Turf Monthly November 2024

turf monthly

November 2024

THIS MONTH

THE SPRING OF 1924 THE NIGHT PATROL BACKWOOD

Editor’s Letter It is Melbourne Cup Time again and we have another year when the imports look to be the key to the race. We keep hearing that the appetite for Australian breeders is for the opportunity to breed more stayers, but how much of that is lip-service rather than any real attempt to breed elite stayers. The Australian bloodstock industry, despite some wonderful attempts by Darley and Coolmore to introduce staying blood, is focussed almost solely on our early 2yo racing. Darley brought out the well performed Too Darn Hot with the idea that he would produce middle distance types. The wonderful colt Broadsiding though has shown that the stallion can get decent 2yo’s which has largely put the notion of breeding stayers on the backburner. Potential staying stallions will again be judged by their ability to get early runners. With the new season 2yo’s about, stallions like Russian Camelot may well again have their success measured against the early comer market. If we look at history, even if we go back 100 years to the career of Backwood who we look at this month, his career was defined largely by his star 2yo from his first crop. This pattern has continued to repeat over the years and I cannot immediately recall a local stallion who made his name with staying progeny without siring early 2yo’s. Perhaps Shamus Award is a surprisingly popular stallion given that he has had few 2yo results even despite being a son of one of our great speed sires in Snitzel.

You may have noticed that this month’s edition is a bit different from in the past. Unfortunately, costs and time constraints have made it difficult to continue with the same amount of content as previously. We are transitioning to the magazine being available on the ISSUU platform, so if you can not find it in future, head to www.issuu.com where you can find our back catalogue as well as our new editions.

CONTENTS 4

Backwood

13

The Night Patrol

21

Drama in the Spring of 1924

COVER PHOTO Glen Boss - a tribute to the three time Melbourne Cup winning jockey 20 years after Makybe Diva’s second win

Until next month

Ross Prowd

Turf Monthly ABN 64 892 144 940 Phone 0412 712 181

Email editor@turfmonthly.com.au 2 Swan Street PARKSIDE Q 4825

TURF MONTHLY 3

BACKWOOD

1924 MELBOURNE CUP WINNER

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he 1924 Melbourne Cup was not just impacted by the Purser scandal, but it seemed destined to be a race that saw drama at almost every turn. The scratching of Purser and the boom 3yo, Heroic, was the start of the ongoing impact of the disqualifications of the connections. The favourite for the race was a horse called Stand By who had won the Moonee Valley Cup impressively, but then stunned track watchers by recording the best training gallop ever seen at Flemington. Second in the market was the VRC Derby winner, Spearfelt. On the morning of the race, rumours abounded that Stand By was an unlikely starter. In fact, the stallion was noticeably lame when arriving at the track, unable it seemed to put any weight on his heavily bandaged off hind leg. He remained in his stall all morning with an attended regularly changing his bandages. In the preliminary, despite some easing in his discomfort was still favouring his leg.

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he effort of the lame Stand By was perhaps one of the finest efforts ever seen in a Cup. His jockey Bobbie Lewis was disappointed for a rails run on the turn and was blocked for a run until halfway down the straight when Lewis managed to steer a course through the wall of horses in front. He tried valiantly to reel in the leader, but Backwood managed to hang on by a head from the gallant Stand By. Third, only a neck away was Spearfelt with a matter of inches to Lilypond in fourth. Frank Dempsey who rode Lilypond was adamant that he had run third. To compound matters, the Judge incorrectly put the number of the fifth place Brown Rajah into third placing and many bookmakers had paid out on this result before the error was corrected.

TURF MONTHLY 4

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he 1924 Melbourne Cup was the first run at Flemington with the new concrete stands. This required the repositioning of the birdcage and the use of the old birdcage as a car park. It also necessitated the movement of the betting ring much to the chagrin of many older racegoers.

W

hile Backwood was considered a moderate winner, his trainer was the legendary Dick Bradfield who had commended training in 1882. Backwood was to be his fourth and surprisingly last Melbourne Cup winner in a career that continued to the 1940’s. It is perhaps fitting against the background of the 1924 Cup, that Bradfield was never called before the stewards at any stage in his long and distinguished career. His other Melbourne Cup winners were Patron in 1894, The Victory in 1902, and Night Watch in 1918. Bradfield was to achieve the remarkable feat of training the first three placegetters, Lucknow, Night Watch and Chrome in the 1918 Caulfield Cup. He was inducted into the Australian Racing Hall of Fame in 2005.

