PHAR LAP’S JOCKEY

Hokitika Guardian, 8 November 1932, Page 6

PHAR LAP’S JOCKEY

ELLIOTT RETURNS FROM U.S.A,

'AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW, j

AUCKLAND, November 7. “.Ptiar Lap, in my opinion, was uot poisoned,” said W. F. nil-dot.. T'Ue riaer of that famous horse told a highly interesting story of Jtdiar Lap’s luiumpn at Agua uahent’e and ol nis tragic death after the race. Ed'ot arrived in Auckland thiis morning by the Mariposa on h.s way oack. to ins home 111 Melbourne Adth his wife, after riumg with considerable suedes's in America.

‘•1 can fell you only what the voter-i inary surgeons and the* experts to'-d; me,” said Euiot. “A pest mortem and; analysis revealed that there •m'a notj enough poison m tlie intestines to have earned death. Poor Thar dap swe.-led,; but .lie did nOt show it. He died at two o'clock on tba.-axternooui of April b. Thar Lap was the greatest horte any jockey could ever ride. ‘He wa® more tlfan a wonder horse. There was no horse in America that cbuld have beaten him; in fact, when lit and well he would have beaten any horse in the World.”

Tha r Lap has been mounted and at present is being -exhibited in San Francisco. Elliot said that the taxidermist* had made a. splendid job of the mounting. Mr Davis, the joint owner, torn Elliot that it would b c sent to New. Zealand by the Monowai, dud at Wellington next week. Elliot said ■ that, Thar Lap was the talk of the American racing world. People travelled miles to see hihi exercising at Menlo Park, Ed j Perry's ranch at Bah Francisco. j People 'were allowed to put children on. Pliar" Lap’s back and photograph j him. When he died, the racing people, of -America wei’d affected just as much n,s these whoso, duty it was fio care for] IJ.m. Mr Perry has -erected A t6inb-i stone over the grave -costing 12,000 -dollar®. . ■

After the -death of Pliar Lap, Elliot iode with consideraFie buecc-ss an Tan Foran, Sstn Francisco, Arlington Park and YVaMinigtob Park, Chicago, -P p -1mon't Park, New York, and Lincoinsfield. He rode twelve winners for Willis fjhaipo (Kilmer, the biggest breeder, in America, and the owner of Sun Be-Au, who was regarded ■ as a likely, rival to Thaf Lap. !He did not have much luck, at -New' York, riding only seconds ahd thirds. The standard of racing in aiid around San ‘Fran-ciseo was not high. He believed that any of the Austral ’-an and New Zea land horses could boat-the- best ther e '. The standard improved considerably in Chicago, and the best in America- Were to be found in New York. Some Of the American jockey® were very good and isom© were very poor. 'The feystem VvaA different from ihA-b inv"Australia, i; In Aiherica '“for ‘h win and -10 dollars for a loss. It would not matter if a jockey won a stake worth £50,000,. he would still be paid his 25 dollar's. In Australia jockeys were paid 5 per cent, of t,h& stake money. The Method of condvicting a mfeetiiig wri® far.. Lfette’r, -in - and._N e 'V Zealand than, in America. Plia r . Lap s tour would -have helped American racing con-iderably. Everybody waiited to -sc? the great, lioise. - BefOie KHiot left 'Mexico ..-he was given, a splendid reference froni the Agua Cal'ente Jockey Club.