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d J Australian Racing Miscellany; Beau Vife Still in Limelight v n v E a c k . 1 1 j 1 1 1 1 1 , , , ! . ; ; ; , ; Best Thoroughbred Down t Under" Scores in Plate but Loses Cup Yearling Sales Special Correspondence. MELBOURNE, Australia With midweek racing abolished for the duration in Australia, the sport is in the doldrums and many owners and trainers will retire until war clouds in the Pacific disappear. "Business as usual" was the slogan of the A.J.C. at Easter when the officers voted unanimously to hold its two-day fall meeting. Randwick being occupied by the military, Sydneys premier club transferred its meeting to the picturesque Rosehill course. The A.J.C. cut the prize money from 04,975 for two days at Randwick to 2,836 for two days at Rosehill. Thousands of Melbourne racing fans stayed at home this year. The drought, which had worried N.S.W. farmers, owners and trainers for several months, broke with a vengeance a week before the meeting opened and for the third Saturday in a row Sydney racegoers missed their sport. Despite the war situation breeders face the future with cheery optimism. The welcome rain will encourage N.S.W. studmasters to continue the importation of English stallions after the cessation of hostilities. With New Zealands former weight-f or-age star, Beau Vite, contesting the Autumn Plate, Sydneys best babies running in the Sires Produce Stakes and such celebrities as High Caste and Beaulivre among the contenders for Doncaster honors, the Sydney Cup meeting opened in fine weather at Rosehill on April 4. It looks as if Rosehill will be the A.J.C.s headquarters for a long time. Hesione Loses Caste Hesione, the standout juvenile of the spring, lost caste when Hall Stand outsped Ajaxs speedy half sister to win the Sires Produce Stakes, added money of which was reduced from 1,305 to ,422. Hall Stand, a stylish son of the Derby and Melbourne Cup winner, Hall Mark, attained victory in a decisive manner from Hesione and Angel. His owner, "John Despard" paid ,230 for Hall Stand, which has proved a rare bargain at that figure. The winner carried 122 pounds and negotiated the seven furlongs in 1:27 1-4. Its Funny trounced his rivals in the St. Leger, winning cleverly from Lambeth and the Victorian colt Liege. Yaralla, one of the fastest colts in Australia quit, after-racing prominently for a mile. During the spring Its Funny ran below expectations in the classics. The little Constant Son colt shouldered 122 pounds and covered the mile and three-quarters in 3:00. Australias good staying three-year-olds are few and far between and next season Skepton and Laureate should scoop the pool. Among the three-year-olds they rank with the highest class colts of recent years. Beau Vite added to his laurels by down-, ing Veiled Threat and Dashing Cavalier in the Autumn Plate of one mile and a half. Australias ace thoroughbred made his five rivals look like hacks. It was the Beau Pere horses first race since November, but his veteran trainer, F. McGrath, sent him to the post in perfect condition. He picked up 137 pounds and his time for the distance was 2:33. The New Zealand owned champion brought his stake winnings to 0,181. Tuhitarata Conquers Smart Milers New Zealands representative, Tuhitarata, scored a popular victory in the ,230 Doncaster Handicap. The race was well worthy of its reputation for gathering together the best milers in the Commonwealth. A record Rosehill crowd of 30,000 watched the six-year-old son of the Doncaster Handicap winner, Simeons Fort, carry the silks of J. Jameson to easy success in 1:45 1-4 for a mile and a sixteenth. W. Gander came in for his share of congratulations, Jameson paying tribute to the Sydney trainer for bringing to winning form an old horse that now seems better than ever. Tuhitarata, which shouldered 108 pounds, raced past that fine galloper, Evergreen, turning for home and withstood a sharp bid by Arahura in the final furlong. Evergreen finished third. High Caste came from far back to end fourth just ahead of Beaulivre, a crackerjack miler. Tuhitarata was ridden expertly by Victorias No. 1 jockey, Harold Badger, who won the Epsom two and a half years ago on Geebung and was astride Rimveil, runner-up to Mildura, in the Doncaster Handicap last year. The totalisator handled 7,032, which fell short of the record. RosehiUs secretary, Reg Rowe, stated that the biggest Continued on Page Thirty-One Australian Racing Miscellany; Beau Vite Still in Limelight Best Thoroughbred "Down Under" Beats Veiled Threat And Then Bows to Him CQ7itinued from Page Two crowd previously to visit Rosehill was 20,000 in 1923 when 06,590 was put through the machines. Beau Vite, Australias glamor horse, was the star attraction on the last day of the A.J.C.s autumn meeting on April 11. The Sydney Cup, which was first run in 1866. five years after the Melbourne Cup was first staged, has been won by many great stayers. The mighty Carbine scored two successive Sydney Cup victories in 1889-90. Some of Australias most famous horses have combined to make the Sydney Cup a famous race. The club was well favored by the weather this year, and the race for the ,845 Cup prize Was worthy of the best traditions of the historic two-mile event. Veiled Threat and Velocity, sons of the Limond horse, Veilmond, fought out the finish. Beau Vite, top weight in a field of fourteen, started favorite at 5 to 2. The good looking Beau Pere horse appeared in fine fettle. He was ridden by Australias crack jockey, Darby Munro. Owned by the former successful Sydney trainer, F. Williams until a few days before the race, when he was purchased by W. K. Noral for ,400, Veiled Threat, admirably ridden by R. Parsons, went past Angus and Trigger-man in magnificent style, winning in hand from Velocity and Beau Vite, which could not cope with the speed of Veiled Threat when he began his well gauged charge. Last year Veiled Threat, after displaying excellent form, started favorite in the Sydney Cup and finished well back. Carrying 113 pounds he ran the distance in 3:25 1-2 and missed the race record held by Lucrative by four and a half seconds. Bred