TURF MONTHLY 5

Parkwood Melbourne’s best 2yo winning the Maribyrnong Trial and Debutante Stakes from his sires first crop.

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ackwood was from the St Frusquin mare, Lady Of Grace. One line of the family was to be sent from Ireland to New Zealand not long after Backwood’s success in the Melbourne Cup in Spean Bridge by Righ Mor who was foaled in 1922. She produced Irish Queen by Irish Lancer who in turn produced Irish Princess by Balloch who was sent to Australia where she notably produced two daughters, and also a son called Drynoch who was a city class galloper in the 1960’s. Irish Princess was to end up in Tasmania and her daughters were to have a bigger impact with Fairy Flag by Latin Lover producing Epigram by Mendip Man. Epigram was to win the 1986 Launceston Cup. Her other daughter in Londonderry Air by Piping Time was to make an even bigger impact when in 1972, Piping Lane by Lanesborough was to win the first ever Metric Melbourne Cup over the distance of 3200m, some 60.5 feet shorter than the traditional two-mile journey.

True Detective Up And Coming Stakes

TURF MONTHLY 6

B

ackwood was to go to become a good stallion siring eight stakes winners. His career kicked off with a boom as he sired the star Melbourne 2yo in Parkwood who won the Debutante Stakes and Maribyrnong Plate before heading to Sydney to win the AJC Champagne Stakes. He was later to win the 1931 VRC Newmarket Handicap. The stallion was also to sire Beechwood who won the AJC The Shorts and the Caulfield Guineas. He was also to sire other good 2yo’s in AJC Champagne Stakes and Easter Stakes winner, Burwood, and AJC Breeders Plate winner, Delwood. Backwood proved that he could also sire stayers by producing the VRC Grand National Hurdle winner, Dakwood. His descendants have proved to be largely moderate, but there are some notable exceptions. The most notable line is that which gave us True Detective by Shamus Award who won the ARC Up and Coming Stakes albeit on protest. Perhaps though it is fitting given the controversy surrounding Backwood’s Melbourne Cup win. This line also includes Roll On Royce

by Desert Sun who won nine races including the Port Adelaide Guineas, and Twin Oak and Overated who both won stakes races in Tasmania. It is also the line that gave us Fire Oak who was to win the 1990 VRC Derby as a maiden.

1972 Melbourne Cup

TURF MONTHLY 7

BACKWOOD

AN IMPORT WINS THE CUP

Townsville Daily Bulletin (Qld. : 1907 - 1954), Saturday 8 November 1924, page 5 BACKWOOD

By Cestus When you come to think of it we all should have’ been more hopeful of Backwood*s Melbourne Cup chances for he is owned by three very astute men, Messrs Baillieu, Clark, and Hughes, the first two big mining company men, and Mr Hughes has large shipping interests in England, so their faith, in spite of the many disappointments Backwood had administered was surely deserving of consideration, for be must have been showing promise or these men would have refused to back into a losing proposition. Backwood was a fair horse In England, good enough to win the Ascot Derby in 2.32 2/5, just 2 3/5 seconds faster than Spearfelt took to win the V.R.C. Derby the other day. Backwood also won as a three year old the Manchester Wolverton Plate, 11/2 miles, with 8.5, and was placed In the Ebor Handicap 1 ¾ miles, third in the Lingfield Cosmopolitan Cup 2 ¼ miles, second In the Nottingham Handicap, 2 miles, and placed in other long distance races. He did not race as a four-year-old, and coming to Australia raced as a five. and failed to even get a place. This season, up to the Hotham Handicap he had not been placed, but was finishing on in his last few attempts. Backwood won £2,073 in England, and his Cup win and third in the Hotham Handicap, brings his stakes up to £11,716 and a £200 Cup. Backwood is an English horse, being bred by a lady, Mrs TURF MONTHLY 9

Bailey. He is from the No. 3 family, tracing back to Sweet Sound, a sister to a noted horse, Kettledrum, a Derby winner, and also a winner of the Derby Cup. Mincemeat, a half-sister to Sweet Sound, and Kettledrum, won the Oaks. Backwood was

by Bachelor’s Double a good horse bred in Ireland. He won the Irish Derby, His Majesty’s Plate and other races as a three year old, but was unplaced in Bayardo’s St Leger. Bachelor’s Double was the best two year old in Ireland. As a four he won the City and Suburban Handicap, the Royal Hunt Cup, and Atlantic Stakes, was second in the Coronation Cup and Doncaster Cup, and third in the Ascot Gold Cup, and as a five was placed in good long distance races. Bachelor’s Double is the sire of Comrade, a Grand Prix de Paris winner, and many very useful horses. He stood at a fee of 400 guineas. Bachelor’s Double like Maltster was a No. 21.

