SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1939, Page 11

SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS

PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. In recent years few Derby winners have raced as four-year-olds in England. Eois Roussel joins the majority. He is reported to have strained a thigh muscle, and is to be retired to the stud. Bois Roussel won his first race in France at three years, and was bought by Mr Peter Beatty for £BOOO. Taken to England, he won the Derby by a great finishing run. This was his only race in England. Returned to France, he was third in the Grand Prix de Paris, won by unbeaten Nearco, son of Pharos. Bois Roussel completely outstayed the Derby field yet not a few people held the view that his win was a ••fluke." When a horse comes from a long way behind and runs over the leaders, it seems a curious kind of ‘‘fluke." Bois Roussel is a half-brother to Sir Galahad 111. Bulldog, and Admiral Drake. He is b.v Vatout (son of the Chaucer . horse Prince Chimay) out of Plucky Liege by Spearmint out of Concertina, by St. Simon out of Comic Song, by Petrarch.

Apparently apprentices are much better off in New Zealand than in Australia. The father of one recently wrote to the Sydney Herald complaining that he had to clothe him. provide pocket money, and even pay his fare when travelling home. The boy was taken on trial for two months and was then apprenticed, but for more than two years received no wages. Consequently an appeal was made to the A.J.C. stewards, and after much haggling the wages were paid. The correspondent also states: -My boy was not a (forded the opportunity to gain his permit to ride, and he could ride before he was apprenticed. Another prominent trainer required a boy urgently and despite that he ano my son had signed transfer papers in the A.J.C. office, the trainer to whom ho was apprenticed would not consent to the transfer." The correspondent concludes with an appeal to the A.J.C. committee to institute an inquiry

“with a view to elevating the apprentice riders from their present unsatisfactory position.” Green Cape, winner of the V.R.C. Grand National Hurdles at Flemington recently, won the V.R.C. Grand National Steeplechase last year, thus proving himself one of the most versatile jumpers in Australia for some years. A five-year-old bay gelding by Ethiopian from Capeless, Green Cape is one of the many bargain horses to achieve lame. At the Melbourne yearling sales of 1933 he was sold for the modest sum of 25gns. Capeless was by George Frederick from Cape. by Corinth from Mantle, by Goldsbrough from Milliner, by Millionaire, and tracing to the successful taproot Melesina by Harkaway. Melesina was imported to Australia in foal to Red Hart, the result of the mating being Sweetheart, ancestress of some great horses in Wallace. Melos, Waterfall, Uncle Sam. and Peter, Pan. The branch of the family to which Green Cape belongs is represented in New Zealand. Mantelpiece a half-sister to Cape, w’as imported from New South Wales by Mr G. F. Moore in 1902, together with her daughter Carrara, who was by the A.J.C. Metropolitan Handicap winner Cravat. Mantelpiece produced Koran, by Pilgrim’s Progress, a winner of the Rangitikei Cup, while Carrara became the dam of Can Trip, which in turn produced a useful handicap horse in Tooley Street. Cravat was got by Castor from Necklace, the dam of Armilia Coronet, and others.

“Mr J. H. Davis has been handicapper for the Victoria Racing Club for 15 years” (says a well-known Victorian writer). "I doubt whether he has handicapped a worse field —taken collectively—for the Melbourne Cup "than this year. Usually the first 20 horses at the head of the Melbourne Cup list are either first-class weight-for-age horses or on the fringe of weight-for-age class, but this year, if, ■one takes awh y Ajax;'Spear"Chief and Defaulter, the rest are ordinary. It is not pleasant to become a pessimist, but I cannot help sighing for the appearance of half a dozen really good horses. Horses that could be compared with horses like Heroic, Manfred. Windbag, Spearfelt. Whittier, Pantheon and Pilliewinkie, to say nothing of Purser and a few more who were out at the same time. There is however, one consolation in connection with the Melbourne Cup weights, and that is Mr Davis considers Defaulter the best four-year-old he has ever handicapped for the great Flemington race. It is a high compliment to the New Zealander, and he is so good that he probably deserves it.”