ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS WINNER.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1205, 15 May 1913, Page 4

ONE THOUSAND GUINEAS WINNER.

Jest, who won the One Thousand Guineas Stakes in England this month, was bred by her owner, Mr J. B. Joel. She raced very consistently as a two-year-old, starting in four races, winning two of them, finishing second once, and third once. Her first appearance was in July in the Hurst Park Foal Plate, in which she carried Sst, and finished third behind Prue (8.13) and Light Brigade (7.13). Her next race was in the Autumn Breeders’ Foal Plate, at Manchester, in September, when she ran second with 7.8 to Waiontha (8.7), who beat her by. a neck. Waiontha, it might be remarked, was regarded as the best two-year-old filly of the season. The following month she won the Bretley Stakes at Nawmarket, scoring comfortably by three lengths from Streamlet, who just beat Drawbridge. She wound up the season with an easy victory in the Free Handicap at Worcester in October, having as runner-up Light Brigade, who finished in front of her in her first race. Taslett, who finished second to Jest in the One Thousand Guineas, must have made considerable improvement since last season, though she was not highly tried as a two-year-old, starting three times, winning once and ’finishing unplaced twice. Her victory was gained on the last day but one of the flat racing season at Lingfield Park on November 22nd, when she beat Golden Sun and Virgilia in the Medway Two-year-old Plate. Prue, who filled third place behind Jest and Taslett, was spoken of as a very smart filly. She started in only three races last year, winning two of them and finishing second in the other. Her defeat was sustained in the Woodcote Stakes at Epsom in June, in which Shogun, one of the two best colts of the season, beat her by a length. She won the National Breeders’ Produce Stakes at Sandown Park in July, and the Hurst Park Foal Plate the same month. A FAMOUS SPORTSMAN. In connection with the death of Sir Tatton Sykes, it is interesting to recall the following pen picture of the famous old sportsman, written by the special commissioner of the London “Sportsman” in September last: — “For twenty-one successive years have I visited Sledmere, and always on the same day and by the same train. The stationmaster at Sledmere is the same, and nothing as regards the journey is changed save that this year, for the first time, I was met by a motor-car instead of one of the familiar old two-wheeled vehicles, with a confidential horse in the shafts. It says much for Sir Tatton’s vitality of mind, as well as Gf body, that he has taken kindly to motoring at his time of life, and I make no doubt he has derived great benefit from this splendid method of getting plenty of oxygen into the system. At any rate, Sir Tatton, as I saw him last week, was a fresher, and, I almost think, a heavier, man than he was many years ago. . The burning of his old house has affected him not a whit, and he looked with interest on the rebuilding operations which have now commenced. These, it is said, will be finished within two years, but Sir Tatton is sceptical, and is contemplating a tour in Algeria; but he takes an even fuller interest in his blood stock than ever, and accompanied me and his nephew, Mr Henry Cholmcrideley, not only to see the yearlings, but also right away to distant paddocks, with a stiff uphill climb before we got there, to inspect mares and foals. It was very pleasant to find Sir Tatton in this form, .and I hope he will retain it for a number of years to come. No man in this world was ever less desirous of advertisement- and publicity, but his yearlings are always of such public interest that he has allowed them to be written about for these many years, though sorely against his own will in the earlier period.”

North Pole, who fell in the Fairfield Welter at Ashburton on Thursday and broke his neck, was bred by the Hon. J. D. Ormond in 1904, and was by Birkenhead from Norsemaid by Ncrdenfeldt from Maid of Athol. He carried the cerise jacket for two or three seasons with only a fair amount of success, and was afterwards sold to' Mr P. Donnellan’, of the West Coast, for whom he was rather more successful, particularly over short courses.

