Mail (Adelaide, SA : 1912 - 1954), Saturday 29 October 1932, page 9


CHARLIE WHEELER'S MEMORIES

Two Wins, Two Second* in Melbourne Cup COUPS THAT FAILED

IN THE QUIET RESTFVLNESS of his picturesque garden, Mr. C. Wheeler reflects on the days when his Caulfield stable contained tome of the best racers in Australia. ? ? -

IN THE QUIET RESTFVLNESS of his picturesque garden, Mr. C. Wheeler reflects on the days when his Caulfield stable contained tome of the best racers in Australia. ? ? -

FLEMINGTON, with its thrills, is but & memory to Mr. Charles Wheeler, retired Caulfield trainer, as he potters about his trim garden at Toorak. But his face lights up at the Wntion ofc the Melbourne Cup, for he Jiaa won the famous race with The Parisian and Patrobas, and has seen two of his other charges in Tulkeroo and Shepherd King fill second places. He also has memories of big betting coups that failed. 'One of the greatest thrills a man can possibly get out of a Melbourne Cup saccess,' he says, 'is the hearty congratulations of fellow-trainers.' -, ' '? * * AT his home is a head picture -of ifie *-*? -triple crown -winner Patrobae, whi«'h adorns the leadlight of the front door at his 'residence, DMaxewin. It wag brought from Caulfield when Mr. Wheeler decided to setfle permanently in Adelaide for health reasons. Charlie Wheeler's advice is sought by Adelaide trainers, and he is in the happy position of being able to supply valuable hints. But he hesitates to talk of hits accomplishments in Victoria and elsewhere, where his stables contained some of the best gallopers in Australia. Yet, when he does talk about the Melbourne Cup, he ie decisive in saying that, instead of two winners of that celebrated race going to his credit, there should have been three, as nearly all the experts agreed that Tnlkeroo defeated Lord Nolan in the memorable 1908 race. 'I was. on my way to collect Tulkeroo,' he said, 'being convinced that he had won, and I got the shock of my life to see the number of Lord Nolan put up first in the hoist. Tulkeroo was an unlucky horse, indeed, for he also had to put up with second place in the Australian, Caulfield, Sandown Park* Moonee Valley, and Launceston Cups.' PLANS UPSET Two years later Mr. Wheeler had The Parisian ready for the Melbourne Cup, and he was heavily supported to beat horses of the class of Comedy King and Trafalgar, but a few days before the race The Parisian developed a cracked heel, and all hopes vanished. That the 6table was on the right track in its Melbourne Cup aspirations was shown in the autumn, when The Parisian ran home an easy winner in the Australian Cup. At once the Melbourne Cup was made his mission, and the records show how thfi son of Bobadil brilliantly beat Flavus and Didus. Mr. Wheeler says that The Parisian was backed to win £30,000 «n Comedy King's Cup. He was a delicate horse to train, being a particularly light doer and having a etronp partiality for a''les. 'You talk about worries in preparing a Cup horse.'' said Mr. Wheeler. 'Why, a week before the race he won there did not seem a hope in life of starting The Parisian, as he over-reached while gallopiug The outcome was a bruised heel. It became so bad that on the Tuesday afternoon before the race lie could not put his foot to the ground. All day long The Parisian was allowed to run in a small pad-' dock adjoining the stable. Browsing amour tbe Cape weed, lie made so much improvement that on the morning of the race he galloped wildly round the paddock and it took a lot of manoeuvring on a pony to catch Lira.' Every trainer has different methods in preparing a horse for an important engagement. Mr. Wheeler says that The Parisian was never ridden out in a single Kallop. His task used to be a mile and a half solid work three times a week. 'It is sound work, without anythinp showy in the way of gallops, that a Melbourne Cup candidate requires,' save Mr Wheeler. x 'Clean-winded horses require a tightening up of muscle, and distance gallops do this. That The Parisian was ur to concert pitch was demonstrated when he ran second in the Melbourne Stake? on Derby day. showing conclusively that hi« slight interruption through the bruised heel had not acted detrimentally to an otherwise solid preparation.' WON ON HIS BIRTHDAY From The Parisian Mr. Wheeler went on to talk of his champion three-year-old Patrobas. which he purchased as a yearling. 'He was a November foal,' be said 'and it was curious that he should win the Melbourne Cup on his third birthday. Patrobas did what few other horses have' accomplished — won the Guineas. Derby. St. Leqer, and Melbourne Cup straight off the reel. ''\V. t-niiirt n-i!,. liini in nuo-i ??! liis -*;i i lior .¥uc;;ic:emr;its, but il im.\i!:i: v-i-i' -ivrnvi-i^!ii« i;' iio wviv (o h;i\f -:!i r ?_?.? i-i ti i tii in Ilie l':i]i. so 1 inwiy-lol hi~ uwnr-r (Mr. Wi.l.Jis) to -ive the ri lo t-. Bob Lewie. If I had a Cup horse- ;o-irty I would do everything humanly possible to secure the services of Lewis, who. in my opinion, has no equal in races of this description. -

