THE CLUBMAN

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1485, 10 October 1918, Page 8

THE CLUBMAN

The attention of sportsmen throughout Australasia, and, indeed, throughout the world, has been attracted by the Australian .Jockey Club’s spring meeting, which commenced at Randwick on Saturday, for the meetings held there have for some years past been looked upon as something more than of an inter-state or intercolonial character since so many horses bred in the Old Land have been regularly taking part. What great meetings they are to be sure, and every year becoming greater, like the great spring meetings of the Victoria Racing Club, which attract such enormous crowds. The attendances have been gradually growing at Randwick, probably more so than on any racecourse in Australasia, for it has only been during the last ten or twelve years that racing with the masses of the metropolis of Sydney, and visitors from overseas and neighbouring States and within the borders of New South Wales has taken such a hold. Twenty thousand at Rand wick just a little over a decade ago was considered a large assemblage. Now, over three times that number occasionally pay for admission to the course, and the problem of where to accommodate the increasing crowds is constantly receiving consideration. Racing was never more popular in the colonies than it is at the present time. Despite the great attraction the Melbourne Cup meeting has always been and the constant reminders we have had from the days of our earliest recollection that there is only one Flemington — and what racing associations the name brings up — there can be no getting away from the fact that Randwick is now sharing a large place in the affections of the sport-loving people of the colonies. • * * * New Zealanders are becoming more attracted “to Australia, and there are few who own and few who breed and race good horses who would not for choice prefer to win the classic and weight-for-age races and good handicap races against allcomers at Randwick or Flemington than the leading races on New Zealand soil, for the reason that they afford the best tests of merit, and in a majority of instances are of more value and establish the class to which equine celebrities belong. New Zealand has provided winners of pretty well all the classic races of note at Randwick and Flemington, and New Zealand owners have won the most important races, though- not always with New Zealand-bred horses. They have had their failures, too, but we are sure that we have had many more Derby colts and three-year-old fillies that could have acquitted themselves, with much distinction if they had been afforded the opportunity in the Commonwealth. We have had a number of really good ones that were bred in Australia, some of them got by horses or from mares bred in New Zealand or from mares we have purchased in Australia. We freely acknowledge that we owe a very large share of our turf successes to early and later importations from Australia, while Australia is perhaps more heavily indebted to New Zealand for much of the good blood that has asserted itself on the many racecourses of the Commonwealth. All this is well enough known to students of breeding. Good thoroughbreds are raised in all the States, but nowhere are they of better class than the best raised in New Zealand, where comparatively little money has been spent in the purchase of good English mares. That we could have done still better admits of no doubt. So many breeders fail to attend to another important detail, and that is the feeding, shelter and early development of the horses they breed. If the good grass pastures are cons’dered too valuable for the thoroughbreds to be reared on then it is best not to breed them at all. They are few who do not know this, but many who do not profit by their knowledge. Enough of these reflections.

Randwick racing, as above stated, has been a source of great interest to us all. We are only in a position to deal with the events of the first day’s racing on this page, but there is much that is extremely gratifying to New Zealanders in Saturday’s results. We had no hurdlers competing, the owners of Tararu Jack, St. Elmn and British Arch having withdrawn their respective representatives, considering that the handicapper had been rather severe in his assessment of their capabilities. Tararu Jack’s form should be easily gauged. British Arch has yet to develop, and his one win . seems to have impressed Mr. Daly. Those who have watched the turf career of the Rajah of Puddikota, whose gelding, Lord Nagar, won the First Hurdle Race in record time, can congratulate a good sportsman and wish him further successes. Mr. C. G. McPhillamy, who is a breeder with an intimate knowledge of the best racing families on the Australian turf during a lengthy career, is a wellknown New South Wales settler. The Trial Stakes fell to that gentleman’s four-year-old horse, Redburn, by Kenilworth (who was sold last month at auction for 4100 guineas). Amongst those he had behind him were Greg (by Poseidon), another iour-year-old, and the New Zealand-

bred three-year-old, Red Rain, ‘by Martian —Grand Rain (dam of Kilrain). First Rain was bred by Mr. Bruce Christie, of Oamaru, and was purchased by Mr. E. J. Watt as a yearling, and ran at Ellerslie and elsewhere before being sent to Australia, where he formed one of the lot that Mr. Watt gave away when he retired —let us hope temporarily—from the game. 4s * The A.J.C. Derby, probably the most valuable race of its kind in the world at the present time, carrying as it does a stake of 5000sovs and a sweepstake of 20sovs, was the third event that came up for decision, and New Zealand owners claimed no fewer than four of the runners. It says something for the owners and trainers from the Dominion that they should have provided the first, second, third and fourth, thus taking all the honours and the stake money save the 250sovs that goes by the conditions of the race to Mr. Ernest Clark, the breeder of the winner, Mr. G. D. Greenwood’s gelding Gloaming, whose success was fully anticipated. Since R. J. Mason sprang a surprise with him by winning the Chelmsford Stakes a fortnight earlier the son of The Welkin and Light, who descends from the

