BIG PHILOU VS RAIN LOVER QUEEN ELIZABETH STAKES 1970
W
ith our story this month on what might have been had Heroic been able to start in the VRC Derby and Melbourne Cup, we are also reminded of what happened with Tulloch when he was scratched from the Cup as a 3yo. There is certainly a strong argument that both horses would have won the Cup and we can take a line through the horses that they beat. In the case of Heroic, he dominated Spearfelt over his career, and Spearfelt was to finish third in the Melbourne Cup that year. He was later to go on and win in 1926.
I
n the case of Tulloch, again arch rival Prince Darius was to run second in the Melbourne Cup having not been able to get within eight lengths of the champ a few days earlier in the Derby. To further underline Tulloch’s dominance, he was to win the CB Fisher Plate on the Saturday after the Cup downing Sailor’s Guide.
O
ur feature this month is a little different as we go to the year 19xx and one of the great scandals of the Australian turf. Ruling Melbourne Cup favourite Big Philou was a shock scratching at the course only 39 minutes before the race. He was found to be scouring badly and it was confirmed that he had been nobbled by being given a drug called Danthron. A stable hand was later convicted of the crime having been tracked down in his native NZ. Big Philou was quite possibly going to be a young Bart Cummings’ second winner of the race. As we know the race was won by Rain Lover who won the race for the second year in succession.
F
ate was to play a part in the discussion as to which horse was the better stayer. The following Autumn, there were 20 nominations for the Queen Elizabeth Stakes over 12 furlongs at Flemington. Only two horses were to accept and these were Rain Lover and Big Philou. It was to be the first two horse race in metropolitan Melbourne since Rising Fast (5/2 on ) beat Electro (2/1) in the Carbine Stakes at Flemington on 26 March 1955. Before that, it had been 26 February 1938 when Hua beat Pantoon in the VRC St Leger. On that
TURF MONTHLY 50
