THE MELBOURNE CUP

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 160797, 3 November 1920, Page 7

THE MELBOURNE CUP

WON BY POITREL. REMARKABLY*”PINE PERFORMANCE. MELBOURNE, Nov. 2. There was an enormous attendance, and the weather was fine and bright for the second day of the Y.R.C. spring meeting at Plemington. All the enclosures were packed and it was impossible to move in the ring. The going was satisfactory. Shadow Dancer led to the home turn in the Cup Hurdles, and won uncommonly easy. Shadow Dancer won the same race two years ago. There was a great contest in the Railway Highweight Handicap; Earl Simon, who was third in the first stages, just won in the last stride from the early leader, Yoorala. The New Zealand-bred All Aboard, on the outside, finished very fast in third place. Earl Simon is owned and trained in Adelaide. Canowindra, on the outside, came fast in the November Nursery, and won in the last twenty yards. Canowindra cost 600 gns. as a yearling, and is the first of Woorak's progeny to win, EXCITING CUP RACE. There was great excitement before the race for the .Melbourne Cup. Poitrel was cheered on making his appearance on the course. It was a splendid race. Poitrel was in the middle o'f the field in the early stages, and came on the outside with a lightning dash, and won over the last half a furlong from Erasmus, who had two lengths lead beloW the distance. Queen Comedygoing well, got third place. Eurythmio was dangerous to the distance, but died out. Salitros was beaten at the six furlongs. Poitrel’s rider, Ken Bracken, had a great reception, and was cheered fof some minutes. The first half mile was run in 53sec, the next four in 52sec, and the succeeding four in 51sec, and the last four in 49* sec. Poitrel has now won .£20,734 in stakes. Dr James just squeezed home in the Steeples from top-weight Pinon. Norman Godby owns Dr James, and also trained the hurdle victor. Shadow Dancer. Cup Hurdle Race. —Shadow Dancer 11.11 1, Front Rank 9.11 3, Stage Fright 10.13 3. Nine started. Won easily by twelve lengths, third horse two and a half lengths behind. Time, 3.44*. Railway Highweight Handicap.—Earl Simon 9.8 1, Yoorala 8.4 3, All Aboard 9.2 3. There were twenty runners. Won by a head, shor tneck between second and third. Time, 1.15*. November Nursery.—Canowindra 8.6 1, Sonora 8.5 2, Lorna B. 8.5 3. Won by a neck, Lorna B. three-quarters of a length away. Time, 1.2. MELBOURNE CUP, of 7000 sovs; two miles. W. and F. A. Moses’ POITREL (St. Alwyne—Poinard), 10.9 (K. Bracken 1 W. M. Keogh and E. Moss’ br. c. ERASUMUS, 3yrs, by linaore (imp.)— Lady Capulet, 7.0 (J. Simmons) 2 QUEEN COMEDY, 7.0 (A. Wise) ... 3 EURYTHMIC 9.4 (F. Dempsey) 4 There were twenty-three starters. When the field settled down, Salitros was in front, Tangalooma and Malurys being next. Salitros led past the stand from Erasmus, Seabound and Syce Knight, and Eurythmic was running about eighth, and Poitrel further back. Salitros had two lengths lead of Malurys running down the side, and Salitros still had command to approaching the-six furlong post, where Tangalooma, went to the front. The order into the straight was Erasmus, Tangalooma, Paratoo, Eurythmic and Poitrel. Erasmus had a lead of a couple of lengths from Eurythmic below the distance, and at the distance Erasmus was in front, Eurythmio being next. Here Poitrel came with a fine run on the outside and beat Erasmus by half a length. Queen Comedy was two lengths off third, and Eurythmic fourth two and a half lengths away. Then came Kennaquhair, Paratoo, Ecarte, Red Cardinal, and Tangalooma, with Salitros fourteenth and Malurys last. Time, 3.25*. Cup Steeplechase.—Dr James 9.2 1, Pinon 12.2 2, Hobgoblin 10.13 3. Thirteen started. Pimpara and Wooloo fell Won by a neck. Time, 4.6. Yan Yean Stakes.—Battle Plane 8.4 1, Budurra 7.8 2, Prince Royal 7,7 3. Won by a neck. lime, 1.39*, By "ACHILLES.” Poitrel set the seal on his fame yesterday by scoring in the Melbourne Cup with 10.0 in the saddle. It was a great performance, as he beat a fine field and won in the fast time of 3.25*. He has now won just on .£27,000 for his owners, and the Messrs Moses were certainly lucky when they failed! to get a buyer for him at 300 guineas as a yearling. The splendid record established by the eon of St. Alwyne stamps him as one of the very best horses ever raced in Australia. The ring would get a bad knock by Poitrel’s win, a$ the champion had been ono of the most solidly backed candidates from the time the weights appeared. In fact, the son of St. Alwyne ruled as favourite until Eurythmic won the Caulfield Cup, and then the latter was quoted at the same price as Poitrel, and the pair would probably dispute favouritism at the post. Poitrel had not previously raced in Melbourne until Saturday, when he finished third iu the Melbourne Stakes. He has now given Flemington race-goers a taste of Ids quality, and it is not surprising to learn that the New South Wales crack was given a great ovation on returning to'the birdcage. It was a wonderful performance—worthy to rank with Carbine’s historic win with 10.3 on his back, though the great son of Musket carried fibs more and had a much bigger field to defeat. Poitrel’s record in weight-for-age events is as follows: —At four years: Won A.J.C. Spring Stakes, Autumn Stakes, Cumberland Stakes, A.J.C. Plate At five years: Won A.J.C. Spring Stakes, Randwick Plate, Autumn Stakes, Cumberland Stakes, A.J.C. Plate. At six years: Dead-heated with Kennaquhair in Spring Stakes and won Randwick Plate. Trafalgar has the best record in tile history of the Randwick Plate. He won the race in foul successive years. When Poitrel won the Randwick Plate on the last day of the recent A.J.C. spring meeting he ran the distance in 3.23 J. Erasmus had been doing such good work at Flemington that nis performance in running, second to Poitrel would not come as a great surprise to track watchers. The son of Linacre has a swinging foreleg and the left-handed going would suit him. In Sydney that leg is on the tide closest the rails, while at Flemington it would be on the outside, a fact that would be in . his favour. The colt had been pleasing close

