SPORTING

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15973, 15 November 1919, Page 5

SPORTING

ARTILLERYMAN’S MELBOURNE CUP. FORTUNES WON. Fortunes were won on Artilleryman* It was Mtiatod by a leading bookmaker the other day that one of tho owners of the colt stood to win £20,000 straight out, while ho also had him well backed with Lucknow for the two Cups. Shortly after the publication of the weights a Sydney bookmaker laid £2OOO to ' £3O about him, .while after his failure in the Derby on the Saturday one fortunate punter was able to get £IOOO to £SO twice. One Sydney bookmaker will nay out £15,000 on Artilleryman, and he computes that quite 20 others will do the same. These alone then will pay £300,000. . The Cup wee worth about £7OOO to tho winners. Sir Samuel Hordern and Mr A. D. Murphy. The latter is a Victorian sportsman. Sir Samuel Hordern liad a 1 >etter colt than he knew when he bought Kcnilford to win a Melbourne Cup for him, and he could not haVe known, of course, that bo had already in his stable the winner of the two mile race. It is rare that a race starts mx minutes after tho advertised time, except because of the fractiousncea of some of tho runners at the barrier. ITierc were many speculations as to the reason for Lucknow’s return to the weighing-out enclosure after he had finished his preliminary, but no one suspected the real reason—thait Bullock had forgotten his load bag. If he had not discovered ids mistake, and Lucknow bad won, and it bad. been found later thait the weight was a stone short, well then there would have been something to talk about*. There would be exquisite dramatic situations to be drawn out of such a happening. P. Hey wood, trainer of Artilleryman, liad been condemned all the week for not giving the colt enough work. It was suggested that if he had been galloped more freely he would have won the Derby, but after that race Haywood was strongly of the opinion that the horse was very nearly, it not quite, at Hie top of his form for the claano event. He conceded that the gallop would probably do the oolt good. It is pretty certain, however, that other reasons for Artilleryman’s defeat in the Derby will have te he found, and may be the smack with a, whip he got up in the finishing stages of that race may kuve bud u greater effect tixan was believed at the time. His achievemerit, was one of the greatest m the history of the Cup, as ho demoralised a good field in record time. The preconceived notion expressed by recognised judges that tho three-year-olds were a poor lot was totally upset by the result of the Cup, for horses of that ago finished first and second. It was very hoard to distinguish what was in front rounding the turn, for everything within hitting distance toed to get a position simultaneously. Some of them m tho process carried others out with them, and the consequence wae that Artilleryman got a beautiful run on tho rai’s. If the opening had been made te order it could not have keen a better one. Another horse to take advantage of it was. Lucknow, who followed in behind Artilleryman. Tho coolest mhn on the course after the race was Lewis, tho veteran jockey, who rode the winner. Some of the • winner's .supporters were extravagant in their delight, and perhaps for the first time in his life Lewis waa kissed by a man Ho did not appear to like it much either.