Melbourne Cup Was “Fairly Rough Race,” States Turf Editor

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 November 1949, Page 3

Melbourne Cup Was “Fairly Rough Race,” States Turf Editor

SYDNEY, Nov. 2.—The turf editor of the “Sydney Morning Herald” says that Foxzami, perfectly ridden byFellows, had a smooth run handy to the leaders all through the Melbourne Cup, but other horses, including Benvolo, Vagabond, Belter Law, Delta. Comic Court, Sanctus, Dashing Beau and Playboy found it. a fairly rough race.

Vagabond was interfered with when forced on to the heels of St. Razzle at the seven furlongs, and almost went down to its nose. An inquiry has been opened by the stewards on this and other incidents.

The “Sydney Telegraph” correspondent comments that Benvolo was the unlucky horse of the race and that he may have won had he escaped interference between the five and lour furlongs. Benvolo finished very fast in third place, a length and a-half and a long neck behind th? leaders. He would have been second in a few more strides. A mile from home he was travelling comfortably in sixth place, but when Comic Court fell back slightly Benvolo suddenly lost ground. Jockey Williams said he lost more than a length anti was thrown right out of his stride. He was well back into the straight, but made up four lengths in the last furlong. Writing in the “Telegraph,” a correspondent, J. O'Brien, says that the stewards questioned eight jockeys concerning the roughly run Cup and adjourned the inquiry until tomorrow.

Foxzami’s owner, Mr Len Robertson, attended the 1947 yearling sales in Ney/ Zealand, determined to buy a Nizami yearling. Several Nizami progeny were offered and he fined the selection down to two —a colt from Honeywood and a filly from Card Player. He bought the colt for 800 guineas and named him Foxzami. The filly, bought on beiwlf of Mr F. W. Hughes for 1400 guineas, was a grey horse who last year won .the V.R.C. Oaks.

Foxzami is the second horse by Nizami to win the Melbourne Cup, the other being Hiraji in 1947. After yesterday s race Mr Robinson said that in 1946 he picked Nizami as one of the best sires in Australasia and thought he would buy him, but Mr Hughes must have had the same idea, because he got in first. “I intended to mate one my mares with Nizami, but Mr Hughes does not take outside mares. The next best thing was to buy a Nizami yearling at the New Zealand sales.”

Foxzami has had 27 starts for seven wins and eight minor placings. His Melbourne Cup win brought his total of prize money to £18,474.

Pay For Jockey. The successful jockey in the Mel-j bourne Cup will collect £440 3s in percentage fees. He will earn the rate of £2B Is 6d for each of the 16 furlongs. The difference between riding the winner and the second horse in the Melbourne Cup is wide. With the addition of a monetary gift from the owner, the winning jockey probably will not get less than £2OOO, but the boy on the second horse may have to be content with the ordinary losing fee of £3, which operated for only the second time in the race, Formally it was only £2.