DERBY FAVOURITE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20150, 19 May 1928, Page 4

DERBY FAVOURITE

FAIRWAY’S FINE WIN NEWMARKET STAKES VICTORY At the Newmarket meeting on Wednesday another of the season’s “classic” events in. England was decided and the result, so the cables inform interested New Zealanders, was a victory for the Phalaris colt Fairway, owned by Lord. Derby. The race mentioned was the Newmarket Stakes, which is restricted to three-year-olds only, the distance covered being a mile and a-quarter. In addition to a sweepstakes of £3O for each starter the authorities add £lOOO in stakes, so that it may be expected that the 116 entries and 13 starters between them would mean a contribution on the parts of owners of another £lOOO, which would not be considered much of a prize in Australia, or even in the Dominion. As thp' horses to finish behind Fairway were owned by the Duke of Portland and Lord Lonsdale respectively, it may be seen that the titled sportsmen at Home have at least a few good three-year-olds to reward them for their support of racing in England. Was a Good Juvenile. As a two-year-old last season, Fairway was one of England’s best, being unplaced in his first, start and then winning his other thrjee on end. These I were the Coventry Stakes (of £2.010, live furlongs), July Stakes (£1,900, furlongs), and Champagne Stakes (£2,480, 6 furlongs), the last event being an easy win. These performances placed Fairway in ninth place on the list of winning horses with £6,390, just below Flamingo (winner of the Two Thousand Guineas a fortnight ago), who captured £7,§28. Fairway was not right when the Two Thousand Guineas was run, and he was withdrawn a couple of days before that classic. I.ord Derby’s colt is apparently all right again, and the fact that he won the Newmarket Stakes over a mile and a-quarter seems to suggest that he will seo out the Derby on Wednesday fortnight. Lord Derby holds a very strong hand in the great Epsom classic, for he owns Pharaniond, who was fourth in the Two Thousand Guineas. The meeting of

Flamingo and Fairway at Epsom will now be looked forward to with the greatest interest. The Wheedler, who finished second to Fairway at Newmarket, won one race as a youngster and ran third once and fourth twice, but when he won he beat Pharaniond by a head. This was in the Buckenham Stakes. Lodore, the third horse, did not race as a two-year-old. In view of tho result of the Newmarket Stakes it is interesting to note that the Derby will be decided this year on Wednesday, June 6. So far, apart from the race for the Two Thousand, the One Thousand, and the Newmarket Stakes, nothing has been heard of the leading English three-year-olds. New Zealanders this year have a very real interest in the Derby, for Black Watch, bred by Mr J. B. Reid, from Punka, who raced in New Zealand, is a Derby candidate, and from all accounts a potential one. Black Watch did not run at Newmarket last week, and neither did Fairway nor Rangjit Singh. Ranjit Singh, who is a bay colt by Gay Crusader from Rackety Coo, is really the favourite amongst the critics, but Black Watch and Fairway also have friends. Black Watch and the Derby In a letter which the Weekly Press racing contributor received from Mr J. B. Reid last week the former New Zealand breeder states that Black Watch has wintered well, and is a grand looking colt, ”but whether he will win the Derby is a different matter, for it is a very difiicult race to win "when so many starters all try to race for position at the start. As a matter of fact he should have won all his races last season easily, but got left at Ascot, and at York Richards thought he had the Gimcrack Stakes w T on, and eased him in the heavy going, and only then just won on the post. A horse 1 have very much regard for is Ranjit Singh, as he can go fast and stay as well, but Black Watch if fit on the day will take some beating The other three-year-old, Black Friar, is also very good, but he met with an accident, falling on the road, and I allowed them to cut him. Gilpin writes to say that Ambry, by Black Gauntlet-Kilrea, shapes like a first-class filly, and that Parting Kiss, by Somme Kiss-Kilcullen, is also going well. Punka has a grand foa] this year by Sinnatus, by the Tetrarch-Sccptre’s daughter, by Swynford-Sceptre. I have also three fine yearlings by Sinnatus but unfortunately Sinnatus died when I was in New Zealand last year. He was a great loss to me, as his stock are splendid. Fortunately Punka held to him and has a January foal. ’ ’