same family as Bill of Portland and who is a gelding and carried even weights with the colts, Gloaming has been regarded as a really first-class three-year-old. We have read the notes of some sporting writers who occupy positions which are usually filled by acknowledged men, who have gone so far as to class Gloaming as a likely one to beat Desert Gold or anything else at w.f.a. over a distance in Australia, while all the time there has been a prejudice against the stock of The Welkin as stayers. One writer said that Melbourne racing men considered him “a world beater.” Another had a par. “Biplane v. Desert Gold,” and added, “What about Gloaming v. Desert Gold?” That Gloaming is a good gelding has now been fully demonstrated against the best of his age and against some of the older horses. Finmark, as was expected after his race in the Rosehill Guineas, showed improvement, and if there are grounds for believing the suggestion of experts he can be got more fit. J. O’Shea was greatly disappointed that he failed to run the nine furlongs out when Woorawa beat him at Rosehill. He has, however, now proved inferior to Gloaming, whose win made Mr. Greenwood’s second in succession in the race. Kilmoon, prior to leaving for

Australia, was considered second in the matter of class to Almoner, and possibly may be when both are just at their best, but he stays on, and it can be noted that both Kilmoon and the winner are by imported sires. Sophia, dam of Kilmoon, is by the brilliant Menschikoff. Here we have the Nordenfeldt —Steppe blood through Stepniak. It is 33 years since Nordenfeldt won the race 3- & $ The long-established Epsom Handicap followed the Derby, and the fact that the imported five-year-old Rebus, one of the few of the gets of Radium to arrive in the colonies, carried 9.0 and'won in a field of 27, on top of his other performances last season, which include the Sydney Cup (two miles) goes to show that the Englishman is a gentleman. His win enhances the reputation of Gloaming, as with a 101 b. allowance in his favour, Gloaming came away and beat Rebus eight lengths in the Chelmsford Stakes, run over nine furlongs. Rebus, no doubt, was coming on nicely at the time, and a week before the meeting registered a fine mile gallop, and on the same morning Norbury showed great brilliancy over seven furlongs. Norbury was an eleventh hour tip in Auckland, and by

a coincidence we met two sports a couple of hours before who had backed Rebus and Norbury. The third horse, Quaestor (imported), is by the English Derby winner, Cicero (whose dam, Gas, is the dam of the Waikanae sire, Bezonian), out of Illuminata, the dam of Ladas (sire of the dam of Marble Arch and also the dam of Valve, dam of Sanquhar, in Sir George Clifford’s stud). The dam of Quaestor is Cherimoya, winner of the English Oaks. Thus we have in him a young horse by a Derby winner from an Oaks heroine, indicating class which may sooner or later assert itself. We have the blood in several .studs in New Zealand. * * V * And now we come to a race in which there was for New Zealand sportsmen almost as much interest as in the A.J.C. Derby. This was the -“ Spring Stakes, in which that high-class mare, Desert Gold, was to make her first appearance this season. A good deal of the Interest in that event went out with the withdrawal from all engagements of Biplane, who went wrong in his final gallop last Thursday morning, when thousands who had not already arrived were? on their way to the meeting, many of them attracted by the prospect of- seeing the great pair trying conclusions for the first time. They were doomed to be as keenly disappointed as some New Zealand audiences have been in the past when there were several chances of them meeting, which were lost through one or other side not being ready. The chief occasions where when Bisogne beat Biplane and Hymestra in the Royal Stakes at Ellerslie and Estland was sent out to compete while Desert Gold remained in her box, and the other time was when Biplane declined the contest for the Awapuni Gold Cup, which Desert Gold won. It is to be regretted that Biplane could not go out to meet the consistent Desert Gold, who was so much fancied on her previous form in Australia and on her fine track achievements -since her arrival at Randwick. She was generally believed to be right at her best, though she had not had a race since last April. Her many thousands of admirers everywhere were backing her, the opinion being that there was nothing left in the race so formidable as Biplane would have likely proved. The unexpected happened, as it so often does in racing. Another Richmond was in the field, and a good one as it happened and one probably much better than he was thought, and he won. This was the four-year-old chestnut horse Poitrel, owned by the Messrs. W. and F. A. Moses and got by that good sire of stayers, St. Alwyne, who got St. Carwyne, who won the race in 1914 and next year dead-heated with Reputation and won other good races, including the A.J.C. Metropolitan, Melbourne Stakes and Craven Plate; Lady Medallist, who won that race, the Caulfield Cup and many good races in New Zealand being another of the progeny of the imported sire. Poitrel had previously won the A.J.C. Summer Cup and had raced well. There were 11 starters, including Cagou, Prince Viridis and Thana. Poitrel put up a mile and a-half record for Australasia and only got the victory by a short head in the last stride after a great race, while Kennaquhair, who has given evidence of speed and staying qualities, was only two lengths away. * * * * Cruciform beat Wakeful and Postillion in the A.J.C. Spring Stakes in 1903 and next year Gladsome, Martian and Cruciform filled the places. Gladsome and Nightfall were second and third the following year. Isolt and Apologue got second and Maranui third in the three following years, and it was not until 1913 that Emperador got third, and two years later Reputation dead-heated with St. Carwyne, and in 1916 Sasanof, Bee and Carlita filled all three places. Last year Wallace Isinglass, Cagou and Fortune Hunter was the order, and The Toff and Sasanof were unplaced. This year Desert

