AUSTRALIAN RACING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 3 April 1939, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN RACING

WARWICK FARM MEETING

SPLENDID WIN FOR DEFAULTER.

MALAGIGI SCORES IN CUP,

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. SYDNEY. April 1. The New Zealand colt Defaulter opened his Australian racing campaign today and completely justified the high opinions held of him with an exciting victory in the Chipping Norton Plate at Warwick Farm. In addition he survived a protest arising out of a complaint of interference to Spear Chief in the straight. Defaulter’s success was the more meritorious as he had to make his own running over the last five furlongs and was worried by The Trump falling back and by Spear Chief seeking a position on the rails. The last half-mile was run at the clipping pace of 481. Defaulter is now certain to have an overwhelming following for the Sydney Cup.

When Defaulter was being unsaddled blood smears appeared on the side of his mouth, and at first caused his trainer, Roberts, uneasiness. Roy Stewart, the veterinary surgeon, examined Defaulter, and found a scratch on the inside of his mouth, but no evidence whatever of internal bleeding. Thus the minds of bettors who intend to follow Defaulter in future races were eased.

The “Sunday Sun” describes Defaulter’s debut in Australia as that of a great three-year-old, rivalling Phar Lap. High Caste let his friends down in the Colts’ and 1 Geldings’ Handicap of six furlongs, finishing fourth to The Kaiser. High Caste had the outside barrier position and carried 9.8. The lightweights on the inside were able to worry him all the way. Malagigi won the Autumn Cup jn hollow fashion in face of strong opposition in time equalling the course record. This Paladin gelding is expected to show up well at the approaching Randwick meeting. The chief results were: —

Chipping Norton Plate. Ljm: Defaulter, 8.6 (Ellis) 1; Spear Chief, 9.0 (McCarten) 2; The Trump, 8.12 (W. Cook) 3. Scratched: L’Aiglon. Half a neck; half a head. Early Bird was fourth. Time, 2.7 J. A protest was dismissed. Liverpool Handicap, 6f: Creditor, 8.5 (Badger) 1; Caesar, 8.2 (Lappin) 2; King’s Head, 9.8 (Shean) 3. Scratched: Gay Son, Blonde Princess. Length and a quarter; head. Korimako was fourth. Disdain was sixth, and Amiable eighth. Time, 1.13. Warwick Farm Autumn Cup, Ijm: Malagigi, 7.12 (Badger) 1; L’Aiglon, 8.7 (Scanlon) 2; Janbaz, 7.0 (Lappin) 3. Scratched: El Bruno. Length and a half; three-quarters of a length. Time, 2.29 i, which equals the course record. Hedonic was fourth.

Country Party was unplaced‘in the Cabramata Handicap. RACES AT MENTONE SECOND TO TRENTWOOD. MELBOURNE, April 1. Racing at Mentone today Trentwood finished second in the Beach Hurdles, which was won by Dornford. Bankshaw was second in the Waverley Handicap, which was won by Gladiolius. DEFEAT OF AJAX. TRAINER PUZZLED. SYDNEY, March 2. The “Sunday Sun” today revives the question of the defeat of Ajax by Spear Chief last week, and declares that his trainer, F. Musgrave, is still puzzled and inclines to the belief that Ajax was doped. Musgrave adds that he has been told of the existence of a gang in Sydney whose work is doping, and the men who conveyed this information to him, he said, are not fools. “What I cannot get out of my mind is that Ajax was far too quiet and sleepy just before the race,” he added.