Backwood was retired after falling in the Sydney Cup. It was a tragic six horse fall and he badly injured his shoulder with some doubt about whether he would survive. He was to stand at stud at the Thompson family’s Widden Stud in NSW for a fee of 50 guineas. He was purchased for 2500 guineas in 1922 by William Clark.

Backwood was the second English horse to win the Melbourne Cup after Comedy King.

TURF MONTHLY 10

THE NIGHT PATROL COX PLATE WINNER 1924

Sport (Adelaide, SA : 1911 - 1948), Friday 29 August 1924, page 8 THE NIGHT PATROL One of the most interesting English horses entered for the big Victorian spring events is The Night Patrol, owned by the Governor of Victoria, the Earl of Stradbroke. The Night Patrol is being trained by Jas. Scobie at Flemington, and from all accounts he is doing remarkably well in his preparation (writes Cardigan in the "Referee"). As a three-year-old he raced in the high class company, and while not an outstanding success, was unlucky, and ran some good races, being beaten by good horses. Apparently his best distance was about a mile or nine furlongs, although he was placed in races over a mile and a half. As a four-yearold his trainer, the Hon. George Lambton, evidently came to the conclusion that The Night Patrol was a non-stayer, and he was confined to sprinting. One of his best performances was his second to that great sprinter Tetratema in the Stewards Cup, with some of the speediest horses in England behind him. He won at his last two runs as a four-year-old, both being races of fair class, over a mile.

However, The Night Patrol's best season was his last,

as he won four races, was second twice, and third once, out of ten starts. He won a six furlongs race at Manchester with 8.6, beating such good sprinters as Sicyon (9.6), Soldennis (9.0), Weathervane (7.8), and Golden Corn (8.8). At his next start he was beaten a length by Precious over six furlongs, but a few weeks afterwards turned the tables on that horse by winning the Windsor Castle Handicap, of 7 furlongs, with 9.8, in the smart time of 1.26. It is interesting to note that Cistercian, now in Bailey Payten's care at Randwick, was fourth with 8.2. The Night Patrol's next win was the Ayrshire Handicap, of 11 furlongs. He carried 8.8, and won easily. At his last start he won the Markeaton Plate, at Derby, over a mile, with 8.13, with a moderate field behind him.

Summed up, it looks as if The Night Patrol will be a very useful horse in Australia, perhaps up to a mile and a half, although it would be as well to "wait and see" how he shapes when he tackles a distance. Taking a line through Violoncello, there is no reason why The Night Patrol should not stay really well, as Sir Samuel Hordern's horse was not a stayer in England, and yet he was a champion up to and including 12 furlongs in Australia. One thing is certain he was better over a short course than a long- distance in England, and may be that is how it will work out in Australia.

TURF MONTHLY 13

Night Patrol after winning the CM LLoyd with Lord Stradbroke on the left

This year we celebrate 100 years since the imported stallion The Night Patrol had his first Australian win in the WS Cox Plate. He was a remarkable horse, and a very popular one being owned by the Governor of Victoria in the Earl Of Stradbroke who had raced the colt in the UK. The Night Patrol was to go on to win thirteen stakes races in Australia in a time when his contemporaries included stars like Heroic, Whittier, Manfred, The Hawk, Pantheon, Windbag, Pilliewinkie, Lilypond, Fujisan, Top Gallant, and Valicare. Prior to coming to Australia, The Night Patrol won £6321, but he was to earn twice that amount in Australia. His complete local stakes racing record is:

TURF MONTHLY 14

The Night Patrol being sold after racing

First WS Cox Plate ………….. £ 750 First Cantala Stakes …………..

