Racing at Rosehill on Saturday will be like a trip down memory lane with races named honouring Ajax, Phar Lap, Sky High and Maurice McCarten.

McCarten was a remarkable figure on and off the racecourse, he won the respect of racing’s hierarchy where ever he travelled, be it Sydney or Melbourne.

He set records that possibly will never be equalled, he won the jockey’s premiership twice in New Zealand, once in Sydney, after retiring from riding, he won the trainer’s premiership four times.

McCarten was at the top of his profession as a jockey when Tom Jones persuaded him to come over from New Zealand to ride Limerick, at Rosehill in 1927.

It was a highly successful venture for Limerick, trainer and jockey, the trio combined to win 11 races mainly at weight for age over a period of 12 months.

When Jones took Limerick back to New Zealand Maurice McCarten remained in Sydney, he took his chances against a great group of riders such as Andy Knox, Fred Shean, Billy Cook , Jim Munro, Stan Davidson, Ted Bartle and the great Jim Pike, while Darby Munro was just an apprentice at that time.

Tom Jones didn’t remain in New Zealand for long; he and Limerick were back in three months ready to take on the best that Sydney had to offer.

The successful trio were back where they had left off, Limerick won a further nine races on end, McCarten rode him in seven wins, he missed two due to suspension.

When Jim Jamieson bought Ammon Ra, the champion two year old, he sought out McCarten to ride the colt, he had been previously ridden by Hector Gray and Keith Voitre.

McCarten was an outstanding jockey, on retirement from riding he became a trainer, his Wansey Road stables at Randwick was never short of a good horse, all the time he trained he was never heard to raise his voice, or be critical of a jockey, remembering he had been one too several years ago.

He joined forces with Neville Sellwood, they combined together to win several major races with Todman, Noholme, Prince Cortauld, Columist and Delta, among others.

When Delta won the Melbourne Cup in1951 the owner, Adolph Basser, a wealthy Sydney jeweller, gave Sellwood a present of a Rolls Royce.

Todman with Maurice McCarten

THE SHOCK DEFEAT of odds on favourite, Headwater in the, Todman Stakes, has thrown the Slipper market into turmoil.

There was no apparent reason for the shock defeat of the favourite; he was a beaten horse well before the home turn.

Markets have been revised, Vancouver is now a pronounced favourite at $2.80, that is not likely to alter now, even if he drew a wide gate, he is without doubt the horse to beat, he goes into the race with a clean slate having won all of his three starts.

Headwater has fallen from grace as if a north wind was in front of him he has blown out to $8, no stable announcements have been made as yet.

THEY RACED AT CARRATHOOL last Saturday, the once a year fixture is always a popular venue, although the fields were a little lighter.

Most of the station owners in the district support the race club, a week before the annual meeting the jackeroos are kept busy cutting the bowers to protect racegoers from the soaring heat.

The Cup was won by Mineral Deposit, a six year old gelding by the Golden Slipper success Canny Lad; part owned by Ross Smyth- Kirk, former Chairman of the Australian Jockey Club.

LAST RACE NO RACE at Clare, South Australia, on Sunday, was declared a no event when the starting gate could not be removed from the track.

Officials acted quickly, and to their credit the horses were just coming out of the back straight.

Ready For Victory took the first step, on a long range mission, when he opened his winning account in the Listed Festival of Racing 1000, at Flemington.

Those that were not prepared to take the short odds about the colt looked on, he was entitled to the thumbs up, it was a solid performance.

The Slipper was the first question aimed at his astute trainer, Mick Price, he was playing it cool, well aware the colt would be going into the race with just one run under his belt, plus the reverse way of racing could be an another issue.

A $240,000 colt, out the Magic Millions Sales on the Gold Coast, Ready For Victory is well on the way to showing a credit balance of what we saw at Flemington on Saturday.

Ready For Victory on the outside about to claim Heatherly

Ready For Victory is raced by Eliza Park International, obviously with the view he will ultimately join the stallion roster at Eliza Park Stud.

Eliza Park International is already a serious competitor within the thoroughbred breeding industry in Victoria.