THE MUSKET STRAIN. I have often, read articles in the papers from time to time about horses, and would like to mention a thing I saw seven years ago, writes a correspondent in an exchange. I happened to be in Sydney, and saw Noctuiform, a son of Multiform, grandson of Musket, win the A.J.C. Derby at Randwick. ’ I went to Melbourne, and returned to Wellington via the Bluff. Coming into Lyttelton harbour I noticed the Sydney boat has jus; arrived with several horses, among whom was Noctuiform. He was just put on the wharf in charge of a small boy, when a railway engine and trucks came snorting along right in front of the horse, who only had small space. He stood quite still, and- just raised his head in the air. It was a very awkward position, but he showed the intelligence of a human being. He stood quit e still and the trucks passed by without accident. There was nobody in charge except the small boy who was holding him. It was a very careless thing to do, and I think if the late Mr. Stead had seen what I saw he would have had a fit. However, Noctuiform shortly afterwards was successful in winning the New Zealand Cup, Derby, and Canterbury Cup. There is no doubt the solid temperament of th e Musket breed assert- . ed itself in this case. If it had been one of those wild-eyed animals, it would have run mad at the sight of the engine, but not so this horse, who held his head in the air and looked a perfect gentleman. These decendants of Musket are the most valuable horses in New Zealand. There is no doubt that the Muskets are very intelligent, arid have steady temperaments. I never lose the opportunity of sounding their praise, as I have seen so much of them. It will be a sorry day for us when we lose the last of that breed. WORLD’S CHAMPION WRESTLER. GOTCH IN ACTION AGAIN. Within the past six months America has been visited by one of the periodical plagues of foreign strong men. Lach of them has hurled challenges at Gotch, but he, until recently, refused to hearken to them. Frank is quite wealthy, and h e said he preferred the simple life, which went with managing his farm in lowa. But somehow it was easy to see what was coming. This fellow Lurich challenged more tban all the others. He pointed out that he was Gotch’s logical opponent, as he had thrown, both Hackenschmidt and Zbysco. Presently Gotch began to waver. At least, so much is to be inferred from the fact that inquiries were made as to the chances of securing permission from Mayor Harrison, of Chicago, to hold a big wrestling match in the windy city. Harrison set his face against it. Then we heard that Kansas City would offer the big men an asylum. And at Kansas City they met on the night of April 1. They say that Lurich was a prey to nervousness for an hour before he stepped on the mat. He paced up and down in his dressmg-room, and his friends prevailed upon Zbysco, the Pole, and others to engage him in conversation, with a view to taking his attention bff the match. There was a long argument before the affair began. Lurich wanted the toe hold barred, and Gotch would not agree. The toe hold by the way, is the grip with which Frank makes all his rivals turn belly up. Lurich made, the plea that, being a Graeco-Roman wrestler, he had little. experience of holds,below the waist. ‘While’he liad never seen the toe hold, he admitted that he had a wholesome dread of it, and he confessed that it was worrying over the prospect of being caught in the swirl of the toe hold that had made him nervous. He argued that the strangle hold had been barred from recent matches because it was brutal, and that the toe hold was an equally inhuman caress. But Gotch remained firm, and the toe hold was not eliminated. Lurich became a victim of the dreaded hold after eighteen minutes of wrestling. It is said that a look | of agony o’erspread his face when j Gotch' seized the pedal digit and be- j gan to exert pressure. And Lurich’s ' shoulders sank to the mat just as ; Hackenschmidt’s did in Chicago. i ”

They say Lurich went back to his dressing-room like a man dazed. Possibly h e was wondering if Gotch ever used the toe hold twice in the same evening. 'Whatever his thoughts, one of the reports said “h e was like so much clay in the hands of the champion” when he again appeared. This time it required but five minutes and thirty seconds to bring Lurich down, the fall being secured with a head and arm hold.

Whether Gotch will get right back into retirement or elect to deal with a couple more of the big foreigners before returning to th e farm remains to be seen. Le Marin wants a match, and so does Zbysco, and if the financial outlook is all right, I guess Frank will not hurry home. It is reported that twelve thousand persons attended the match in Kansas City, but whether a crowd of that kind could be drawn together again at the same point is a moot question. One of the peculiarities of these big wrestling contests is that most cities seem to consider one of them sufficient.

Whether Lurich was cowed or not before he entered upon the struggle, the fact remains that Frank Gotch is a wonderful wrestler. He has the size, the shape, the muscle, the pluck, and the skill. I consider him a better man than Clarence Whistler, or any of the cracks of twenty-five or thirty years ago.