2352 First Linlithgow Stakes …………..

1116 Second CB Fisher Plate …………..

300 First, William Reid - Stakes …………..

750 First, C. F. Orr Stakes …………..

415 Second, St. George Stakes …………..

175 Third, C. M. Lloyd Stakes …………..

150 First, S.A.J.C. Elder Stakes …………..

500 Third, A.J.C. All-Aged Stakes …………..

300 First, A.R.C. Parkside Stakes …………..

450 Second Williamstown Stakes …………..

100 First, Moonee Valley September Stakes …………..

550 Second, Caulfield Stakes …………..

260 Third, Herbert Power Stakes …………..

100 Second WS Cox Plate ………….. 150 First Linlithgow Stakes ………….. 1129 First, Cheltenham Stakes …………..

350 First, Benson Stakes …………..

350 First, John Barker Stakes …………..

325 First William Reid Stakes …………..

750 Third CF Orr Stakes ………….. 50 First CM Lloyd Stakes ………….. 1290 Second Chipping Norton ………….. 100 Third AJC All Aged Stakes …………..

300 First John Lewis Stakes …………..

325 First Elder Stakes ………….. 500 Total ………….. £13,677

The Night Patrol passed in

TURF MONTHLY 15

When the Earl of Stradbroke was completing his role as Governor of Victoria, he put The Night Patrol through the sales ring in November 1925 with a reserve of 10,000 guineas. When we consider that the champion Heroic had recently become the highest prized horse sold in Australia at 16,000 guineas, it should come as no surprise that The Night Patrol failed to meet the reserve. One bidder went to 7,000 guineas and was left to rue his decision to not bid further. The Night Patrol was ultimately be reoffered for sale in March 1926 after earning a further £3000 on the track. He was purchased for his reserve by Mr. Gerald Buckley of Rock House Stud.

Sport (Adelaide, SA : 1911 - 1948), Friday 21 May 1926, page 7 THE NIGHT PATROL. Mr. Gerald Buckley will send The Night Patrol to the stud with a debit of nearly £9000 against him. The Victorian sportsman had to go to five figures to secure the Earl of Stradbroke's great miler, and, since then The Night Patrol has won two, relatively speaking, small events, and registered a couple of minor placings. These were worth slightly more than £1300. But the probabilities are that The Night Patrol will wipe off his deficit before long. Already he has been booked to go to a number of mares at 150 guineas each. His first two seasons at the stud should reduce his present liability by more than 50 per cent. Then, if his progeny proves capable of winning races, Mr. Buckley will probably find himself with a horse that has cost him nothing by the time he has had his third season at the stud.

TURF MONTHLY 16

Jolly Old Mac Australian Guineas

Doubtless Mr. Buckley will be satisfied if The Night Patrol turns out as well for him as for Earl Stradbroke. The latter paid something in the neighborhood of 4 000 guineas for The Night Patrol in England. As a set-off against that outlay was the £12,462 earned by the son of Stedfast while he raced in the colors of the ex-Governor of Victoria. Add to this the £10.500 he realised at auction, and it will be seen that The Night Patrol cleared his owner a sum that ran well into five figures.

The Night Patrol is a hardy fellow, as his activities in Australia prove. Not since August 1924, has the importation enjoyed a let-up. and his ability to go through two years of racing, without in any way souring him, is striking testimony to his splendid make-up.

His career at the stud will certainly be watched with interest.

After the death of Mr Buckley, his stud and stock were dispersed at sale, with The Night Patrol finding a new home at The Nook at Nagambie.

Australasian (Melbourne, Vic. : 1864 - 1946), Saturday 6 July 1935, page 22 THE NIGHT PATROL AFTER having spent about eight seasons at Rock House Stud The Night Patrol will be on duty at The Nook at Nagambie with Manitoba and Chivalrous during the approaching season. When The Night Patrol closed his racing career he was purchased by the late Mr. Gerald Buckley for 10,000 guineas, and one of his earliest mates was the Comedy King mare Aspirant, owned by Mr. A. T. Creswick. The result of the mating was that brilliant galloper Middle Watch. Mr. Creswick always had a great regard for The Night Patrol, and when the opportunity to buy him came at the dispersal sale of the Rock House Stud Mr. Creswick availed himself of it and became the new owner of the horse. The Earl of Stradbroke, who brought The Night Patrol to Australia and raced him, still retains a deep affection for the horse judging from a letter James Scobie recently received from Lady Stradbroke. If he could acquire a really good son of his old favourite it is more than likely Lord Stradbroke would race it in England.

One can readily understand the regard Lord Stradbroke has for The Night Patrol. The horse was raced by him at a period when we had a grand collection of weight-for-age horses, and The Night Patrol was able to hold his own against the best of them. His contemporaries Included Heroic, Whittier, Manfred, The Hawk, Pantheon, Windbag, Pilliewinkie, Lilypond, Fujisan, Top Gallant, and Valicare. Weight-for-age races were not easy to win in those days, and the fact that The Night Patrol was able to win nearly £ 14,000 in stakes, and nearly all of it in weight-for-age races, affords proof that he was a horse of exceptional racing merit.

