THE PRINCE AT PLAY

Hokitika Guardian, 28 August 1920, Page 4

THE PRINCE AT PLAY

WILD GALLOPS AT RANDAVICK. SYDNEY, August 18. Officially', the tour of the Prince of Wales of Australia- and New Zealand ended at 9 o’clock last Friday night. His train was then at a small country town, on tlie way back from tlie northwest to Sidney. When lie arrived back in Sydney on Saturday morning, he was—officially—simply Edward Windsor, private gentleman, intent on a|nuising himself. But the very friendly populace would not leave the matter there. So far as tho people is concerned, he is still “the Prince,” whose smile is worth walking a mile and waiting an hour to see; he has been cheered whenever ho h ( as appeared in public ; and he has been sedulously followed around by newspaper reporters and camera men.

The y'oung man, left to follow his own inclinations, has hejaded straight for Rand wick—demonstrating that, he loves the racecourse not for its gambling facilities, hut for its thoroughbred horses. Ho lias been across the hack of every hor.se worth while that trains on the tracks there. Numerous snapshots in the pap el's show his Royal Highness, his coat off, and his hair wildly awry, engaged in furious races with various well-known professional and amateur riders. And there has been no polite standing hack to let the heir to the tlirono have a win. It has been fierce, “all-in” riding. Sometimes the Prince ■won: and more often lie didn’t—and his defeats seemed only to all sweetness to his victories.

The Prince has demonstrated also, during those hours of play at Rand•wiek, that the merry, charming, boyish manners which won all hearts during is official tours were not assumed for the occasion, as trappings having a political value; lie has been, in these days, the same charming youngster—the only difference being that he is even more so. He has won the hearts of every frequenter of the training tracks, from the youngest larrikin, of an apprentice to the crotcliiest old trainer. Owners and trainers seemed only too delighted that he should ride their horses —and he did ride them, at a pace that should live long in the equine memories of the thoroughbreds. His Royal Highness, otherwise, has employed liis time in motoring, squash rackets aboard Ehe Renown, private social functions and golf. He was trampling across the links, following the usual elusive ball, the other day, when ho noticed some small boys baiting a. young fox which they had found. How on earth the young fox had got into the links, there in the middle of the eastern part of tlie city, is a mystery ; hut the Prince was struck by the little thing’s efforts to escape, and went to its rescue. He persuaded the hoys to let it go. He passed on—whereupon the hoys hounted it out of the hushes again ,and caught it. Had they known that the young man, was the well-be-loved Prince, they might have given more respect to liis wishes. Every private hostess in Sydney has been angling for tlie Prince this week. Tlie Prince likes dancing, hut bates fuss and official flummery, and lie has attended only two or three private dances. Ho is by no means averse to a pretty face, however—and it is remarked that the young lady who attracted him when first he landed in Melbourne lias been seen in public with him duijng te past few days.