Looking Back

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 142, 3 July 1937, Page 16

Looking Back

"Hermit.")

H0RSES 0F N0TE Performances Which Linger in the Memory MAXIM'S H.B. GUINEAS

(By

I was nsked a few weeks ago by a sporting friend when diecussing with Mm old-time racehorses, and the Hawke's Bay Guineas of bygone years, which 1 considered the best horse I ahd seen win the Hawke's Bay Guineas. I unhesitatingly said Maxiru, at which he was somewhat surprised. Maxim had been rather before hrn fcime, and he had not seen liim run, and only by seeing his name in the list of winners of big races had he known of him. He told* xne that he had expected ino to say Desert Goldf knowing what a high opinion I have of the great daughter of All BlacK. (imp.) — Aurarius. Great mare, however, tnat Desert Gold was, I do not think she was the equal of Maxim. My opiniion of Maxim was apparently endorsed by no iess a judge than the late Sir George Cliiford, who is stated by a prominent trainer at oue tiine in E. (Jutts's stable, to have informed his friends that of all the good horses he had seen Maxim was, in his opinion, the best. As a three-year-old Maxim won every race of note for which he competed, and not only won them, but won them so easily as to make all his elassic opponents look like conimon hacks. On the spring day in 1887 when Maxim won the Hawke's Bay Guineas in eft'ortless style, he created an impression o± power and speed that stamped him as a colt of very high class, but it« was later in the day that he electrified racegoers and made thein realise what a champion he was. He was saddied up for the last race of the day, the Flying Handicap, and wa? made favourito, but he was left at the post, and tlio iield had gone quite a hundred yards before he mado a move to go after them. When the iield turned into the straight, Maxim was still frity yards behind the last of the others, but then, with long sweeping strddes, he came along at a great rate, passing one after ano'ther as though they were standing still and won, almost pulling up, by two lengths. It was almost amusing to watch the astonishment on ■ the faces of those who had witnessed the remaikable performance, and at first the people were too surprised to cheer, but as the horse came unconcernedly back to scale, the cheering broke out and increased in volume when "all right" was declared by the clerk of the seales. This performance, following on hia two-year-old deeds, made Maxdm a warm favourite for the Kew Zealand C-up, and he was quoted at a very short price. But the public, who supported Maxim eo heavily, were unaware that his owner, the late Mr. G. G. Btead, had two horses being trained at Yaldhurst, by Trainer It. J. Masou, both of whom were capable of winning the New Zealand Oup at the weight allotted them. One of these was the brilliant sprinter Lochiel, by Prince Charlie — Nelly -Moore. The handicap - per% had treated Lochiel, then a six-year-old, as being a sprinter only, and had placed him on the 7.12 mark. The bookmakers, like the handicapper and the public, also looked upon Lochiel as mercly a sprinter and took libertiea with him in their books. The consequence was that when the stable comnrissioner came into the market with a request for straightout odds, and doubles and trebles, all inciuding Lochnel for the (Jup, a considerable amount was laid by diiferent pencillers who were approached simultaneously, before it was reaiised that a very big stable commission had beeu cleveriy worked. Lochiel 's Oup is geuerally spoken of by the peneillers of those days as having been the worst setlling day in their expenence. Maxim peneillers had to be given time in Vliicli to pay, and many big bettors who had supported Maxim for Oup, and also Oup aml( Derby, had also to aak for time. Maxim carried olf the C.J.O. Derby and Oanterbury Oup, just as easily as he had done his other races. Later he ricked himself in a traimng gallop, and being a heavy-topped horse was put to the stud without further attempt btixig made to train him. At the stud the son of Musket (imp.) — Bealisation, was an instantaneous success, and sired some high-class performers in the few seasons he had dn this country but he was later sold to go to America, where he was also a great success as a sire. One of the best of his get that I remember seeing was the late Mr. 8. H. Gollan's Freda, a verv high-class two-year-old by Maxim — Fair Nell. Most of Freda 's racing was done'in Austraiia, where she had the misfortune to meet Auraria, who was subsequently to win the Melbourne Cup and who was one of the greatest three-year-old fillies the Australian turf has seen. In eoncluding my remarks on Maxim, I have only to point out that his narae appears in the pedigree of that champion racehoise Phar Lap, and I am perhaps not alone in thinking that some 0f thc latter's great speed may have been due to the strain of Maxim bjood in t.Lr. bac'kliDes of his pedigreo.