Stedfast, the sire of The Night Patrol, was one of the best racehorses owned by Lord Derby during the present century. Mr. George Lambton says he was a magnificent chestnut horse by the "little pony Chaucer." Lack of size was no detriment to Chaucer, who was an excellent performer and afterwards achieved great success as a sire. The

TURF MONTHLY 17

success of his daughters at the stud has been nothing short of phenomenal. He was a half-brother by St. Simon to Swynford, their dam being Canterbury Pilgrim, a halfsister to the successful Australian sire Pilgrim's Progress. According to Mr. Lambton, who trained him, Stedfast was unlucky not to have won the Derby in which he was second to Sunstar, as he whipped round when the barrier rose and lost “at least a hundred yards." Sunstar defeated him by two lengths. Stedfast was not defeated again that year, and in the Newbury Stakes easily defeated the Leger winner Prince Palatine.

Stedfast won more than £30,000 in stakes.

The Night Patrol is a grandson of that wonderful brood mare Chelandry, whose descendants have met with extraordinary success all over the world both on the racecourse and at the stud. Dark Flight, the dam of The Night Patrol, was a halfsister by Dark Ronald to Traquair (sire of Woorak), Neil Gow, winner of the Two Thousand Guineas and a successful sire; Popinjay, the dam of Magpie; Chersonese, the dam of Heroic; and Skyscraper, the dam of the successful Queensland sire Syce.

The blood of The Night Patrol is invaluable, and his daughters probably will be great winner producers.

The Night Patrol was to become a good stallion siring ten stakes winners with his best likely to be Middle Watch who won both the AJC and VRC St Leger Stakes in 1932. He was also to win the Caulfield Stakes and the VRC October Stakes. Perhaps the most memorable of his progeny was Powerscourt who won the VRC Ascot Vale (2yo) Stakes but was to go on to stand at stud where he produced the star galloper,

TURF MONTHLY 18

Burdekin Blues Expressway Stakes

Comic Court who won the 1950 Melbourne Cup among his 23 stakes victories. The Night Patrol became a good broodmare sire and his influence continues to this day through his daughters. He was the damsire of Bronton who won the 1952 Cox Plate, but in recent years we have seen runners like the WA bred Red Can Man who won three stakes races in Perth and went to Victoria to win the 2021 Sir John Monash Stakes. A close relation to Red Can Man is Quilista who won the ATC Sapphire Stakes and Birthday Card Stakes in Sydney in 2018. Another good galloper who traces to a daughter of The Night Patrol was the underrated Jolly Old Mac who won three stakes races including the Group 1 Goodwood Handicap and VRC Australian Guineas.

Interestingly, families tracing to daughters of The Night Patrol have produced good quality stallions over the years. One was the good galloper Ungar who won eight stakes races including the VRC Standish Handicap twice, the VRC Sires Produce and the Doomben 10,000. He can be found in the pedigree of a stallion called Blue Run by Blue’s Finito who was incidentally also the sire of a Brisban favourite in Tiny’s Finito. Blue Run was to become the damsire of the very good horse, Burdekin Blues by Sequalo, and the winner of three stakes races in three different States in the STC Expressway Stakes, BRC George Moore Stakes and VRC Century Stakes.

Another of the good stallions tracing to The Night Patrol is Todvega, a grandson of Todman, who won the Pinjarra Guineas and Farnley Quality Stakes in Perth.

He was to prove a wonderful source of winners in his native WA. His daughter Bellavega was to produce the popular galloper Heed The Toll who won the 1998 Perth Cup as well as the SAJC West End Draught Stakes and Rain Lover Plate.

Heed The Toll Perth Cup TURF MONTHLY 19

DISQUALIFICATION 100 YEARS AFTER THE DRAMA

Purser Cauflield Cup

This story starts on Wednesday 15 October 1924 and the running of the Coongy Handicap, a well-respected lead up for the Caulfield Cup. A field of 20 faced the starter, with Accarak the 9/2 favourite in a wide-open betting race. Feathernest was the second favourite at 8/1 with four horses including the eventual winner, Graculus rated at 10/1. Purser, owned by John Ramsay (Jack) Corteen and George Tye, trained by Cecil Temple Godby and ridden by Hugh Harold Cairns was a 20/1 chance.

