THE CLUBMAN

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1504, 20 February 1919, Page 8

THE CLUBMAN

The second meeting between Desert Gold and Gloaming, whose names are as familiar as household words, duly took place on Wednesday of last week, and ended in an easy win for the three-year-old. This was in the Egmont Stakes, but the race was an unsatisfactory one, as after going about three furlongs Croesus, the only other starter, with no Silver Link this time to make the pace as in the Taranaki Stakes and who was doing his best trying to keep Gloaming busy and w T as also on even terms with him, fell. The fall cost Desert Gold some lengths, variously estimated at from three to four. She really had not up to that stage had a look in. Of course, Gloaming thereafter had the race in safe keeping. Whether he would have won in any case is a matter upon which people must be allowed to hold their own opinions, but the fact remains that the younger of the brilliant pair was carrying 101 b. over weight for age as against 31b. over carried by the mare, and having won thus accomplished what no other equine that has opposed Desert Gold has previously been thought capable of or been asked to attempt at any distance. Luck was against Gloaming at New Plymouth on the Tajranaki Jockey Club’s course. Everyone admits that, and also that it was on his side at Hawera on the Egmont Racing Club’s course.

The happenings in both races above referred to left a doubt in the minds of many who were on the scenes as to how each race would have resulted had everything been in order. That it was not so there were many expressions of regret. It was left a matter for conjecture then as to whether the three-year-old could really concede the mare any weight advantages at all. As there was but one opportunity for the pair to meet over six furlongs at weight for age with penalties and allowances playing no part in the conditions, it was thought that both would meet next in the Jackson Stakes at Wanganui on Thursday. That was the race to give a proper test of supremacy most people thought. When heavy rain set in and the second day’s racing at Hawera was postponed on that account many people came to the conclusion that neither would run in the Hawera Stakes, as the connections of the mare have always declared that she is not a good actor in soft going, and it was thought that in view of other races ahead Mr? Greenwood’s trainer, R. J. Mason, might feel disposed to reserve Gloaming for Wanganui. ‘ The heavy rain evidently did good, leaving the course in excellent condition, quite acceptable to F. Davis, Mr. Lowry’s trainer. So the pair came together in the Hawera Stakes, the three-year-old again having 101 b. penalty for previous wins this season, while the mare had but 31b. This was for her solitary, and perhaps lucky, win in the Taranaki Stakes. It was given out then that each race was likely to improve Desert Gold.

In their first meeting at New Plymouth Gloaming was the decided favourite. In their next, at Hawera, Desert Gold was the better supported, and then with honours easy came the rubber, with the result already known before now well over the world. Gloaming again won, and beat the mare by the margin of a length and a-half in a clean race from end to end, and carried 8.12 to the mare’s 9.1. The other competitor, Birkenvale, who was a winner over six furlongs on the first day of the meeting, being a dozen lengths behind. While the course was in good order it was not as fast by about two seconds to the mile, judging from the times made in other races on the day, as it has been on previous occasions. The fact remains that it was the fastest mile ever run on the course, and therefore a record for the race as well. This is further proof that Desert Gold met a champion. It would be idle to say that she is not in form. Eight days before she put up a race and track record at New

Plymouth over six furlongs. If Gloaming had been pressed in the Egmont Stakes there is no doubt that he would have beaten the best previous time for that event and the distance on the course. There are many much faster courses in New Zealand than the Egmont track. It was the first time that Desert Gold has met anything good enough to beat her at a mile. The great merit in the performance of Gloaming should be ungrudgingly admitted. Though he has had two reverses, the Taranaki Stakes one cannot be allowed to count, the other, his defeat by Sasanof in the Stead Memorial Stakes at Riccarton, must, because on the day Sasanof was the better at 'the weight and is undoubtedly a high-class five-year-old. We do not need to frame any excuse for the three-year-old as regards that performance. He has beaten Sasanof since in a decisive manner, and has two out of three winning performances against each of the cracks referred to. As a matter of fact, Gloaming has beaten every horse, mare or gelding he has met to date,

and has won at four, five, six, eight, nine ten and twelve furlongs. Is there his equal as an all round performer in Australasia to-day? What mare would anyone pick to beat Desert Gold? Is there a five-year-old c gelding as good as Sasfinof south of the line?

