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! -i - - Turf Gossip From Australia I By BOB THOMSON J Special Australian Correspondent for Daily Racing Form. The 1939 Australian autumn racing campaign opened at Caulfield, Victoria, February 18. Brilliant sunshine marked the first days sport. Last spring all attention was focused on the clash of the Derby colts with staying propensities. For the current season the position has been reversed, the sprinters holding court, ani there can be no question that in Victoria, at least, there is a galaxy of talent for short distance events. The first of the important handicaps, the Oakleigh Plate, a sprint at five and a half furlongs, was won by the Adelaide speedster, Auries Star from Pamelus, one of the unluckiest horses in important handicaps of recent years, with Unishak quitting utterly in the run through the stretch. Rated in third position, while Unishak and Brazandt furnished the early pace, A. Dewhurst wisely waited off the pace until the field reached the turn. Sent up on the outside when Unishak began to tire, Auries Star readily forged to the front. Auries Star carried 138 pounds and ran the distance on a flint-like track in 1:05 1-4. This six-year-old unsexed son of the Sun-star horse Stardrift holds the Australasian and Caulfield records for the distance. Two years ago Auries Star carried 116 pounds to striking success in the Plate and followed it up by taking the Newmarket Handicap. Auries Star earned ,800 of the ,000 added purse for the Adelaide owner, G. Badman. CARRIES OFF LEADING HONORS. Buzalong, hero of the Caulfield Cup last spring, carried off leading honors in the mile and three furlongs Bond Handicap. It was the Queenslanders first win since he won the Cup. Ridden by F. Shean, who was associated with the Buzzard gelding in his spring triumph, was astride Buzalong, which carried 129 pounds and fairly outgamed the three-year-olds Respirator and Kingdom. Buzalong negotiated the distance in 2:19 1-2. Ajax, stellar performer in the stable of Frank Musgrave, accounted for the St. George Stakes, a weight-for-age affair at nine furlongs. Making his first start of the year and opposed by five first-class gallopers, the fast-stepping Heroic horse demonstrated the benefit of idleness during the summer months when he made hacks of the others. Young Idea reached the finish in closest attendance of the victor, and Spear Chief accounted for minor honors. Manolive, which was expected to lower Ajaxs colors, twisted a plate and finished last. Ajax, a grand looking individual, gave a good brand of speed and stepped over the distance under 126 pounds in 1:51 1-4. The champion missed his own course record by one second. Totalizator investments increased by ,240 compared with last year. The staff handled 98,895 as against 95,665 last year. NEW ZEALAND HORSES WIN. New Zealand-bred horses swept the board on the second and final day of the meeting. Because of inclement weather, a small crowd witnessed the sport, and seven races were decided. The Caulfield course, one of the most beautiful racing grounds in the Antipodes, is sandy, but rain saturated the track. High Caste, the gigantic New Zealand two-year-old, covered himself with glory when he defeated the Gay Lothario youngsters Meteorical and Mitosis in the Alma Stakes. Sporting- the colors of the Sydney owner, H. Tancred, the New Zealand-bred colt shouldered, 129 pounds and reached the end of the six furlongs in 1:17. Purchased for 8,000 shortly after arriving from the Dominion, High Caste is likely to take high rank next spring. He comes from a famous line of gallopers. His sire, Bulandshar, was bred in England by the Aga Khan and is a son of the Swynford horse. The Begum, dam of High Caste, was bred by A. J. McGovern in 1925, and is by Chief Ruler Luceila, by Lucullus. Other winners produced by The Begum in New Zealand are Mazir, Stretto and Arvakur. Ajax added to a sequence of notable victories when he won his second Futurity Stakes, run over seven furlongs. It was his sixteenth win in a row, and his total is now 9,900, placing him in seventeenth place on the list of Australasian stake winners. He was a 4 to 9 chance in the betting but performed well in accordance with the odds. Stretto and Pamelus enjoyed brief leads in the early furlongs. Riding his usual fine race, Harold Badger hustled Ajax into contention during the first .... .4 quarter and, disposing of Pamelus when ready, had the winner in a commanding lead as the field of seven entered the stretch. That was the end of the chances of the chestnuts pursuers for there is no horse in commission that can concede Ajax a start two furlongs from home and beat him. The battle of second honors was considerably more spirited with Pamelus finishing a head before El Golea. Ajaxs share of the 2,000 prize was ,800. The crowd acclaimed Australias equine turf wonder before he reached the judges. As he returned to scale, the occupants of the members stand gave three cheers. No Australian race horse has ever been greeted with such spontaneous enthusiasm. Even the mighty Phar Lap, whose place the ruling champion has taken, never captured the imagination of Australian turf fans to the same extent as Ajax. Carrying 146 pounds, the highest weight ever handled successfully by a four-year-old in the rich Caulfield race, Ajax ran the distance on a water-logged track in 1:28 1-4. 23 WINS OUT OF 27 STARTS. Ajax has had twenty-seven starts, for twenty-three wins, two seconds and a third. He was unplaced in the V. R. C. Sires Produce Stakes as a two-year-old when he ran wide at the turn into the stretch. Harold Badger has ridden Ajax to victory seventeen times. M. McCarten, the Sydney jockey has handled the champion in five of his winning races. Badger has won races on Ajax to the value of 5,100. Wilson, fleet two-year-old in F. Musgraves stable, gave a brilliant performance to win the first division of the Alma Stakes. This New Zealand-bred colt was behind eight horses entering the home stretch, but he unwound an amazing run over the last quarter and Hall Harks brother, Pure Gold, and Hiawatha. Bred by J. W. Holden Wilson, he is by Seigfried, from the Limond mare, Lilock. He should prove a worthy rival for the much-vaunted High Caster in the rich two-year-old races during the fall season. Purchased for ,400 at the New Zealand sales last year, Wilson is owned by J. Wren, who bought the colts yearling brother at the National Sales at Wellington, N. Z., this year. The newcomer arrived from the Dominion recently and is a fine type of colt, which should be greatly admired when he goes to the races next spring. WANT 00,000 FOR AJAX. Neil S. McCarthy, attorney for Louis B. Mayer, cabled the former Sydney trainer, F. Williams, to negotiate for the purchase of Ajax, but the reserve placed upon Australias ace galloper, 00,000, was not satisfactory to the would-be American buyer, who would have been willing to pay 0,000 for the son of Heroic. E. K. Thornton, a steward of the Kansas City Racing Club, who saw Ajax in action when he won his second Futurity Stakes, was amazed at the beautiful action and the courage revealed by making light of his heavy weight in the heavy going. He packed 146 pounds and defeated the cream of Australias sprint talent. Before returning to the states, Thornton said, "I would give 00,000 for Ajax if I had a fortune. Ajax is sure some horse, one of the best it would be possible to see. I reckon he would give away a lump of weight and defeat such brilliant gallopers as Sea-biscuit and War Admiral." Mr. Thornton came to Australia for the sole purpose of witnessing our horses in opposition to Ajax, which Australians regard as a better horse than Phar Lap. The totalisator for the two days at Caulfield showed a slight decrease compared with last years figures. However, the total for the meeting reached the astonishing fig- I ure of 11,891. Stakes amounting to 7,680 were distributed during the meeting.
