Despite the George Ryder influence as well as the improvement factor for three-year-olds, the San Domenico at Rosehill Gardens is Saturday’s second fiddle to Caulfield’s Memsie Stakes, for the somewhat paltry $750,000 in prizemoney.
Comprising of 10 winners at the elite Group one level and touted as one of the best weight-for-age events on the season it lacks Via Sistina, triumphant in the $1million Winx at Royal Randwick last Saturday, the Horse Of Last Season and most others.
Aged 18 and killed in a Randwick race fall on February 10, 1940, Lappin rarely gets a mention now. When I kicked off in newspapers in the 1950’s, he was still big in the memory of those who mattered while Ryder was striving to establish the Golden Slipper at Rosehill.
“Young Billy Lappin is dead,” reported The Truth. “This champion little horseman crashed to a tragic end when his mount Passport came down in the Ingleburn Nursery and half a dozen or more following close on Passport’s heels made a veritable football of the lad.
“It was a tragic end to the brief career of one of the greatest lightweight riders the southern hemisphere has produced.”
The grief for Lappin rivalled Les Darcy, another Coalfield’s champion.
“At 4.30am Mr Kinsela, in response to repeated knocking, opened the doors (to the funeral parlour),” the “Sydney Sun” reported.”
“The body was taken from Kinsela’s to St Jude’s Church Randwick where a service was held at 2pm. Not even foot space was available.”
Saddle fashions and styles change but to get a comparison with latter-day champion juniors, the opinion of the late Jack Thompson was sought. Many old-timers figured “Long Jack” was the greatest, and he opposed Lappin.
In the 1940-41 season Thompson won the NSW premiership as an apprentice. Thompson also rode against the top youngsters of our time: Malcolm Johnson, Wayne Harris, Peter Cook and Darren Beadman.
“Lappin was the best,” Thompson declared.
Ryder, though, changed the face of the Australian turf, putting two-year-olds on a breeding pedestal. Once a classic horse, a Derby winner, was the stud focus but the worth of rich two-year-old events coupled with their stallion value, speed and early financial return, replaced stamina, the former criterion.
Also he was the path-finder for syndications with the ARABS, a company he formed to bring racehorse ownership “within the reach of those lacking vast wealth”. Now thousands have shares in a racehorse, albeit a hair in a horse’s tail. Once it was more landed gentry, legal giants, newspapers tycoons, with bookmakers having the necessary pelf to invest in them.
Not that Raging Force, the hard to beat three-year-old in the San Domenico, and example of the Ryder vision, caught the eye of the big investors.
Raging Force was picked up for $150,000 as a yearling. Twenty owners, including syndicates, are listed in the race book under the Darby racing banner that provides so much joy to so many.
Ironically the previous big bucks order here has been replaced by the world’s major racing conglomerates, some opposing Raging Force with colts striving for renewed stud worth.
For instance, Wodeton, a $1.6 million yearling, is raced by a Group headed by Coolmore, while Yu Long Investments has Devil Night, purchased for $1.4 million. Like them Godolphin’s Beiwacht raced unsuccessfully in the Golden Slipper.
More in the Jurd’s Jungle Juice category, the Hunter moonshine, Regal Force scored at Muswellbrook in June and won twice in town subsequently taking scorned winter form against the Golden Slipper and Group one acclaimed credentials.
Ironically two of the top hopes, Another Wil and Fangirl, have been prepared in or around Sydney. Another Wil, with Cranbourne listed as his home base, had two trials at Gosford and Jamie Melham made the trip from Melbourne to ride him in the most recent while Fangirl has been given the Chris Waller foundation that makes him a master with mares.
On firmer than the sinking Randwick turf last Saturday Fangirl would have been strongly fancied to down Via Sistina in the Winx. Fangirl can make amends if Caulfield isn’t saturated.
Obviously Mr Brightside, with the tactical expertise of Craig Williams piloting, is a major rival. Now eight, Mr Brightside scored in the Memsie two years back. I gamble against old geldings on the advice of Tommy Smith: “old horses are like old men, too many complaints (aches and pains).” Unless they are trained by Joe Pride.
