English Classics Are Now at Hand

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 965, 7 May 1930, Page 12

English Classics Are Now at Hand

2,000 GUINEAS TODAY DERBY FOUR WEEKS OFF The first of the great English classics, the Two Thousand Guineas Stakes, will be run at Newmarket tomorrow. This contest leads up to the Derby a, month later. The Two Thousand Guineas comes up for decision at the first spring' meeting at Newmarket, the headquarters of English racing. This event is for three-year-old entire colts and fillies, and is run over a mile course. The Thousand Guineas, to be run on Friday over the same course (the Rowley Mile), is for three-year-old fillies, only. Incidentally it is worth mentioning that geldings were debarred from running in the Derby in 1904. In New Zealand and Australia geldings are eligible for the Derby contests. Notable recent cases in point are Phar Lap and Gloaming. A gelding has not contested the great English Derby since 2901. The Derby There is a period of four weeks separating the Two Thousand Guineas from the really big event of the racing world—the Derby at Epsom. The result of the Two Thousand Guineas generally sees a keen discussion upon the merits of tlio winner as a potential Derby victor: whether he will see out the mile and a-half at Epsom, or whether some of those who finished behind him at Newmarket will have improved sufficiently in the intervening four weeks to turn the tables: or whether the Guineas winner will find something too good over the Derby distance. The Derby is set down for Wednesday. June 4, and strange to relate the result will reach Auckland only three or four hours before patrons at Ellerslie see that most spectacular contest, the Great Northern Steeplechase. Remaining Classics

The Indies’ race, the Oaks, for tlireex ear-old-fillies, is to be run on June G. and then there is a big gap of over three months to the remaining famous classic, the St. Leger Stakes, run at Doncaster in September. In the interim there are numerous other classic events open to older horses also, and these serve to test the Guineas and Derby winners. But more often than not these horses are put into “glass cases,” for a Derby winner can usually command a huge fee as a sire, and further racing contains the element of risk.

The entries for the 1930 classics are heavy, as the following figures show: Two Thousand Guineas .. .. 281 One Thousand Guineas . . . . 252 The Derby 345 The Oaks 293 The St. Leger 344

One interesting point about these Statistics is that the entry of fillies is

so large. For instance, the Two Thousand Guineas is open to both colts and fillies, and the nominations are only 29 more than for the One Thousand Guineas, confined to fillies only. Then in the Oaks the fillies entered exceed by a dozen the nominations for the Two Thousand Guineas. Big Money Today’s Two Thousand Guineas is a costly race for owners, and so are the other classics mentioned above, for it costs £IOO for each horse started. The value of the stakes attached to these big events will be somewhere near these marks, and it must be remembered that very little is deducted for second and third place money. Two Thousand Guineas .. £10,500 One Thousand Guineas . . 8,500 The Derby 12,000 The Oaks 8,500 The St. Leger 12,500 The Dominion is nearly 12 hours ahead of English time, and that means that the big races in the Old Country are run at 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. tlie next day New Zealand time. The result of the Two Thousand Guineas should reach here tomorrow morning - . Galloping Machines

Last month a leading- London Turf authority recommended 20 horses to follow this season. It is interesting to note that among them are but a couple of three-year-olds: Challenge (Swynford—Sword Play), and Press Gang (Hurry On—Figinella). The dam of Press Gang, Figinella. was often referred to as the perfect galloper. She won the substitute Derby and Oaks, run at Newmarket in 1916. \ She certainly was a bold mover, and a real good performer, but as a regular galloping machine Phalaris (the sire of so many great horses) was the most impressive the writer has ever seen. Figinella was a daughter or Poiy'melus. —“EARLY BIRD.” WANGANUI JOTTINGS TRIALS FOR EGMONT Special to THE SU2v WANGANUI, Tuesday. Conditions were good on the Wanganui tracks this morning, when a couple of gallops, of interest in view of the Hawera meeting, were featured. Royal Tractor finished slightly in front of Auctioneer at the end of a gallop on the coarse proper over furlongs, though Auctioneer was not being pushed. The distance covered was well in excess of seven, the best part of 100 yards to be exact, and thus 1.39 was not bad going. Auctioneer on bis Feilding running should be in the money at Hawera. Paleta went a circuit, covering the first half mile at a good working pace and coming home over the last four smartly, but was not timed. Double Soult was sent once round, a little over a mile, and recorded 1.52, taking 57 for the last half mile. lie is very well. Mangaharei covered six furlongs in 1.19&, going well. He will be ridden by J. Barry at Hawera. Flying Swift went once round over the steeplechase fences, negotiating the obstacles fairly well when the pace was on. Walter Kayner will bring Pomp in again in n couple of weeks. Pedestal will be nominated for the winter meeting at Trentham. Fabriano did not come up from the South*