Beaten By Three Feet In the Metropolitan

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 798, 19 October 1929, Page 13

Beaten By Three Feet In the Metropolitan

BOOKMAKER’S BIG FLING NIGHTMARCH’S GREAT RUN Connections of Nigrlitmarcli carried out their obligation to the public in running the champion in the Metropolitan. But he wasn’t quite good enough, comments tho Sydney “Guardian.” He battled for wagers amounting to £IOO,OOO for the public and various punters, but Loquacious, ridden by Munro in one of his superb staving finishes, beat backers for this great amount, and put still another stake into the pockets of Bob Miller, one of tho luckiest owners the Turf has known. One mighty fling on the part of a Sydney bookmaker was thus beaten by a matter of three feet. Before the Epsom commission had been worked, Nigh tin arch was backed by a Sydney bookmaker for £ 25,000 for the Metropolitan. Ono wager was £IO,OOO to £6OO, and £6OO to £l5O for a place. That backing and his victory in the Spring Handicap at Tattersall’s meeting a month ago made him favourite for tho Metropolitan. Upset Them All But tho subsequent Epsom commission upset the arrangements of this punter, and also the public betting, for it was realised that if he won the Epsom a 101 b penalty might circumvent his starting at all in the Metropolitan, while even if he did run he would have to prove a champion to win. Nightmarch won the Epsom and earned his 101 b penalty.. Throughout the week-end there were doubts about his starting, but after the race a few valiant punters who might or might not have been in the know took £I,OOO wagers about him at 5 and 6 to 1, aggregating £7,000. On the Monday morning, when it became known definitely that he was to start, he came down to short odds for the Metropolitan. It was said that Pike might ride Nightmarch. New Rider Wanted It is understood that the big backer who had Nightmarch going for so much in the Metropolitan had laid a sum to induce the stable to run and also to put Pike on the champion. Pike was the winner of the Derby, on Phar Lap. But the trainer, A. McAulay, believed in Reed, who had ridden the horse in his recent victories, and was quite sure that he would get the best result from. him. Good Position Early And so Nightmarch went out in the Metropolitan with Reed aboard to do battle for the £25.000 held by this big punter, the £6,000 stake, and other considerations the stable had about him, and the thousands of pounds wagered by the public upon him ever since his Spring Handicap victory a month ago, culminating in his starting a hot favourite. He was in a good position early. Reed stuck to the rails. But at the six furlongs he met with crowding that jammed him back momentarily. Ho was also checked down the side, but Reed still kept to the rails, and at the home turn he gained a splendid run that enabled him to challenge the leaders, Valparaiso and Spearman, at tho straight entrance. He ran past them in such decisive fashion as to indicate certain victory, and his name was on everybody’s lips. But suddenly Loquacious appeared with a determined run on the outside. She had come from the last. But she

hadn’t given much away and, circling the field, had gained an excellent pas- * sage from the home turn. ‘ Travelling Well ' She was travelling so well that J quickly she gathered up the New Zealander. . Then Nightmarch settled down to . liis task with grim determination, and ‘ for a few' strides he held the local mare, and amid great excitement they ran head and head. But Munro and ‘ the Windbag strain in Loquacious— j she is a half-sister to the Melbourne j Cup winner—ultimately prevailed. She - drew gradually ahead and finally won ' by half a length. . Paquito did well to get third half ‘ a length away. It seemed a bigger ] margin to those away from the box. He had been behind Loquacious, second " last, seven furlongs from home. Evi- e denty he has more stamina than was , j suspected. i Concentrate and Oratrix, stable- | mates, were next, fourth and fifth, but ithey were not near enough to winning at any stage to raise their backers’ . hopes .though they had been in excel- . lent positions near the pacemakers, i j throughout the race. I Tidal, who owing to a leg injury had j j been unable to gallop sufficiently to . keep him fit. was last most of the way, • | but with all his decrepitude beat many better fancies home. ! Loquacious came in for a popular ; i reception. So did the favourite, Nightmarch. He ran a great race under his 9.12, and there is no shadow of doubt that ho has shown himself one of the best racehorses and stayers we have I had in Sydney for a long time. Bob Miller, owner of Loquacious, has ■ been a lucky racing man. He had a wonderful season in the spring of 1925, when he dead-heated in , the Epsom with Boaster, won the Gimcrack Stakes with Kanooka, and the Melbourne Cup with Windbag. All were bred by his brother, Mr. Percy Miller. So was Loquacious.