October
DecemberSilver streak
I’ve been a keen follower of racing since I first went in 1942, when Soul won the National, and I’d like to tell you about a horse who I thought would have made a name for himself but for bad luck.
In the autumn of 1944 Silver Rocks had his first race as a two-year-old. He flew home for third at Flemington, then won his next two starts.
He was turned out by trainer Wally O’Dwyer at Epsom then came back in the spring and won four straight.
He was ridden by Wally’s apprentice G. Fitzgerald (no relation). He was by an imported stallion, Brueghel, from a mare called Silver Sequin. He was raced by a man called H. Engelbert, who put "Rocks" in all his horses’ names — Sunrocks, Skyrocks, Dream Rocks etc.
Come the Caulfield Guineas of 1944 — it could have been the first meeting after the army left the course — they booked Harold Badger for the ride. I felt sorry for Fitzgerald, who had won six straight.
Kintore was the 2-1 favourite with Breasley up. He had been the boom two-year-old and had won his share of races. Silver Rocks was 4-1. There were about eight or nine in the race.
At the barrier, the announcer said Silver Rocks had been kicked on the leg, and the next thing they’re away. As they raced to the turn Kintore was leading and Silver Rocks a pronounced last.
As they had all straightened up for the run home, Kintore led by three lengths to the main bunch, which covered about five lengths, then two lengths to the second-last horse and two or three to Silver, doing nothing.
I thought he had broken down from the kick.
Then, when everyone thought he was gone, he started to move — and move he did. The crowd didn’t know who had won and the judge took some time to give it to Kintore by the barest of margins. The performance had to be seen for guts and ability.
The racing writer in the Monday’s Sun said you could see the bone around the fetlock as he came back to scale. I class that as one of my best performances seen and I’ve seen a few.
Wally had to give him long spells, and for about three years he would get one race a year out of him, in the autumn.
He wasn’t a big horse, but he was a lovely, neat horse. He had a long tail that just skimmed the ground.
G. Fitzgerald I don’t think rode again, or very little. He must have got too heavy.
Moama (NSW)