HOW GLOAMING WAS DISCOVERED

Gisborne Times, Volume LXI, Issue 9846, 27 October 1924, Page 5

HOW GLOAMING WAS DISCOVERED

DICK. MASON TELUS THE STORY OF AUSTRALIA’S GREATEST RACEHORSE. ONE BET ON HIM IN ALL HIS CAREER. Every racehorse owner hopes some day to get hold of a horse that will clean up everything before him. This is trainer Dick Mason’s story of how he first took charge of Gloaming and found lie had the horse of a eenturv.

“Tell us something about Gloaming, Mr Mason,” said the turf reporter. “How did you get hold of him, and when did you first find out that you had a phenomenon? Was it a. case of a sudden discovery, or did you take a long time befoie \ou tried him out?”

Old Dick Mason smiled. Dick is seventy years of age, and lias owned, train ed, and raced horses all h's life. In his young days he raced in partnership with Yallance in New Zealand, and then he trained for G. G. Stead, ;u.d later on for G. D. Greenwood. He lias had all sorts of horses through b:s hands, and lias led in ever thirty Derby winners in Australia and New Zealand. He is always talking of retiring, but so long as Gloaming keeps sound there is no fear of Mason giving up the game.

“We didn't pick Gloaming for ourselves, yon know,” he said. “Mr. Greenwood asked Mr Ernest Clafißto send over a good sort of colt, and he sent us—Gloaming. Neither Dir Greenwood nor myself c-ver saw the horse till he landed in New Zealand. He was a colt then, and was inclined to be very gross, and we decided to geld him. If we hadn’t done that I don’t think he would ever have stood training.” “What happened then?'’ "We’], we gave him a long spell and mv son took charge of h s early work. ' He did no fast work in New Zealand, he just pottered about the tracks and did most of his exercise with Moiyneux, the horse that -Jack Cameron has now. We didn’t know then that Gloaming was any better than Molyneux.” “When did you find out?”

“I brought Gleaming ever to Sy f ~ nev as a three-year-old and he was engaged in the Derby. 1 decided to get him ready for the Chelmsford Stakes. He was a maiden and was in with nothing on h:s back—6st. 12ib. was his weight.”

FANCY HAVING GLOAMING IN A

RACE WITH 6.12?

“I started to run him along bit and one morning .1 sent him three furlongs against the watch. . He ran thirty-seven, never off the bit, and l saw I had a good one, but I didn’t knew even then how good he was. Anvway. I went home and ate a good breakfast. I saw he had" the speed, and the only question was how far he would go. “Then I sent him half-miles, and six furlongs, and lie diu all asked him. and did everything the same way!—never off the bit. Then I woke up'to it that I had a champion.” “Then Mr Greenwood came oyer, and I told him we had something really good. He wanted to wait for the Derby, and then pick up a handicap if lie missed the Derby, but, of course, I did not know for certain that lie would go n, mile and a Half - “] said to Mr Greenwood. ‘You’ll never have another chance like this in vour life. If this horse can win the Derbv. what sort of a chance has lie with 6st. 121 b. in the Chelmsford Stakes, with most of the cracks carrying a penalty ?’ “Even then he didn’t seem to he satisfied," so I said. 'Ruu him in the Chelmsford and put a hundred on Inm for me.’ “That is the only bet that I ever had on Gloaming ir, my life, and I took it mostly to give Mr Greenwood confidence. When I was racing with Yallance I used to bet heavily, but I gave all that up. and I only backed Gloaming to let the owner see what I thought of his chance. ’ “And it came off!” “Came off!” He won the Chelmsford by eight lengths after getting away badly, ar.d we got six td one for some of our money. He started, at seven to two. Then he went and won the A.J.C. Derby, the Champion Stakes at Wellington, and the New Zealand Derby without a miss. He ran sixteen races that season and won thirteen of them; and you kr.ow what he did since.” * “AYhat is he like to train? A good doer?” . . “Oh vos lie is n e;ooa uoer, but he is inclined’ to be" a. thffik-winded horse and I have to give .him a lot of work. His legs are getting pre Jv quiet now, and I have a lot ot trouble to keen him fit, because no light boy can hold him. Ashley Reed is riding him in his work, and he can ride under eight stone. If I could sret a light-weight boy to r.de nun in bis work I would be better satisfied. , ~ --i “He lias a good memory. saicl Mason, laying liis hand on the old horse’s rump. “When he was kadi with influenza the vet, came in with his coat off and gave him an injection. That was years ago, but if any stronger came into the box now u itn IPs coat off the old horse would fly all round the box. Only two boys have looked after him all the time I have had him. Adamson, who looks after Mm now, has had lnm most of “wtaT’lsM "hlrte, Gloaming would stand his preparation tins spring, Mason was not ovcr-confid ent —lie never is. ay .. “It all depends, he said. *ou see Ms near fore-leg. It s aMavs likely to give trouble any daj. A. lady' came along with a camera one dav and asked leave to photograph bis legs. She said she had never seen a champion with .such legs. But he is going on all right, and if he stands -wc'l it will take a good horse to bet him up to a mile and a-quarter.