Gold had to strike her colours to Poitrel. With three wins, a deadheat, five seconds and five thirds in 15 years Dominion-bred horses have not done so badly in that event. When Reputation and St. Carwyne dead-heated they ran the distance in 2min.32sec —record time for the race. The nine furlongs registered by Poitrel (and Desert Gold must share the honour) was a second faster. Poitrel must be given full credit for what is due to him. His brilliancy is undoubted. He had some track honours just before the meeting and more than reproduced his showings. For sentimental reasons many will wish that the short head had been the other way and that the patriotic mission of All Black’s daughter had been commenced with a win. She played her part well. The Messrs. Morses bred Poitrel then?"-fives on the Hunter River and consequently New South Wales claims the newfound crack, and he is a good bred one, full of staying blood. * * * * While on \e subject of Australian racing we must refer to a pleasing act on the part of Mr. Greenwood. That owner was confident Biplane would win the Spring Stakes at* Rosehill, and promised to donate the prize to patriotic purposes, as he had done that for the last race Biplane won in New Zealand, viz., the C.J.C. Challenge Stakes. When Biplane went wrong the New Zealand sportsman, who had previously told the publio that he thought Gloaming would prove an exception to the rest of the stock of The Welkin and win the A.J.C. Derby, indicated that in the event of Gloaming winning any sum up to the value of the Spring Stakes during his stay in Australia the patriotic funds would not suffer by Biplane’s failure. As Gloaming pulled through in brilliant style in the Derby the promise was not long in materialising. * * * * Mr. T. ”H. Lowry is experiencing just now some of the hard luck of racing, but with so useful a team it cannot well be for long. For Finmark to be beaten in the Rosehill Guineas and then by Gloaming in the A.J.C. Derby, and for Desert Gold to go down in the Spring Stakes, each defeat being by a different opponent, is unfortunate. It is all in the game, however, and there is consolation in the reflection that the two members of the team referred to have run so well. The horses of some owners -fail to do as satisfactory. Second monies in races like the A.J.C. Derby and Spring Stakes are all right and together amount to lOOOsovs, a very good start even with so large a team as five. Altogether, when it is remembered what a large number of horses the little band of New Zealanders are up against, it must be allowed that on Saturday they put up a pretty good offensive, with one of their most formidable weapons put completely out of action before getting properly into the fighting line. The defection of Biplane from the fighting strength of the Dominion-owned lot will be regretted by all who have a spark of the true sporting spirit. * * 8 3: The week has been quite an eventful one apart from the racing at Randwick and its surprises and the exit (we are afraid more than a temporary one) of Biplane. The nominations taken for the Auckland Cup, Railway, Summer Cup and Auckland Racing Club Handicaps and for the Islington Plate are well worth studying, representing as they do, with a few exceptions, the full strength of the racing stables in the North Island and most of the bestknown in the South. The list includes all our horses campaigning in Australia, and a good many that were not nominated for the New Zealand Cup—if not notables —go to swell the numbers in the Auckland Cup and other races and in due course may provide us with record fields. Numerically they are larger, above the average, and they constitute a record in the grand total, and in the matter of class.