We are apt to overlook the fact that Croesus, the half brother to Desert Gold, who is a year the older, has been more severely raced than his distinguished sister. Whenever he figures in handicaps, which he does pretty often, it is odds on that he will be “the chopping block” with top weight. There is no suggestion that he has lost his form. There was none up to Wednesday last, when he fell while racing almost on terms with Gloaming less than three furlongs from home in the Egmont Stakes. Had he not on the previous Wednesday carried 9.13 when he beat the speedy Royal Chef by a head conceding him 291 b. In the race referred to 80-Peep, who has always been brilliant, with 8.7, was a neck further back. Besides he beat a lot of other good sprinters in the same race. Then there was his good third

in the Taranaki Stakes, carrying the same weight as Desert Gold (8.11). He was equal to heading off Silver Link, who had won the Juvenile Handicap the day before carrying 10.4. Silver Link has shown her ability to lead in every race she has started, and has won up to six furlongs. Croesus having raced so often under big weights, retains his speed well, and might have been still a little more brilliant had he never been raced in other than weight-forage races. He has more than once led his half sister in races off the mark, and beat her last year at weight for age over four furlongs in the Kelburn Plate, as also did 80-Peep. It is with regret that the news came of the fall sustained by Croesus when playing his part in the race with apparently all his wonted dash, because it seems probable that the fall may have left some ill effect, though he was caught after his fall, remounted and ridden in for third money. He bled, and the veterinary diagnosis suggests that the bleeding was not caused by the fall, the assumption being that it was really the

cause of it. This may mean that we have seen the best of Croesus, if not the end of him. He has run about 50 races, and has won about 15 of his engagements, and seemed good for some time to come up to the occasion of his mishap.

The necessity for postponing the second day’s racing of the Egmont Ralcing Club’s meeting was forced upon the club through wet weather. It was quite a big disappointment to many who were looking forward to another meeting between the cracks that the racing could not be gone on with under the same favourable conditions as on the first day. Some perforce were obliged to go away unsatisfied, but the meeting was concluded on Friday, and those who were fortunate enough to be present witnessed a contest between the two best racehorses of their respective ages and sexes south of the line. It was a great privilege, indeed, something for the old-timers to enthuse over and contrast and for the younger generation to remember for the rest of their days. The respective owners of the cracks have been conspicuous through their good horses

at the Egmont and Taranaki clubs, meetings before, and when classic races were put on the annual bills of fare of these clubs came in liberally with their entries, and followed on with their patronage. The rivalry on the racecourse should be friendly, not bitter. Racing men should win and lose like sportsmen. The horses of Messrs. T. H. Lowry and G. D. Greenwood have met often - during the past decade on other courses, and if there is one owner more than another in the Dominion who deserved to own a horse good enough to show superiority over Desert Gold it is Mr. Greenwood, for his persistency in tackling her and the number of defeats suffered at her hands. Gloaming has beaten Desert Gold, Finmark and Estland, three of the members of the team that Mr. Lowry took to Australia, and in his last achievement put paid to all accounts.

The postponement of a day’s racing can sometimes make a very great difference to a meeting immediately following, even though that gathering may be decided a long way off.

There is such a demand for the good horsemen who go from meeting to meeting and such a scarcity of capable ones to ride at the weights allotted that owners are at their wits’ end what to do at times. One effect of postponing the second day of the Egmont meeting was to cause a lot of worry to owners who had horsemen engaged to ride at Te Kuiti. With the original interval of a day there was plenty of time for riders to go from one meeting to the other, but the postponement meant that those who had to remain at Hawera rou’d not all reach Te Kuiti for Saturday’s racing. This meant a change in arrangements so far as riding was concerned. There was still another difficulty. This was the starting, Mr. C. O’Cojinor being engaged by both clubs. Such racing difficulties can be overcome by ' engaging substitutes, but this cannot always be done with satisfactory results. The absence of a few horses from the Te Kuiti meeting was brought about as a result of the inability of certain riders and interested persons to be present.