AUSTRALIAN RACING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 September 1939, Page 9

AUSTRALIAN RACING

ROYAL CHIEF’S INJURY DEFAULTER SOUND AS A BELL. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. SYDNEY, September 18. His trainer, F. D. Jones, today reported that Royal Chiefs injury was only slight. The leg was almost normal and the horse was likely to fulfil his Randwick engagements. Defaulter trotted and cantered twice round the grass track at 1 Randwick today and, according to his trainer. Roberts is awaiting instructions from Defaulter's owner, Mr Greenwood, who is at present in Los Angeles. Roberts thinks Defaulter wrenched his off fore pastern when, he collided with Reading last week. Gold Rod 9.5 heads the weights in the Quality Handicap at the Hawkesbury meeting to be held at Rosehill next Saturday. Te Hero has 8.5 and Olympus 7.5. Royal Chief and St. Constant 9.4 are topweights in the Clarendon Stakes in which High Caste and Reading have 7.9 and Beau Vite and Bonny Loch 6.13. Malagigi 8.8 and Beau Repaire 7.9 are entered in the Hawkesbury Grand Handicap. . IMPRESSIVE RECORD DEFAULTER’S WINNINGS TO DATE Defaulter’s win in the Chelmsford stakes at Randwick brought his total winnings in New Zealand and Australia to £11,285. In 27 starts he hasbeen first 21 times, been once second, once third, and four times unplaced. His complete record is as follows: — Two years: Won Canterbury Irwell Handicap, four furlongs, 7.11, £230; third, Canterbury Pioneer Handicap, five furlongs, 7.13, £5O; Won Wellington Nursery Handicap, six furlong, 7.10, £245; Won Canterbury Middle Park Plate (special weights with penalties and allowances), six furlongs, 6.13. £220; won Wellington Pacific Handicap, six furlongs, 9.1, £350; won North 'lsland Challenge Stakes, weight-for-age (penalties and allowances), seven furlongs, 7.9, £420; won Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (special weights, with: penalties and allowances), seven furlongs, 9.0, £315; won Canterbury Champagne Stakes, six furlongs, 8.10, £350; won Canterbury Challenge Stakes, weight-for-age, seven furlongs, 7.11, £350. Three years: Second, Dunedin Electric Handicap, six furlongs, 8.9, £25; won Dunedin Guineas, one mile, 8.10. £275; won Wellington Trentham Stakes, one mile, 8.10, £350; won Wellington Harcourt Stakes, weight-for-age, one mile and a-quarter, 7.11, £350; Won New Zealand Derby, one mile and a-half, 8.10, £875; won Canterbury Cup, weight-for-age, one mile and ahalf, 7,11, £490; won Auckland Christmas Handicap, one mile, 8.11, £300; won Auckland Great Northern Derby Stakes, one mile and a-half, 8.10, £1100; won Wellington Cup, one mile and a-half, 8.11, £990; won A.J.C. (Warwick Farm) Chipping Norton Plate, weight-for-age, one mile and aquarter, 8.6, £500; won A.J.C. Autumn Plate, weight-for-age, one mile and a-half. 8.4, £1,125; won A.J.C. Plate, two miles and'a-quarter, 8.2, £950. Four years: Won Warwick Stakes, weight-for-age, seven furlongs, 9,0. £450; won Chelmsford Stakes, nine furlongs, 9.7. £875. A MELBOURNE OPINION “FREE REIN” FOR DEFAULTER? Anyone knowing Defaulter and his easy-going temperament and tendency to stop unless kept awake, would be amused to read a Melbourne opinion about the colt’s win in the Warwick Stakes. It reads:— “Although Defaulter galloped at little above half pace he was able io run a course record lor seven furlongs. If Ellis had given him a free rein he would probably have broken Imin 23scc, the Australian and New Zealand record.” Defaulter was given a free rein in the Electric Handicap, run at Wingatui last spring, and after running to the front lost lengths through stopping, with the result that Silver Streak got up and beat him. At the Wellington spring meeting Defaulter had the Harcourt Stakes well won, but stopped, and Francis Drake nearly pipped him on the post. G. Humphries was fined for allowing his mount to go asleep at the business end of the race. Defaulter is a good colt and looks the part of a high-class performer, but nevertheless some opinions will have to be modified after Beauvite ran him to a short head in the Chelmsford Stakes. Distance accentuates weight and. staying power being equal, Beauvite, as a high-class three-year-old, looks sure to beat Defaulter in the Melbourne Cup in a true run race. Beauvite has 7.4 in the Melbourne Cup,- arid at the most can only incur a few pounds penalty, and he is bred on sounder or just as sound staying lines as Defaulter.. „ Whatever happens a “free rem would mean that Defaulter would finish last in any race over any distance. SPORT OF KINGS OVERSEAS PERSONAL AND OTHERWISE. Jimmy Taylor, 10 years old and 4ft high, was allowed by the English racing authorities last August to ride in a race for the first time. He was the youngest rider to whom a license hao ever been granted—and that’s not sui ■ prising. The midget rode Tyram Tag, who beat two of the field of 22 home. In New Zealand apprentices seldom get a ride until they are 1£ years of age. Adamant won the Dunedin Cup in the 80’s with a boy of 13—Billy Sharpe—in the saddle. It is reported that G.OOOgns has been refused for Beau Vite, who is now favourite for the A.J.C. Derby. Victoria Derby, and Melbourne Cup. Beau Vite would have beaten Defaulter in another couple of strides in the Chelmsford Stakes. He is bred to stay, his dam, Dominant, is a sister to None. (Desert Gold's early rival). Menelaus (New Zealand Cup). Lett, dam oi Wotan, Melbourne Cup), Lovematch (Wanganui Cup), and half-sister to Prince Paladin, a good winner in Australia.

One defeat appears to have pushed High Caste off his pedestal with the Australian critics. High Caste’s display in the Chelmsford Stakes appears to be too bad to be true. It is recognised that he suffered interference which may have effected him far more seriously than realised. High Caste is a big, massive colt, and his size has held as a possible bar to being able to stay

a Derby distance. That opinion can be brushed aside as groundless, as some of the best three-year-olds the world has ever known all ran to big size. What appears to have been completely overlooked is the fact that if an exceptionally big colt suffers interference and gets unbalanced it may completely upset his chance in a race. They do not catch back into their stride nearly so well as a medium-sized colt that may catch back in a couple of strides after getting bumped. High Caste had proved himself a particularly good colt, and it is a great mistake to judge a horse on one bad performance. The abandonment of the St Leger Stakes this year was bad luck for Lord Rosebery, as his good colt Blue Peter was heading for a stakes record for a three-year-old, and had he won the St Leger his aggregate for the season would have been considerably in excess of those other “triple crown’’ winners—Flying Fox (1899) and Diamond Jubilee (1900)—who won the three classics and the Eclipse.

ABOUT HORSES

Black Banner has been returned to Southland from Washdyke, and although he has recovered a good deal from the injury he sustained at the South Canterbury Hunt Club’s meeting. there is little chance of the Balboa gelding racing again. The Dominion-bred Kai Tero (Siegfried —Vigilance) has been sold and shipped to Singapore. She was raced in Sydney with varied success by J. T. Jamieson. The plans regarding Tooley Street remaining at Riccarton until after the New Zealand Cup meeting have been changed and he was sent back to Auckland last week.