The first race of the day at Caulfield was run in heavy rain and the track was sodden. The meeting looked to be in some danger of not progressing, but fortunately a break in the weather saw the day proceed albeit on a heavy track. The fifth race of the day was the Coongy over 11 furlongs and we will let the following week’s Melbourne Age take up their report on the race:

Graculus, Spearage and Feathernest handy. King of Mirth and Beeline were together at the head of the field half a mile from home, the closest of the others being Artamus, Graculus, San Antonio, Spearage and Feathernest. King of Mirth was first into the straight from Beeline who was closely pursued by San Antonio, on the outside; Graculus, Accarak and Artamus. At the distance King of Mirth was showing slightly ahead of Beeline, with Graculus and Accarak next. In a stirring finish, Graculus defeated San Antonio by a neck, with Beeline a length and a half away third. Accarak was close up fourth, King of Mirth next, and then followed

by Backwood, Artamus, Spearage, Feathernest, Our Prince, Prince Splendour, and Heir Apparent, with Risendo a bad last.

When discussing the Caulfield Cup prospects of some of the runners that day, The Melbourne Age the following week said “Purser began slowly and was Graculus was the first to move, from Spearage, Intriguer and Beeline. Going out of the straight King third last in a strung-out field going along the back, but of Mirth had charge from Seremite, Beeline. Artamus, he finished full of running, although still behind half San Antonio and Spearage. King of Mirth still led at the field. It was subsequently explained that shortly the nine-furlong post, closely attended by Artamus, after the start, a lump of mud found a billet in one of Seremite and Beeline, and then, after a gap, San H Cairns’ eyes, temporarily blinding Purser’s pilot, and Antonio, Graculus and Spearage with Accarak at the rendering him incapable, until much too late to do his head of the following bunch. At the seven furlongs mount justice. post King of Mirth was a length ahead of Artamus, a Purser carried 9.9 in the Coongy and dropped to 9.5 length away following Beeline and Seremite together in the Caulfield Cup. It was that gelding’s third attempt slightly in front of San Antonio and Graculus. at the race. Two years earlier he had run second to Prominent at the head of a well bunched division were Violoncello while 12 months earlier he was third Spearage, Accarak, Feathernest, Heir Apparent, while behind Whittier and Tangalooma. With that form Penshurst was last. Beeline ran into second position it might have been expected that he would have had behind King of Mirth at the six furlongs with Accarak, support in the 1924 Caulfield Cup, but his win was an TURF MONTHLY 20

