DEPENDS ON TRAINER

Wairarapa Times-Age, 16 September 1939, Page 11

DEPENDS ON TRAINER

EARLY RACING OF TWO-YEAR-OLDS. Some discussion has arisen about the early racing of two-year-olds. Experience has proved that the small, compact youngsters are most likely in make good, at early racing, and should be used because they may not be a success later and under any circumstances. It is generally a good policy to wait with big, well-grown youngsters, ano give them time to mature. Some very smart and successful two-year-olds have been on the big side, and they trained on to race well in subsequent years. Machine Gun was one the biggest two-year-olds ever trained in Nevz Zealand. He was broken-winded from the outset of his career, but neverthe--less won the Dunedin Champagne Stakes and trained on to become famous as the fastest horse of his day. He won the Stewards’ Handicap as a three-year-old with 8.9‘, the highest weight every successfully carried at his age. He also won the Middle Park Plate at three years, and the Great Easter Handicap at four years under 10.4, easily a weight-carrying record for the race. His 58sec with 11.5 over five furlongs put up in 1904 still ranks as a record. D. J. Price took Machine Gun to Australia and raced him with considerable success, Another exceptionally big two-year-old was Masterpiece, who won the McLean Stakes-, the New Zealand Derby, and the following season missed the New ZealandCup by a short head. Two-year-olds, big or little, depend on the trainer as to whether their career-may be short or long.-