SPORT

Radio Record, Volume XII, Issue 34, 3 February 1939, Page 16

SPORT

by

S. V.

McEwen

C HAMPIONS make their appearance in ali forms of sport from. time to time and their presence among us is always welcome. ‘heir incidence cannot be controlled or governed by any forces except that of Nature and she never tells us when one is coming along. At. the present time the: ehampion in the equine world is the three-year-old eolt Defaulter, of whom _ previous reference has been made on this page. At the Wellington Racing Club’s summer mecting two weeks ago, Defaulter made racing history when he established a record for three-year-olds by carrying 8.11 to victory in the Wellington Cup. The previous best was 8.10 ‘ which the Hon. J. D. Ormond’s Renown carried in 1901, when the headquarters of the Wellington Racing Club were at Hutt Park. The shift to Trentham was made in. 1906. The technical part of Defauiter’s performanee is less interesting to me than the story which surrounds his breeding. A Romance The whole history of the Turf is studded with romance. Some stories, which sound almost fantastic, can. be told about the ereatest equine figures the Turf has ever known, and Defaulter, who bids fair to join the select band of real champions, is surrounded by a tale which, in the end, says he was lucky ever to be foaled. Defaulter, although born in New Zealand, is completely of English blood. There is not a

drop of colonial blood in his body. His dam, a mare named Expense, was bred by Mr. Ian Dunean, of Wellington, from a mare named Lady Jean J, which Mr. Duncan imported from England. Lady Jean became the dam of a very good horse ealled Scion, whose many successes in Mr. E. Riddiford’s colours included the New Zealand Cup and Auckland Cup.

Others in Lady Jean’s family were the winners Askari, Beau Geste and Bon Chic before she was mated with the English importation Paper Money, who

had carried Sir Walter Gilbey’s colours to third place in the Derby at Epsom. The result of this union was the mare named Expense, a very moderate performer, who managed to win a small maiden affair at Waipawa against indifferent class. When Mr. Duncan was disposing of several mares a few years ago he passed Expense on

to Mr. Ian MeRae, of Masterton, a young breeder who had been interesting himself in the thoroughbred in a small way. He was the owner of the stallion Sky Biue, but the first mating between this horse and Expense was. without result. Mr. McRae then decided .to mate. Expense with a stallion named Defoe, a son of unbeaten Hurry On, from a mare by Son-in-Law. Defoe, who is one of the best staying-bred horses ever imported to the Dominion, was brought out here by the late Mr. Gaine Carrington, who also had another son of Hurry On in Hunting Song standing at his stud in Poverty Bay. Hunting Song has been the ‘champion stallion in New Zealand for six years past, and as his merit has always been recognised by breeders, those wishing to patronise this particular male line of Hurry On, naturally preferred Hunting Song to Defee-one a_ tried horse; the other a young horse unproven, but worthy of a trial. However, before the merit of Defoe was truly appreciated, his:owner disposed of him and he was taken over by Mr. A.

Marshaill, who stood the horse for service at Porirua, near Wellington. A Close Call It was while Defoe stood at Porirua that Mr. McRae decided to send Expense to him. The mare was nearly returned to her owner empty! The groom in charge of the stallion was loading a consignment of mares at Porirua, returning

them to their owners after service, and he suspected that Expense was not in foal. So instead of sending her home, he returned her to the stud, where she remained until the groom was certain that she had fulfilled the purpose for which she’ had come. The produce of that union was Defaulter, champicn thoroughbred racer of his day in these parts. The: unusual did not end there. I have told readers of this page how, when offered as a yearling at the sales at Trentham, he was knocked down to an. Aucklander who disputed his final bid. Brought back into the ring the bidding was reopened and he became the property of Mr. Harold Greenwood, of North Canterbury, whose racing silks are those which Gloaming, Biplane and many .other notable horses made famous. for his late father, Mr. G. D. Greenwood, one of Fortune’s favourites on the Turf. When Defaulter was first put into work to be prepared for two-year-old racing, his trainer

found great difficulty in getting a jockey to ride him regularly. He was a tall and leggy colt, who evidently at that time was putting ali his strength into bone for his frame was built on slender lines. Lost His Rider Then came the time for him to race and his first appearance on a course was attended by another mild _ sensation. Ridden by J. McFarlane in a race at Banks Peninsula just before the New Zealand Cup meeting of 1987, he was pinched back in the middle of a big field when lined up at the barrier, and as the ficld moved out Defaulter lost his rider. The colt took no harm from this ordeal. He went on to win a race at the New Zealand Cup meeting, and his record since then is one of a brilliant procession through the whole chain of classics. In 21 starts he has won 16 times and for the modest outlay of 170 guineas which it cost Mr. Greenwood to obtain him, he has returned more than £7000 in stake money. We have not yet seen the best of Defaulter. Unfortunately we in New Zealand are not to have the privilege of seeing him tried out against a horse worthy of his class. We have nothing in this Dominion capable of extending him. He is much too good for those of his own age and, providing he is kept to for-age racing in which the handieapper has no say and cannot weight him out of his races, it is going to take a horse of the champion class to bring about his defeat. Class Of Alax There is in Australia at the present time a horse named Ajax, who has compiled a record which matches that of Defaulter for brilliance of speed and merit of performance. At distanees round about a mile Ajax is one of the greatest horses of all time ever foaled in Australia. He was proved hardly a true stayer in the Derbies at Randwick and Flemington, and Defaulter should beat him at the Derby distance (one mile and a half). But it is over a mile or a mile and a quarter that I would like to see them race, Ajax is one of the most striking horses I have ever secn-a phenomenally strong horse who eats up distance with long, reaching strides and can maintain a terrific rate of speed throughout. As he is an older horse than Defauiter he will have to coneede the New Zealander weight under the weight-for-age scale, and this is where our champion will gain the advantage.