unpopular one with the crowd. Even at the “call of the front of All Sunshine. King Carnival finished among card” the day before the race, trainer Godby insisted the tailenders. that Purser was an unlikely starter in the race and they The Thursday following the Cup, the VRC Stewards had still had the favourite, The Monk engaged in the opened an inquiry into the handling of Purser in race. His statement was published and at the calling the Coongy Handicap. All four men in Godby, Tye, of the card on the Friday evening it was taken on what Corteen and Cairns were charged with not allowing was thought to be official capacity that Purser was to Purser to run on his merits. Their defence relied on be a non-runner. Especially as Purser had run badly in Cairns’ claim that he had been stuck by mud and was the Coongy it was accepted that either something had incapacitated for a time. William Kennedy, a wellgone wrong with the horse, or that the stable thought known owner, took the stand to say that he watched he had no chance in the race. The bookmakers were the race with a friend from the flat and noticed that, convinced that he was not to start and told most who around the five-furlong mark, Cairns took hold of his wanted to back him that “it was no use quoting or horse and appeared to sit quietly for some time without wasting a betting ticket on him.” control of the horse. Kennedy and his friend discussed Tye and Corteen however accepted with Purser in this and agreed that they should wager on Purser in the Cup but not with the favoured The Monk. They the Cup. He claimed to have approached Corteen at declared that The Monk had been sold to connections settling day on the Monday telling him of his intention in India and that the sale did not finalise until then. and what he say. When the story was relayed to Godby, The new owners had contacted them to tell them that he said that Bill (Kennedy) must have seen the incident they did not want the horse to run in the race. On the with Cairns. This was the first time Kennedy claimed morning of the Cup, Purser was heavily backed at prices to have heard of this. Kennedy later decided against as long as 33/1 to win over £50,000 but the majority backing the horse after Corteen told him that they of the money had come from the stable. At this time, were yet to secure a jockey for the race. The VATC the stable had secured the services of champion NZ club doctor, Dr A Fleming Joyce also testified that he jockey George Young for the race. Young had been the attended Cairns around 30 minutes after the race. By jockey of the great Gloaming. The appointment had that time, Cairns had bathed his eye although there apparently occurred through Hugh Cairns, himself a was evidence of some swelling. The Doctor told the NZer, and Young was whisked away from the public hearing that Cairns claimed the incident happened to stay at a unit near Flinders Street Station by the around half-way in the race. connections. Cairns had earlier taken a booking to The official statement issued by the stewards read: ride King Carnival in the Cup, a horse owned by VRC 'After hearing the evidence of the parties concerned Chairman Mr Mackinnon. It was suggested that Young the stewards came to the conclusion that Purser was was told by the stable that he would be riding either not allowed to do his best in the Coongv Handicap, The Monk or Purser in the Cup. Godby explained and disqualified George Tye and JR Corteen (owners), that seeing as The Monk could not run because of the CT Godby (trainer) and H Cairns (jockey), together sale, that they would avail themselves of the services with the horse Purser, for 12 months from this date, of Young by accepting with Purser. The bookmakers the 23 October 1924.' in particular were not convinced by the story and, it The verdict was immediately appealed, and the hearing seemed, neither were the public. was held within days due to the impact it had on their In the race, Purser jumped well from near the inside horses. The appeal was denied and the VRC refused but settled towards the rear as was his normal pattern. the nominations of any of the horses belonging to the He was last as the field left the straight. Sir Dighlock group. Corteen made no secret of the fact that he had led the field and he had been used in the role of a backed Heroic to win £10,000 in a treble to win the pacemaker in the Sydney Cup earlier in the year. By two Derbies and the Melbourne Cup. the home turn, The Night Patrol had established a long lead, but was tiring. Purser had still been toward the The quartet later lodged a High Court writ against the rear at the seven furlongs, but with Young’s urging VRC regarding the disqualification. It made headlines started making ground quickly. He got what was for a time but was eventually dropped by March the described as a “remarkably clear run on the inside” and following year. Reporting on the entire event was quickly took control of the race. Purser gave no others relatively limited, and the VRC were steadfast in not a chance despite carrying the highest weight ever at disclosing anything about their decision. To some, it the time for a Caulfield Cup winner. Feathernest who may appear that the quartet were harshly dealt with that were had run well in the Coongy ran second narrowly in but there were some newspapers of the timeTURF MONTHLY 21

very forthright in their opinions. What has not been conveyed is that the trio, excluding Cairns, had a reputation for heavy gambling on their own runners often in contentious circumstances. Cairns however was considered by many to be the “brains and sinew” of the betting operations of the group. The public outcry following Purser’s victory was the instrumental factor it seems in the VRC taking action. There are also a few interesting points that were also reported at the time but let us go back for a moment to the partnership.

Tye and Corteen had both been important owners in their own right and were the main backers of trainer Godby. In January of 1924, the two formed a partnership which was arguably the largest and most influential in Australia. Tye put 17 horses into the partnership while Corteen contributed seven, with Heroic being the only horse that was kept separate to the partnership. The intention was to increase these numbers even further. Tye’s horses in the original partnership were The Monk, Pale Light, Gadfly, Sand Lily, Coolah, Grotesque, Jollity, Sultry, Iceland, Bonaparte, Recluse, Mirthful Queen, Three Kings, Darjling, The Cypher's brother, Nobility, Prevaricator, lrish Rhythm and Lion Isle. The horses owned by Mr Corteen concerned were Eudasia, Ephrates, Flaviol, Witness Box, King's Trumpeter, Automatic and Purser.

The partners raced as Messrs Tye and Corteen. and used Tye's colours of pink and black stripes, white sleeves, and pink cap. All the horses were located at Allendale Stock Farm, which belonged to George and Allen Tye. Sometime before, George Tye’s brother had dropped out of the ownership of horses, but he retained his interest in the Allandale Farm. That establishment which had originally been developed to race and breed trotters and located adjacent to the Mentone racetrack, was rented by Tye and Corteen. Previously Godby had supervised the work of Corteen's horses on the Mentone track, and those of Tye at Allendale. The farm covered 91 acres. They developed a mile and a quarter track, planted with buffalo grass, as an addition to an existing exercise track.

