BABIES’ CLASSIC

Sun (Auckland), Volume 1, Issue 20, 14 April 1927, Page 6

BABIES’ CLASSIC

CHAMPAGNE STAKES SUCCESS OF ABSURDS THIS YEAR’S CONTEST Although the progeny of Absurd have won four out of the last seven races for the G.N. Champagne Stakes, it was not until last year that the owner of the imported sire, Mr. G. M. Currie, led ‘in the winner. This was the brilliant colt Lysander. The Absurd stock generally come to hand early in the season, so that in the spring classics they usually take a lot of beating. In the autumn the progeny of other sires are at their best, hence the fact that in ,1022 and the two following years the Champagne flowed on behalf of the owners of a brilliant trio—Rapine, Queen. March, and Nigger Minstrel. These three youngsters were all good. Queen March failed to train on and had to be retired early, but of course everybody is aware of just how mellow Rapine is—and he has not yet reached the retiring stage. Of the three, however, perhaps the best was Nigger Minstrel. What a pity this beautiful black horse could not stand up to training. Nigger Afinstrel defeated Motley in the Champagne three years ago, and it was a fine race. However, this was not Mr. T. H. Lowry’s first success in the juvenile classic, for his name is enscrolled on the roll of honour no less than half-a-dozen times. He led off twenty years ago with Downfall, and 18 months later this white-legged chestnut led the field home in the New Zealand Cup, ridden by Fred Davis, now private trainer to the sportsman he used to ride for. It was six years before the pretty gold, blue sash colours were prominent in the Champagne Stakes, and as if to make up for the lost time he scored in successive terms with Soltano and Tete-a-Tete, and then in alternate years with Bjorneborg and Finmark. The next to score was Nigger Minstrel. It will no doubt puzzle the presentday racing folk why Desert Gold’s name does not grace the winninglist. But thereby hangs a tale. It is now history how the bonnie mare came to go under twelve years ago to an outsider in Arran, running in the colours of Mr. J. McNicol. Arran was got by Marble Arch, and prior to this success he had scored in the A.R.C. Welcome Stakes, Musket Stakes, and the Criterion Handicap. Desert Gold made amends for this defeat. The going was holding, and perhaps this was attributable to her failure. She was three parts of a lengths behind the winner, and just in front of Housewife, in a field of five. On Saturday Mr. Lowry will be represented in the Champagne Stakes by Gascony, so it can be said that the Hawke’s Bay sportsman has an excellent prospect of getting on the winning list this season.

the table showing the record of wins in the Easter Handicap registered by horses of various ages. 3- 3 4 wins 4- 10 wins 5- ...... 18 wins 6- 9 wins Aged horses 4 wins Ordinarily the Easter Handicap is essentially a race to be won before a horse gets to the aged class, for this event is essentially a contest where early brilliancy is vital. Were the race run over a distance then the older horses would have a much better record of success. During the last twenty-nine years only one aged performer has got on the wining list, and that was that fine Gisborne galloper, Gazique. From 1874 to 1884 the Easter Handicap was run over two miles, it was a mile and three-quarters from 15?85 to 1889, a mile and a half during the period 1890

to 1897, and from 1898 it was still further reduced to a mile. This is a nice distance, for it gives the sprinters a chance as well as the good middle distance horses, and has served to make the Auckland Easter Handicap one of the most popular races in the Dominion.