on Staying Lines Veiled Threat is superbly bred from a staying point of view. His sire was a fine stayer, a classic winner, and came from the famed Instep family, whose members have studded Antipodean racing history with their brilliance. The dam of Veiled Threat, Spear Belle, is by the Spearmint horse, Spearhead, sire of Queenslands premier stallion, Spearfelt. Yaralla climbed back on his pedestal when he carried the racing colors of E. P. Walker to a clever victory in the mile and one-sixteenth of the All Aged Plate. This brilliant colt raced into a vclear lead early and never left the result in doubt after the first quarter-mile. Evergreen chased the winner to the end of the journey. High Caste, which displayed soreness, closed gamely but was not quite equal to his assignment. Gallant High Caste has slipped. In his effort to eclipse Phar Laps -stake-winning record of 32,250 the gigantic son of Bu-landshar, has waged a losing battle and will how be used as a sire in New Zealand. His owner, H. Tancred, refused an offer of 5,300 for the "strawberry bull" which, during his four seasons, started in seventy-two races for thirty-two wins, two dead-heats for first, eighteen seconds and seven thirds and was unplaced in eleven races. His stake earnings amount to 15,335. High Caste, given solid patronage, will get stock comparable with that produced by those who have the word "imp" after their name. Yearling Prices Decline Sydney owners are optimistic about the future of racing in Australia but for the two days of the annual yearling sales held at "Newmarket" Randwick the aggregate amount realized was 17,415, the smallest since 1906. The average this year was approximately 89 for 232 yearlings and the total was 55,975 less than last year. Stakes reduction for the A. J. C. autumn meeting accounted for the heavy falling off. Top price was realized by stock from W. J. Smiths St. Aubins stud, Scone. A colt by the Heroic horse Hua fetched ,720. The colt was bought by Otto Baldwin of Manilla, N. S. W. The half brother to Family Tree by Hua was passed at ,445. Dashing Cavalier, hero of the 1941 Metropolitan Handicap, and the Caulfield Cup winners, Buzalong and Beaulivre, bid adieu to Australian race crowds when they ran unplaced in the Sydney Cup. F. Mc-Grath is doubtful whether Beau Vite will stand another siege of training. Beaulivre, the best looking of all Beau Peres sons, is ineligible for the Australian stud book, but he is recognized for the New Zealand stud book and perhaps he will return to his homeland for a stud career. E. C. Harnetts grand galloper won 4,870 in prize money. Buzalong closed his racing career with 8,947, and Dashing Cavalier with 8,130. Dashing Cavaliers owner, F. W. Hughes, has decided to send the Constant Son horse, a one-pace stayer, to his Kooba Stud. Sydney Cup Day was satisfactory for the A. J. C, but there was some surprise by the drop in attendance from 30,000 to 22,000, including thousands of Uncle Sams doughboys. Totalizator receipts were almost on a par, the turnover being 00,049. The two days takings amounted to 96,658. . New Zealands ace galloper, Kindergarten, received an ovation unparalleled in the history of Dominion racing when he won the ,845 Easter Handicap on Easter Saturday at Elleslie, Auckland. It was a freak performance. There were twenty-two horses in the field and the champion shouldered 143 pounds. Last year he won this race under 137 pounds. Hopelessly out of the race at the three-furlong mark, he was third last and fifteen lengths behind the leaders. Then he staged a breath-taking run in the stretch to win by a neck from Erndale and Gay Rosette. Old timers considered it the greatest performance in living memory. His time for the mile, 1:35, equaled the New Zealand record. E. Fitzgerald, proud owner of Kindergarten, could have sold the Kindcardine horse to an American sportsman last year for 8,450. That was the highest bid made for New Zealands turf idol. Kindergartens next appearance may be in Australia in the spring. If the war position improves he will be set for the Caulfield and Melbourne Cups. Later he may be sent to America. Fitzgerald believes Kindergarten is a worthy successor to the immortal Phar Lap and would hold his own with Whirlaway, Challedon and Alsab. R. S. Brady, who trains him, developed High Caste, which won several two-year-old races before he was purchased by H. Tancred and entered J. T. Jamiesons stable. When Beau Vite finished third in the Sydney Cup, he brought his winning stakes record to more than 0,000. According to Darby Munro, Beau Vite is one of the kindest gallopers he has ever ridden. Aggravate of American Family Aggravate, a New Zealand performer, is the best representative at the present time of an interesting attempt to establish an American female line in the Dominion. Not many American-bred mares have been imported to New Zealand. One was Lake Placid, dam of the New Zealand Cup winner, Frisco, but her line appears to have died out.- Aggravate is by Shambles, from Bran Pie, by imported Buckwheat, from imported Eager Eyes 24, by Cesarion, from Susie Bush, by Onondaga, tracing to Weatherwitch, a mare sent to the U. S. A. in 1860. Weatherwitch was by Weather-bit, from a daughter of Birdcatcher. Eager Eyes combined in her pedigree some of the best American and English strains. She was imported by E. M. Russell. Her first foal, Listening Post, won races, as did her second foal, Laughing Eyes. Eager Eyes has left many female descendants and no doubt other winners will come from her line. With more than half of the season gone, Foxbridge is the leading sire in New Zealand. The Foxlaw horse holds an unassailable position. His stock has won , almost twice as much as the Beau Pere tribe. By the end of February, Foxbridges progeny had won more than 5,220. Beau Peres had exceeded 9,070 and Vaals had exceeded 2,610. Others prominent in the list were High Castes sire, Bulandshar, 9,380, and Iliad, Hunting Song, Surveyor and Salmagundi all more than 6,150. Racing is flourishing in New Zealand and stakes at important meetings are generally larger than those now offered in the Australian cities of Brisbane and Sydney.
