OLD RACEHORSES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 191, 8 May 1920, Page 7

OLD RACEHORSES

WHAT BECOMES-0.1? THIiM? v • During thejrecent sales.jn Melbourne and Sydney (J97 yearlings changed hands. It. is therefore safe to sny that in all '• tho States fully 801) fresh 'horses pass into the hands of trainers for racing purposes every year, and it is fair lo assume that each year approximately -.tho same num. ber of racers disappear from tho course (says tho Melbourne "Argus"). . Where do these horses go when their - racing careers end? This question was : put to a number of well-known trainers, and their answers indicated that a racehorse which lias failed, or lost its ileelliess, is speedily lost to sight even by those who have been intimately connected with its racing career. Except for ' the most famous horses, they.were unable to recall the fate even of those that had left the track in recent years. "Stallions and mares," said ono trainer, ''generally find their way lo good studs if they liave had successful racing careers. If they have not been conspicuous prizewinners, they aro' often bought up by station-owners and sent 'outback' to improve the breed of stock. Many station horses in all pai'ls of Australia are directly descended from some of the 'great ones' of the Australian turf. But the fate of a gelding is more difficult to esti- ; mate. If he has dono well, and his owner is a decent fellow who has some • i regard for him, ho is pensioned off and allowed to live in' idleness for tho rest of his days, or is kept as a light hack. But' if he has failed to fulfil tho promise of his blood he may end anywhere. Many ■of them make'good buggy horses. A num- ' ber that havo had experience in eteeple- j chasing are used as hunters. Even the cab ranks receive soma. A little timo ' ago:I saw Zircon, at one time well known ■as si 'hurdle racer at Moonee Valley, in-a cab at a funeral." • l The curator of the Zoological Gardens . ! (Mr. Lo Souef) doos not recall any racehorse having been sent to feed his animals, but it is extremely probable that • ..; some the broken-down horses upon .' which tlfo lions have fed. were cheered to victory or defeat by frantic thousands in the days before old ago marked them down for' tho Zoo. A number of Australian Horses .went to Palestine with tho Light Horse. Two of the most notable were Yalca and Soy- . : nioiir. Both of these horses carried their riders .to victory in more than one iaco organised in Egypt and Palestine. A few ; notable horses are still bought by Indian . purchasers, tho most famous in recent years 'being Night Watch, ffhich \wou the Melbourne Cup in 1918. But the trailio in racehorses to India has largely fallen off of Me. • . . ' Some of the host known horses that have been' pensioned olf by their owners are: Parisian, Posinntus, Vanguard, Chrome, Emir, and Bullawarra. The fato of the horses that have won the Melbourne Cup sinco IMC lias been as follows ' 1 : : Poseidon, stud; Apo'oguo,- sent to India; Lord ?«2an, stud; Prince Poole, stud; Parisian, pensioned j Piastre, 6tud; Posinntns, pensioned; Kingslmrgh, stud; l'atrobas, stud; Sasanof, still, racing; West- • court, stud; Night Watch, 6ent to India; Artilleryman, still racing. Revenue, which won tile Melbourne Gup' in,- 1899, was pei!6iCmod, but reappeared at Plemington on one occasion ! subsequently as the mount for ono of tho ; Governor's A.D.C/s.