TURF NEWS AND NOTES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 1 February 1940, Page 9

TURF NEWS AND NOTES

CURRENT TOPICS FROM STABLE AND COURSE Racing in England COMPLETE STOPPAGE A SERIOUS MATTER

(By

“THE GRAFTER.”)

A complete stoppage of racing in England would be a very serious matter in a country where several thousand horses are in training each season. It would, in the first place, throw a lot of people unfit for any other class of work into the unemployed ranks. This, of course, is fully recognised in England, and racing will be continued as much as possible under prevailing conditions. Several owners will probably send horses to the United States, where racing is in a flourishing state, but the position looks particularly difficult for those whose livelihood depends on the continuance of racing.

The prospect of English horses being sent to invade the American turf recalls the first really notable success of an American horse in England. In 1879 Mr Pierre Lorillard, a millionaire tobacco merchant, sent a colt called Iroquis and other yearlings in charge of Jacob Pincus. Iroquis won four times out of 12 starts as a two-year-old, and in his second season, when not considered fit or near it, ran second to Peregrine in the Two Thousand Guineas. Peregrine was a pronounced favourite for the Derby. The great Fred Archer fancied Iroquis and went to the colt’s trainer and asked for the mount. Pincus was only too pleased to have England's greatest jockey on his colt. By clever horsemanship, Archer got Iroquois home by half a length from Peregrine, and so America won its first English Derby. Archer naturally shared in the triumph and became the hero of the hour with the Americans in England. The day after the Derby he was standing on the steps of the weighing room, when an American, an utter stranger to him, came up and said: “Mr Archer, if you let me take you over to the States and exhibit you for two months, I will give you £lO,OOO before you start.” Iroquois also won the St Leger and other races, and altogether £lB,BOO in stakes. The great son of Leamington was not a success at the stud. If Gordon Richards won the Derby on an American it would be of interest to knoyv if a showman from the land of the Stars and Stripes would make him an offer similar to the one made tc Archer.

Jockey’s Bad Luck. W. Elliott, who went to America as stable-boy with Phar Lap and after his return bloomed into Victoria’s leading horseman, is experiencing a bad run this season. Early in the term he had a leg broken in a fall on the training track at Caulfield, and had barely recovered when he sustained another fracture in a collision when riding work. It will prbbably be six months before Elliott is in the saddle again. Among the rides he missed as a result of his first mishap were those on Rivette in the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups.

Big Warwick. Big Warwick’- a half-brother to Hall Mark, is a member of J. Holt’s Melbourne team of whom bright expectations have been formed. He has been named after- the noted cricket test match captain. Warwick Armstrong, a close friend of his owner, Mr C. B. Kellow. This novice is a son of Madagascar, son of Blandford, from Herowinkie. by Cyklon (son of Spearmint) from a mare by Cylene, from Deneb, by The Welkin, sire of Gloaming. The progeny of the Blandford horse Madagascar raced for the first time in Australia last season, six of the number proving winners.