observers as much as anything, and he is said to have looked a picture; clean ribbed and well muscled. . Eurythmic appears to have found the distance at the pace set just a little too far for him, though to carry 9.4 into fourth place in such a race was a splendid performance. It may be that the son of Burodus is feeling the effects of his recent racing ' a little, and possibly was not seen quite at his best after scoring thirteen times in succession. As was generally anticipated when the result of the race was received, Spion Kop was by no means himself when he ran in the English St. Leger, which, by the way, was witnessed by the greatest crowd that ever assembled at Doncaster. There were 14 starters in the race, and Spion Kop was a warm favourite. He sweated a great deal in the paddock before his clothes were taken off, he broke out again during the parade, and was lathering as he cantered to the start. He had been suffering from heel troubles, which at that time were common in racing stables in England. Two furlongs from home Caligula went to the front, and, stalling off a challenge by Silvern, won by half a length, Manton, whose starting price was 33 to 1 against, being third. Spion Kop did not finish in the first eleven. It was not long before the race that Caligula was purchased on account of the Indian sportsman, Mr M. Goouldas, for what was feaid to be a little more than 8000 guineas, and he did not let the colt run unbacked. Caligula is by The TJetrarch from Snoot, by Perigord from N.R.A., by Deuce of Clubs from Miss Gunning, by Petronel, from Rose Maylie, by Isonomy. The second favourite, Orpheus, also ran badly in the St. Leger, and was only eighth to pass the judge. The Australian jockeys, F. Bullock and B. Carslake, rode in the race,, tho former being on Braishfield, and the other on Stronghold. N.Z. TROTTING CUP. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 2. Final acceptances N.Z. Trotting Cup— Arthur Dillon, Matchlight, Cello, Sydnew Wilkes, Trix Pointer, General Link, John Dillon, Sherwood, Dean Dillon, Albert Cling, Willie Lincoln, Moneymaker, Erin’s Queen, Mintson, Steel Bell, Reta Peter, Hal Junior.