Australian Women's Weekly (1933 - 1982), Saturday 10 November 1934, page 22


HORSE RACING NO Longer the

Sport of KINGS!

Women Owners in Cup Carnival

By JOCELYN, The Women's Weekly Turf Writer

Horseracing has always been known as the "sport of Kings," but into the exclusive circle formerly preserved for the nobility women have gradually worked their way.

Three of the starters in Melbourne's Centenary Cup ran

in the names of women owners.

In England and America to-day many women not only own strings of racehorses, but are famous as breeders of

bloodstock.

UP to a year or two ago the

woman racehorse owner in Australia was rather a rarity. But a change has come over the scene, even in one year.

Looking through the entries for the

MISS GWEN DUGGAN, an enthusiastic young horse owner, is seen here on her favorite pony. She is one of the few women racehorse owners who take

a personal interest in their preparation for a race.

various events of the Melbourne Cup carnival we find that in some of the races half a dozen women owners are represented, many of them women who have recently come into the racing game.

The Melbourne Cup field of twenty-five horses contained three stayers nominated by women owners—Mira-mond, Sylvandale, and Gladswood—and several other women withdrew their horses when the final acceptances were declared.

Mrs. M. Gearin, of Sydney, figured as the owner of Miramond, a New Zealand-bred horse.

"Miss Lorna Doone," who owns Sylvan-dale, the runner-up in the Derby, is Mrs. Leslie Utz, the wife of Dr. Leslie Utz, a well-known Macquarie St. specialist.

Mrs. John Spencer Brunton, the owner of Gladswood, ran her colt in both the Derby and the Melbourne Cup. Mrs. Spencer Brunton won the A.J.C. Metro-politan some years ago with a mare called Jocelyn, which died in New Zealand only recently. Mrs. Brunton

is, of course, in Melbourne at present watching the efforts of her favorite three-year-old.

Gladswood, a beautiful stamp of thoroughbred, has been unlucky up to date in his racing career. He was a birthday present to Mrs. Spencer Brun-ton from her husband, and may yet turn out a champion.

Has Won £20,000

MRS. L. R. BUXTON, Melbourne's

most successful woman racehorse owner, won a race on Thursday last with Heros, which was also engaged in the Yan Yean Stakes on Melbourne Cup day. Mrs. Buxton is the leading woman of the turf in Australia, having won a Caulfield Cup with High Syce, and numerous sprint races with Queenslandbred horses. In the past six years Mrs. Buxton has won over £20,000 in prize money alone with her horses. She is the proud possessor of six gold cups, and has never owned a horse that has not

won a race.

Another prominent woman of the Turf is Mrs. E. A. Widdis, whose horse, Star Lover, ran in the Yan Yean Stakes. Mrs. Widdis is the wife of a wealthy New South Wales squatter, and has already won a Melbourne Cup with

Patrobas.

Also in the Yan Yean Stakes was Curious Lady, owned by Miss Mary Tay-lor, a well-known Melbourne girl, who has just returned from a world tour. This is Miss Taylor's first year as a racehorse owner, and her successes have not been outstanding up to the present. ON the third day of the meeting 11

women owners have horses en-gaged, perhaps the best known of whom is Miss M. R. Baillieu, owner of Wind-sor Park. Miss Baillieu is a daughter of Mr. Clive Baillieu, and a sister of Mrs.

Sam Hordern.

Mrs. C. Ralph has Demelia engaged in the Maiden Plate, while Dr. Jean Rountree will run Lillirine, and Mrs. W. S. Robinson, who will run Avenue Road, is the wife of a prominent Mel-bourne financial magnate.

In the Oaks Stakes for fillies seven women have nominated their charges. Miss Joan W. Andrew has Forest Dell, Mrs. J. Prentice King Graculus, Mrs. A. K. Smith Amada, Mrs. G. I. McQueen Torbund, Mrs. H. D. Wood Deep Lead, Mrs. J. R. Warren Orada, and Mrs. P. H. Osborne (of Sydney) Yule Log.

In the Cup Steeplechase Mrs. Ross Grey Smith, one of the outstanding figures at Melbourne race meetings, has Drake entered. Mrs. Smith, who was formerly Betty Fairbairn, the airwoman, in addition to her Turf interests is a keen squash racquet player of consider-

able skill.

AT Randwick recently I had an

interesting talk with Miss Gwen Duggan, owner of Semmak. Miss Dug-

MISS MARY BAILLIEU, a Melbourne society girl who recently joined the

ranks of racehorse owners.

gan is one of the youngest and most enthusiastic racehorse owners in the game to-day. Racing is in the blood of this young Australian girl whose father won two Derbies and a Caulfield Cup with Amberite many years ago, and also all the weight-for-age races of the year.

Miss Duggan is one of the few women owners who take a personal interest in their horses, and regard breakfast and afternoon tea as the small things of life when they clash with trial gallops. She thinks nothing of missing a meal when there is an opportunity of slipping over to Randwick to see her horses in action prior to a race meeting.

It costs about £3/10/- a week to keep each racehorse in food and training, so that it is easily understandable that being the proud owner of a thorough-bred is a privilege reserved for people of some means and leisure. In addition to the £3/10/- a week there has to be added the cost of shoeing, jockey fees, and nomination and acceptances fees.