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New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume III, Issue 106, 4 August 1892, Page 3

Sir John Willoughby was not as fortunate as usual with his yearling book on the Derby. He laid the regular £lO,OOO to £lOO against Orme, La Fleche, Sir Hugo, and St. Angelo when they were youngsters; in fact the only runners in this year’s race that would have “ skinned the lamb ” for him were Bucentaure and Thessalian. Unfortunately, too, though Sir John (or rather his agent, for Sir John is in South Africa) bought back much of the money laid against La Fleche at a heavy sacrifice, he stood out his full £lO,OOO laid against Sir Hugo. The death is recorded on May 17 in America of Rarus, who held the proud title of “ king of the trotting turf” from August 3, 1878, till October 25, 1879. He was a bay gelding over 16 hands high. He was bred by the late R. B. Conklin, of Greenport, L. 1., and was foaled in 1867. His sire was a horse called Conklin’s Abdallah, that was used as a truck horse in New York City by a cartman named Mead, from whom Mr. Conklin bought him. The latter was a natural horseman, and recognised the intrinsic good qualities of the stallion, but his breeding has never been established. Rarus’s dam was Nancy Awful, by Telegraph, son of Smith Burr’s Napoleon. Rarus first started as a four-year-old in a scrub race on Long Island, but did not come into prominence until 1874, when he scored his first victory at Homesville, N.Y., and won four races that year, getting a record of 2.28 J. In 1875 he went in for Grand Circuit honours, and won at Cleveland, Rochester, Utica, and two races at Hartford, and altogether was first seven times that year, lowering his record to 2.20 J. The following year he won all down the line from Buffalo, and was first nine times, reducing his record to 2.20. That winter he went to California, and May 26, 1877, beat Goldsmith Maid in a match, trotting one heat in 2.19 J. This gave him great fame, and he was the bright, particular star of the year, proving invincible in the free-for-all Grand Circuit events, lowering his record to 2.16, and winning, in 1877, 19 races. He was forced into the position of an exhibition horse in 1878, and trotted many fast heats the best of which was 2.13 J at Buffalo, N.Y., August 3. This was the first time that 2.14 was beaten,'and left Rarus king- ol the turf until St. Julien trotted in 2.12 f 14 months later. In 1879 his best mile was 2.13 J at Rochester, N.Y., and at Hartford, Conn. ; that year he was purchased by Mr. Robert Bonner, for 36,000 dol. the highest price ever paid for a gelding. John Murphy drove him in 2.11 J over the three-quarter mile track at Mr. Bonner’s farm. The horse died of old age, but his death was hastened by a cold. John Splan was the driver of Rarus at the zenith of him fame, and still considers him as fast a horse as was ever foaled.