The stable was widely regarded as the biggest betting stable in Australian racing. Oddly they did not invest anything on Purser in the Coongy Handicap. It was claimed that this was because of the heavy track, but Purser had won in similar conditions at Randwick only a week or so before the race. It was reported that the reserved and quiet Cairns said to Godby that “they could not take the Cup off him” when he dismounted from Purser in the Coongy. He also apparently made no mention of being hit by a clod of dirt which Godby was later to say hit him in both eyes, not only one eye that was stated in the hearing. There was a suggestion TURF MONTHLY 22

that stewards had been advised of the comment and had started to ask some questions. We must remember that it was around 30 minutes later that Cairns called for the doctor. Stewards felt they had little evidence to work on so did not pursue the matter.

It was also reported by more than one jockey that King Carnival, Cairn’s mount in the Caulfield Cup interfered with their horses in the running of that race. King Carnival was owned by LKS Mackinnon, the VRC Chairman who noted that he thought it quite strange that the Godby stable approached him earlier in the week leading up to the Cup to release Cairns from his booking on the horse in order to ride Purser.

Mackinnon was reportedly glad that he had refused especially when considering that Purser at this stage was supposedly intended to be scratched. Another interesting feature of the case was that the stable did not attend any of the pre-race betting functions. Noted as such a large betting stable, they had not missed any of these functions up until the Caulfield Cup. Considering that much of the argument was that they considered The Monk to be the likely winner, this seems odd in hindsight. In fact, the big betting stable wagered only 300 on that horse despite largely disclosing him as a certainty. Corteen sent telegrams to his racing friends across Australia on the morning of the Caufield Cup advising them of this fact and encouraging them to back the horse.

Another key factor to the story was the sale of The Monk to Indian connections. This was done via telegram through an intermediary. None of the telegrams were ever produced in evidence. The claim was that the sale was only confirmed the Friday before the Cup when a physical inspection took place. It was then questioned whether the horse was to start in the race and what arrangements were to be made regarding prizemoney.

Hugh Cairns

Corteen stated that he had offered to wager 2000 on the horse to ensure that the new owner would be well compensated. The defence stated that advice was not received until 12.30pm on Cup day that the new owners did not want the horse to run. The agent said this was advised by telegram to Godby at his stable, but that he had already left for the races. Both The Monk and Purser were to arrive at the track. The agent then stated that he had told Godby personally at the track around 1.00pm that The Monk would not be allowed to start. The Monk was not scratched from the race until after 2.00pm.

Heroic was passed in at the sale with Corteen saying that the horse failed to meet his reserve of 20,000 having attracted a bid of 16000. Jack Corteen said: “I have a sentimental regard for Heroic that makes me loathe to part with him. I have had several tempting offers from would-be buyers, but their prices do not reach my reserve.” A few weeks later, Corteen advised that the colt had been sold to Martin Wenke, a Sydney hotelkeeper for 14000 and was put in the stable of Jack Holt. When he was entered to race, the VRC refused to accept the nomination questioning the legitimacy of the sale. Eventually Heroic was to be sold to Mr Kellow at a further public auction in February 1925.

The wagering on Purser is a factor that cannot be discounted. The defendants claimed that reports of It would seem George Tye did not pursue horse their winnings were largely exaggerated and that they ownership after his disqualification. Corteen though only invested modest amounts on the horse at Caulfield remained a regular on racetracks for the rest of his life, racetrack on the day. Commission agents though albeit on a much smaller scale. In a tragic follow up to were in place in Sydney and the money, according the story, Jack Corteen died in a car accident in 1941. to bookmakers, started to arrive in force for Purser The leviathan punter was found to be £15,726 in debt around 12.30pm which is coincidentally the time that at the time of his death. the telegram saying that The Monk was not to run was Both Hugh Cairns and Cecil Godby successfully alleged to have arrived. returned to racing following their 12 month bans and George Tye was to pass away in 1934. He had been both were to go on to be inducted into the Australian born in Toronto Canada and came to Australia with his Racing Hall Of Fame. brother Allen where they founded Tye and Co Home Furnishings that were based in Bourke St, Melbourne.

They made their fortune from allowing time payments for their furniture, and it was widely held that the respectable businessman had fallen in with bad company in his time in racing. The property Allendale Stud was sold to Mr AT Creswick at the same time as the dispersal of all of horses of Tye and Corteen on 5 November 1924, the day following the Melbourne Cup. TURF MONTHLY 23