EXCITED JOCKEYS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 612, 14 March 1929, Page 10

EXCITED JOCKEYS

A HEATED ARGUMENT THRILLING TIE—GOTHIC AND MOLUSON There was much argument about it but nobody won the argument. Mollison and Gothic ran a dead-heat in tho C. M. Lloyd Stakes at Fleminglon last Thursday. There had been much discussion on the subject of their relative merits. Some thought Mollison, with the speed he showed in the seven-furlong Futurity, would again run away from Gothic, and tie him up for speed, so that he would not be able to finish. Others reckoned that Gothic, in such a small field, would be able to mow down a non-stayer at • the end of a severe Flemington mile. Only Plugging But the race was not run as expected. Mollison did not try for his customary break, and, in fact, did not even lead the field. The usual factor in his winning races was lost by these unusual tactics. He was allowed to plug along behind Black Duchess, going kindly, u.nd with no sign of an attempt to pull his way past the leader. Gothic was two and a-half lengths behind, last, just beyond Highland, the only other runner. Thus they came to the half-mile, and it became obvious then that Daniels intended making a lialf-mile sprint of it. He dashed Mollison up to the Sydney mare and they entered the straight almost on terms. Then Mollison came away and set up a lead of a length and a-half before Pike could get Gothic going. Tho big English horse suddenly dashed through, however, and a furlong from home was gaining so rapidly that his victory was everywhere proclaimed Desperate Finish But Daniels drew the whip and the colt came on desperately in response to punishment. Then Pike did a shrewd thing. He came alongside where Daniels’s whip hand would be hampered. Nevertheless Daniels kept hogging his mount, and so they swept to the judge’s box with Gothic still gaining by inches. But it was reached just a moment too soon. They passed the line head and head in as good a dead-heat as racegoers ever saw, and up went the numbers of the pair side by side. But the finish did not satisfy all opinions about relative merits. Some say that Mollison would have done better using his phenomenal pace to leave Gothic behind. Perhaps he would have, too, for instead of but two and ahalf lengths over the last three furlongs Gothic might have been conceding five or more, and such a task would have been impossible. Then Daniels was undoubtedly hampered at the finish. Gothic was inclined to roll, and he spoilt the effectiveness of Daniels’s punishment. It was noticed when they came in that the two jockeys were talking apparently heatedly at each other. Whether there was any friction is not known. They are lads who don’t talk out pf school, and, having had their little argument as they returned to scale, shut up.

NEDDA’S FAILURE

SPANISH GALLEON’S WIN

“RAN A PECULIAR RACE”

Two-year-olds are playing ducks and drakes with form this autumn. Parkwood, unbeaten idol of the spring, has feet of clay, and twice in successive starts has been beaten. Despite defeat in the Sires’ Produce Stakes, he was backed down to a shade of odds on in some quarters for the Ascot Vale Stakes at Flemington last Thursday, reports a Melbourne correspondent. It was thought that the run on the previous Saturday would improve him. But he was never going kindly. Nor did the fact help him when Spanish Galleon went right across the field and took his running. He failed to get at her, and this filly, leading all the way, finally won by half a length. Out in the middle of the course all the way, and it was he who ran second, Metaphor, a maiden, was first or second to Spanish Galleon, while Parkwood was three-quarters of a length away, third.

Parkwood has not retained his superiority of the spring, and it is unlikely that he will seriously enter considerations for the rest of the autumn classics in Sydney.

Nedda, who beat Parkwood for the Sires’ Produce Stakes, ran a most peculiar race. Munro took her from the far side, where it is slow, going right out toward the outside rail, in the first furlong, but this haste did her no good in the long run, and she was being hard ridden two furlongs from home, without making any impression on the field.