Advertiser (Adelaide, SA : 1931 - 1954), Tuesday 9 May 1933, page 8


ADELAIDE CUP

History Of A Great Event

By G. K. SOWARD

" they back him at evens The race is all over bar shouting, they say." THE Adelaide Cup of 1864 and the

three following. 1865-6-7, were run on the Thebarton Racecourse, at weight-for-age over two miles. In 1866-67 E. M. Bagot's iron-grey mare Cowra, by Fisherman, won twice in succession. Cowra's end is wrapped in mystery. Fisherman, her sire, a great racehorse in England, was im-ported by C. B. and Hurtle Fisher and stood at Lockleys until his owner started the stud farm that was to become famous, at Maribyrnong. Vic-toria—whence the name of the two year old classic of the VRC Spring meetings. From Thebarton To Old Course Turned into a handicap, the last Cup contested at Thebarton was run in 1869, when Norma won for W. Lang, and the same year saw the only Hunt Cup run on that course—the first one 0f the series—with Adam Lindsay Gor -don among the riders, and Seth Ferry's leap into fame as a horseman over fences. The Cup lapsed until 1872. when, on the "Old Course" (now Vic-toria Park) Australian Buck won for R. Holland, who bred and raced good horses at Turretfield. where the Robert-sons later on were proud of the Tin-finder blood. In 1875. W. E. Dakin. an Englishman, a brother of F. F., who managed Morphettville stud for a time for Sir Thomas Elder, won the Cup with Lurline, a magnificent New Zealand-bred mare by Traducer, carry ing 9.1. Ace of Trumps, by Ace of Clubs. Tom Hale's mount. scored for Wm. Gerrard in 1874: Impudence, a black colt by Tregeagle. won in 1876 (the first Cup run at Morphettville): and Aldinga. by Talk o' the Hills, ridden by Hales, in 1877. These three stallions imported by Wm. Gerrard had their home at his well-known stud farm at Rapid Bay. Ace of Clubs I never saw. but I can recall seeing Treg. and Talk. Wild Dayrell horses, paraded at the Agricultural Show soon after their ar-rival. Their special mark was a few grey hairs at the base of the tail. Years afterwards, at Martindale. I re-newed acouaintance witli Tregeagle. when Edmund Bowman owned him and the horse was known as a man eater. The D.O.D. Riot R. Barr Smith leased Banter—a Con-rad horse—from John. Eden Savill for the Cup of 1879. which, he won in. the then good time of 3:55 over two miles —a pace that is now equalled by our horses over the hurdles. First Water, by Fireworks, reduced the time in the following year to 3.30. when he won for Willie Pile. He was trained by John Hill, at St. Leonards, as was also Totalisator, who triumphed in 1881 for S. Barnard, then secretary of the S.A.J.C. That was the memorable meeting at which D.O.D. paid a record dividend in this State of ever £800 in the Good-wood. when, through the machine not properly registering the only ticket taken on the horse, a riot followed which took some time to die down. Denny Boase. the stable's crack light-weight, rode both these winners. The following year saw Euclid land the prize by a neck from the triple dead-heaters. Pollio, Belladrum. and great old Commotion. A most exciting and thrilling race, about which Tommy Hales, who was the centre of the three on Commotion, said they should never have let Mick O'Brien get up on the rails with Euclid. Sting, a nice Grandmaster chestnut, and the outsider of a pair in the same stable paid an £80 dividend when he won for Teddy Weekes in 1883. His owner, in strong language, let the people, including the Governor, know that the bookmakers had won all the money. This was the last of the two mile Cups. When J. O. Inglis was successful with mighty Malua in 1884 the distance was reduced to a mile and five furlongs. Unexpectedly, it was said, Malua defeated. Sir Thomas Elders Conjecture in the final hundred yards with the "Malua rush." No Cup For Three Years With the repeal of the Totalisator Act, racing was so depressed in Adelaide that the 1885 Cup was run at Flemington. and was won by E. W. Ellis' Lord Wilton, by Countryman, an imported horse of William Blackler's. The ex-periment proved so costly that the club could not race again until 1889. when