockey Club has been lucky enough to recover his loss. When the jockey club was balancing its accounts at the conclusion of the meeting it was found that there was a surplus of £49 10s in the totalisator account, and in the belief that the money would eventually be claimed it was placed in a suspense account. On the first day of the Manawatu meeting the secretary of the Feilding Club, Mr G. Goodbehere, met a man who, after explaining that a £5O note had gone astray, asked him if by any chance the club’s totalisator balance was out. Mr Goodbehere acknowledged that the club was holding £49 10s on behalf of the some unknown person, and added that the presence of a £5O note in the cash indicated the, possibility of someone having mistak-. enly paid in a £5O note instead of a 10s one. Further inquiries satisfied the club officials that the person who made the inquiry was the owner of the £49 10s. and the money has been paid over.