Looking Back

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 148, 10 July 1937, Page 19

Looking Back

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HORSES OF N0TE Performances Which Linger In The Memory

NAVIGATOR

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' This time I am going to Australian turf history for an old-timb champion, in order to bring in an incident which lxas since had atj important bearing on events on the Australian and NeW Zealand turf. The horse I am .ref erring to Was Navigator, by Robinson Cruisoe — Cocoanut, and the incident I allude to Occiirred in the race for the Normanby Stalces, for two-year-olds, run at the Victorian Eacing, Ciub 's Sutnmer carnival of 1882. Navigator was the crack two-year-old of the year, and, ridden by Tom Hales, was the natural favourite for the face. But Mr Etienne de Mestre, owner and trainet of ' Navigator, had a ■filly,' SolitudO, by Arigler — La MouSse, engaged in the same tace. "He deeided to start the pair, but- believing Solitude good enough to win, he deelared to win with thef filly. In those days, ,if an own'er started' two of xnore animals "in'a race, both were supposed to run on their merits, unless a declaration was made, when the declaration was taken as an indicatioh to backers which of the paur would Win if'it copld do so. This did not preven't the other candid-ate-from u'inning if the selected oue could not do it, and the publie, following the lead of the stable usually baelced vthe horse for which declaration had 'been made, 'and the b'ookmakers, quite naturally, lengthened their ' odds about the other oue. The- finish of the race saw Solitude fighting out a great finish with a fine South Australian two-year-old, Boolka, by Glorious — Bridget, with Navigator lying handy. Near the post it became evident to Hales that Boplka had Solitude 's measure, and sensing the filly 's defeat, he shot Navigator up on the rails with a dazzling rush, and won by a lxead, with heads between the other pair. Naturally there were many disappointed backers who had supported Solitude on the strength of the declaration, and there were not wanting plenty who averred that Solitude could have beaten Boolka had she been allowed to do so, and that the declaration had been merely a triek to get a better price about Navigator. Such a suggcstion hardly merited consideration, for Boolka subsequently proved himself quite a high-class sprinter. However, the stewards of the Victoria Racing Glub afterwards framed a rule that in all races where an owner had , an interest running in the" same race the horses should be bracketed, and for the purposes of totalisator betting shopld be treated as one. The very large amount of ante-post betting on big events in Australia made the rule applicable only to on-the-course betting. The rule soon came into general use in Australia and New Zealand, and in trotting events was even extended to include horses trained by the same trainer, even though running in the interests of different owners. Navigator, in the following season, was recognised as the champion three-year-old, and he won, among other events, the V.R.O. and A.J.C. Derbies of 1882, A.J.C. St. Leger-of 1883, the V.R.C. St. Leger, V.R.C. '.Champion Race, and a number of other important races. •

_ Solitude alsQ won many good races, but she will be best known to New Zealanders, perhaps, as the dam of the late Hon, J. D. Ormond 's filly Solitaire. which was by Eirodspord (son of Isonomy) from Solitude. Solitaire was only a moderate performer herself, but her first foal was Zimmerman, • by Birkenhead (imp.), who was the best two year-old of his year, and who later won the Auckland Cup. So to that ineident, long forgotten by most people, was due the bracketing of horses running in the same Qwnership, a rule which time has proved the valuel of. Even though tbe race for the Normanby Stakes might'have been quite a genuine test of merit, it cannot be denied that this was not always the ease when declarations were made, and I have in my mind a certain old-time Wairarapa owner who was either a bad judge of which of his horses was the best, or else he oinitted to give his jockeys the necessary instruetions as to which of two horses he had deelared to win with, for on roore than one occasion when a declaration was made by this owner, it was the other candidato which won.