the S.A.J.C. was resuscitated by Sir Richard Baker and A. O. Whiting-ton taking over the course from Tom Wigley and Sylvester Browne. John Crozier won that Cup with The Lawyer, and was again successful in 1893 with Vakeel, and later still with Gunga Din. Hs favored these Indian names. Since then, year after year, with unfailing regularity, a Cup meeting has been held at Morphettville. Port Admiral, got by that great little horse. Richmond (Maribyrnong —The Fawn), captured the 1894 Cup for William Blackler. Bosworth, Richmond's brother, won races ridden by Billy Yeomans, whose reputation for the severe use of the whip was well known. Years afterwards Yeo-mans was on a visit to a New South Wales station where Bosworth was standing as a sire, and his host said to him— "You'd like to see the old chap, of course?" "I would." Billy admitted. It is on record that the moment the horse sighted Yeomans it began to tremble like a leaf. May this be a warning note to our young and rising jockeys! Malua's son, Mora, won in 1897: and Sir Rupert Clarke's wonderful geld-ing Paul Pry, by Lochiel. and of course, trained by Jim Scobie. won in 1898. Lochiel was son of the famous Prince Charlie, known in his day in England as the champion of the Row-ley Mile, which was named long ago after Charles II's good horse, Old Rowley. In 1899 Contrast by Com-motion, avenged his sire's defeat in 1882 and gave J. B. Pearson a popular. victory. Sojourner Sensation "1903 Mr. Fitzgerald's Sojourner" says the card. This was a sensational Cup. The colt had been beaten in the Leger by his stablemate Cross Keys, and a pretty "how- de-do" resulted' in an immediate change of stables, and tongues buzzing like bees about a hive. Sojourner won oomfortably in the hands of W. T. Hopwood. Only one Wallace—Carbine's first foal—has won the Cup. and that was Troyyown in 1905. Allan McFarlane, then known as Junior, stepped into the limelight with iron grey Dynamite in 1906. R. M. Hawkor took a fancy to the horse and bought him: but not until 1910 did R. M. lead in a Cup winner in Medaglin, the shapely Medallion mare, on whom cup-winning McLachlan had the mount. Kooringa scored for S. J. Jacobs in 1909; and Wee Gun. a son of Koo-ringa. for H. E. Gregory in 1920, one of Jacky Hopwood's many wins on this wonderful little horse. Evei;!n.-s ?im:i?. ??y ls:i-l -i.>s. r< prated in 1911 12 fo: F. V. 1> t'lurki-Cownt's coii.mi-.iliv.- v:.-..-:-.r:. w?;li. I Cobliv Ij-.v-s in t'.ic MUi.i'.r. av.ti wcisrhird :lt <l.?l. I'.i.- .-.-.?..:i.i i :?? ? H-un- , bur? R 'Hi*. ":ui A:ni-:i.-an V-j-.i "mi". by Planiiri-.I.'!. ivnim:'V.<-.i In I'.M-l V.cv -?addls'CliKli w.i. Ni< 10 sui.l imt'ks In | fore the r.u-i1 a ???!! l:n.<?n .'.v.-.iin-.vi;'. ! man liaii d!va:ii: :hv- :\- Ivuv; '.:ii-; j vvinnini iiiiiiilvr Mr .-oiihi -.-.m ir'.li until the r:uv hooks ?.-:??? :nihl:.o.n-.j : Iwhirh hrr.M- w.-nKi rairy it. an.Jo. | jto hL?= riispiiM. .-oul.i n,i: Mki- "a I lens fhot" .llvMit liis ilivaui j St. S;i.i.s:i. hy Si. Aiii:m:. n-.uv doinc! service for Sir Saiiw Kiunian :>.i iFulhPm. sror?-d in V.Ufi with D s'nne I for Hint li"o ?-o irKiiirin. Tmi T-?.:t. and raoiiy of his i>io!ronv ait ro;>ro rtucin-r lii?i styvliic qua!ilic.t. Xin1: Insroda. a Molboiinst1 Cn;? hero won | [in 1923 fnr C. L.. .1. Dubot? aii.i Ilicj hte R. W. B?nnot:: and ii>24 .saw I W>T>rtto. a C.-nilficlri Cu;i liovoine. win easily for S. Terr. The raw record— : 1 7.44 —was made ill 192S by AHimeier for Bob Baker, a ?on cf Sir Richard nid a arsndfM of th? Hon. . Tphn E<iker. who. at Morialta. brod. amon^i ci'r.pr hr-rse-s. Don Juan, a Cup winner; ?>? Flrmincton Thus Bob lived up to j the rac;r.s t:atl:tior.~ ol tlij family. ! Firkin^ Thr Winner | ?'VEVER prophesy unless you ktin'A " ?*?' zz-d a wise man, but I'll take the ?

-:--k In the Cup to be run tomor-, ?ot t:ic tliree year-olds are bour.d to, jlav a prom'nein part, and one 01, hem may win. But. as at this time; )f the year marcs can be trusted tci ?un true. I prefer the chances of| 3i-ini.?h Qiic-pn. Trithome. and K:c ?:<m v.iiii her dash or old Pisto.sj >;ood. 1 srlrrt the lastr.amcd to fi:st :air!i the ;ud:r's c;- c.