LUCK IN RACING

Waikato Times, Volume 90, Issue 14051, 2 May 1919, Page 3

LUCK IN RACING

There are those who maintain that there is no such thing as luck in racing (writes Rapier in the Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News). v How else would you describe the fact that Mr Gosdem the miller of Midhurst, happened to be in Drowitt's stable at Lewes when Sir John Astley had gone down to look at his mare Laura? The story is told in' the cheery old Mate's Fifty Years of My Life, and is quoted again in the October number of the Bloodstock Breeders' Review. One afternoon Sir John Astley was looking at Laura despondhigly. Her head was hanging down between her knees, shr would not feed, and he was convinced that she would "never be worth a row of pins either for racing or for the stud." He told Drewitt that could give her to any of his farmer friends who mhrht think her worth acceptance. Mr Gosden, as just remarked, was in the yard. "Don't do that," he said, "I'll give you a pony for her." The Mate thought he had made quite a bargain; Mr Gosden was convinced that the advantage might be on hiß side, and with reason, for Laura bred him thirteen or fourteen foals, five that came consecutively being Proto-Martyr, Franlein, Botherill, and Petrarch. Franlein was sold to Mr Sterling Crawford for £3500 or £-1000; Petrarch was sold to Lord Dupplin for £IO,OOO, an absurdedly chenn horse. Tin' £25 mniv produced half-a-dozen colts and fillies who won between them £28,857, to which total Petrarch contributed eight ra-vs worth £IS,2W>. including the Middle Park Plate, the Two Thousand Guineas, the Prince of Wales' Stakes ,at Ascot, the Leger, the Gold Cup. • -"' the "Rons Memorial. This is on.- -,)- iU P roma-fes "f wing, and it nc»d hardly b c said that Petrarch when he "•ent to the stud became the sire of Busybody, The Bard, Miss Jummv, r, -"o?ia-, Florentine, and Throstle., amongst others.