ONE OF THE BEST

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 399, 6 July 1928, Page 5

ONE OF THE BEST

FOURTH HAND ENGLISH HORSE IN AUSTRALIA Many brilliant gallopers liave been imported to Australia, and the latest to come under close scrutiny is Lord Somer’s Fourth Hand, who has 9.10 in the Epsom Handicap, 9.8 in The Metropolitan, 8.13 in the Melbourne Cup, 9.11 in the Cantata Stakes and 9.3 in the Caulfield Cup, 'comments a Sydney writer Trained at Flemington by J. Scobie, Fourth Hand has had two starts in Australia, and they were in South Australia. He was beaten into second place by Finsbury at Morphettville, but. at his next run he had an' easy win in the Parkside Stakes. In this race Fourth Hand dwelt a little at the start, but he gathered up speed smartly and was within two lengths of the pacemaker Benoni, who has proved himself a hardy gelding, seven furlongs from home. With two furlongs to go they were togethez-, and then Fourth Hand drew away and won nicely. Perfect Action Racing enthusiasts who saw the Governor’s horse race desci’ibed him as a brilliant galloper, his action being pei-fect when at his top. A brown horse, foaled in 1924, Foui'th Hand is now a four-year-old to Australian time. He was bred by Major D. McCalmont, and is by Tetralema from the Bachelor’s Double mare Queen’s Double. As a two-year-old Fourth Hand had eight starts, and his worst finish was fourth. He won the molyneux Stakes at Liverpool, the First Spi'ing Two-year-old Stakes, with 9.5, at Newmarket, the Windsor Castles Stakes at Ascot, The Exeter Stakes at Newmarket carrying 9.6, the Prince of Wales’s Plate at Toi-k, with 9.8, and with lib less he was third in the Prendergast Stakes at Newmarket. Won Irish Guineas Earlier in the season he was third in the Woodcote Stakes, with 9.5, and he finished fourth in the National Breeders’ Produce Stakes at Sandown Park. He was not so successful the following season, but in eight starts he won the Irish 2,000 Quineas, run over a mile, with 9.7, and the Kennett Stakes at Newmarket, with 9.10. Tlio Hon. George Lambton was particularly pleased with the last-named performance. His views, recorded in a London paper at the time, were: “I’l tho Kennett Stakes Fourth Hand, with 9.10, won by a length from Fete, with 7.4. It Was a smashing performance—one of the best that I have seen this year—and the beautiful little horse accomplished his task in his best style. Game Colt “Personally, it gave me the greatest pleasure, for as a two-year-old I thought Fourth Hand was perhaps the gamest: colt I had ever seen, for he stood one hard race aftez- another without flinching. As a three-year-old his lines have not been cast in pleasazit places, and he has always been attempting what was against nature, for he has had to run in engagements which have been beyond bis distance He began by running third in the first week of the season for the Greenham Stakes (over a mile) in heavy going with 9.4'0n his back. “He won the Irish Two Thousand (again over a mile), and he then ran second to Albanian for the Bendigo Stakes, over a mile and a-quarter. It was here for the first time that I heard disappointed backers calling him a rogue. Certainly for over a mile he had looked a—sure winner until nature gave out, but anyone who took the trouble to look at the horse after the race would have seen that he had given evez-y ounce that was in him. I can remember seeing Atty Persse, his trainer, who is very fond of Fourth Hand, looking as much distz'essed as the horse when he was being unsaddled.”