Last year 17 mares were purchased for $2.3 million, they have since been bred to the Melbourne Cup success Fiorente, and the unbeaten Favourite Sun.

While some studs are paying ridiculous sums for sires, and then having to syndicate them, it is far better to buy sound quality yearlings with good pedigrees and then think about going to stud with them if they make the grade on the racetrack..

That is the policy that Eliza Park International has adopted with Fighting, Sun and they are likely to do the same with Ready For Victory.

There is a lot of type about him with an impeccable sire line, being by the highest progeny earner in southern hemisphere, More Than Ready, from Crill by Zabeel from Espadon, a half sister to Meurice from Ruby, the dam of Rubiton and Iglesia, the current record holder for 1200 metres at Flemington.

Lightly raced Orient Line broke through for his first city win when he recorded an impressive performance in winning the Saintly Handicap at Flemington.

He has now won three races, two at the provincials and one at headquarters, he has not been pressured at any stage, he is doing everything on raw natural ability.

When the favourite, Profit Share, drifted out a couple of points in betting, he and Maastricht came in a couple of points, as a result he started second favourite.

Nick Hall gave the gelding a great ride, he virtually never moved on the horse until halfway up the straight, was never in doubt after that, he ran home with a good head of steam.

Orient Line with Nick Hall up

Orient Line is prepared by John Moloney, he had no hesitation in declaring the gelding has a lot of potential, and can only get better with additional time.

“I think he is a nice horse and is going to develop, he will have another run in this preparation, we will have another look at him and plan from there, he was better than his half brother and didn’t cost as much,” said John Moloney.

Orient Line is by Show A Heart, almost an institution in Queensland and great favourite, he has sired 428 winners from 647 foals to race, 21 Stakes winners with just short of $37 million in progeny earnings.

Now in his 18^th year he won the Caulfield Guineas, Toorak Handicap, Stradbroke Handicap and T S Smith Classic, all at Group 1 level.

He is a great exponent of the all Australian thoroughbred, as he is four removes from imported blood on his sire line, which would never have been entertained in previous eras.

A good result for John Moloney, Ms Sampson and Nick Hall

THE YEARLING ROLLER COASTER moves to Adelaide on Monday evening, with the sales commencing at 6 pm, when 101 lots will be offered by Magic Millions Sales.

Selling will continue through to Tuesday and Wednesday, with selling commencing each day at 10 am, with a further 342 lots on offer.

Quite a number of sires, that had a good average at the Premier Sale in Melbourne, are represented, Foxbridge averaged $161,364, Fastnet Rock $187,083 , Snitzel $132,619 , I Am Invincible $ 111,250 , and More Than Ready $118,000.

A lot of good horses have come out of South Australia, too many to mention, they would include Rainbird, Tobin Bronze and numerous others.

The seventies were a great result for South Australia when Without Fear was standing at Lindsay Park; he sired 30 two year old winners from 40 starters, a success rate of 75 per cent, a world record that has stood the test of time.

His progeny in that remarkable season, 1975-76, saw his 30 winners win 49 races, earning $256,920 in stakes.

A WELL EARNED WIN, there is no harder worker around Flemington than Saab Hasan, he is the genuine hundred mile an hour man, he deserves every winner he trains.

Yesterday at Ballarat he saddled up a first starter in Marquise Da Rossa, and she duly collected the thick end of the prize winning a Maiden, she is capable of better than that with experience.

The filly, owned by the Ceravola family, is by the evergreen sire Testa Rossa, out of Make My Dane by Danehill, it is a nice pedigree with an infusion of speed.

GAILY MILL, the Matt Laurie trained mare, is ready to step up a grade after lumping 60.5 kg to a brilliant win at Ballarat yesterday.

She was always in control of the situation, whilst Exclusive Lass was closing in the straight the result was always foregone conclusion, the Mornington trained mare carried too many guns for her opposition.

Matt Laurie, who places his horses well, should have no trouble finding a suitable race for the daughter of Alamosa, trained formally by Mick Price.