''Smart' was laid the amount for a winning ride, so he did not come out badly. Lewis had to ride Patrobas at 7 H. Mrs. S. P. Casey made a special silk jacket,' and it was so light that, it would almost have gone into the pocket like a handkerchief. That and the saddle weighed only 2 Ib. Bob was v- de; lighted after the race that he made Mrs. Casey a present of £25.' Of the actual race Lewis remarked: — 'Patrobas gave me one of my hardest rides, and he was all out to win by half a neck from Westcourt.' ' Patrobas was not the only yearling selected by Mr. Wheeler to win the Melbourne Cun. as he also cb»se Tbe Parisian and Kingsburgh. ADELAIDE CLIMATE -With Shepherd King he won the Caulfield Cup, and would have done likewise with the imported horse in tbe Melbourne Cup if the New Zealand er Sa&inof had not been in the field. This pair drew right away from the other runner^ and Sasanof showed superior stamina, although Lewis,* who rode ' Shepherd King declared that his mount had 'jelly legp,' whatever that maA mean. 'There is no question about Shepherd King being a good horse,' said Lewis at the time. 'Entering the straight it looked as if he .could nave run past Sasanof at any desired moment, but as booij as I asked him to go out and take it off the New Zealander he got 'jelly legs' and collapsed in a stride.' In the Canlfield Cup which Shepherd King won Wheeler saddled op four other horses— Snnbury, Aides, Greencap. and Lucky Escape. He also . sent out five for the Melbourne Cup. This he considers a retard.

SHADOW KING will be making his fourth attempt on the Melbourne Cup. He mas unplaced as a fouryear-old, but in successive years ran third to Phar Lap and second to White Nose.

SHADOW KING will be making his fourth attempt on the Melbourne Cup. He mas unplaced as a fouryear-old, but in successive years ran third to Phar Lap and second to White Nose.

Like the late W. S. Hickenbotham, Wheeler was a firm believer in the South Australian climate, and he eeut Shepherd King and Sunbury over here to remain for eeveral weeks during the winter. -'My main ambition with Shepherd King' was the Melbourne Cup, bat having won tbe Caulfield event under great difficulties I was sanguine that lie could complete the double. In the mile aud a half nice he was the last horse sis fur-j lougs from home, but. dasiiiug round ihej field, he was one of the iTst into) the straight, and thereafter it was no' race. 'Lewis afterwards told me th^t he thought his mount had broken down, aud for a stride or two he felt like puiiing him up. After the race he developed a mysterious swelling, and thie is probably what was referred to as *jelK .egs.' 'I'm 6ure that if Shepherd King was as fit as he was on Caulfield Cup day when he beat Sasanof out of sight, there would j have been another Melbourne Cup to my credit. It made a difference of some- ; thing liko £:ri.0(MI to the sta!.'l-:.' I