ENGLISH RACING

SURPRISES AT ASCOT AGA KHAN IX LUCK (Ff.OJI OUR OWN' COIIItESI'OXDENT.) LONDON, June 28. Ascot in retrospect will provide writers on racing and commentators on turf topics with much material for discussion, reference, and comparisons, for many months ahead. Numerous were the surprises, and depressing it must have been for illustrious owners to see "certain" winners coming unexpectedly "nowhere." Prime favourites degenerated into fallen idols. Onlookers were rendered quite dumb, for instance, when Colombo. Lord Glanely's Derby hope, suffered a most unexpected defeat by Lord Rosebery's Flamenco, in a field of four, over a mile. This was the last race on the first card, and the King and Queen stayed to see it. On all four days the going was quite good, for sprinklers had been used to counteract somewhat the effect of the long period of heat and drought, and there was great depth of herbage. The course, indeed, looked a picture. The weather rather broke down at any rate. it changed unexpectedly (and mercifully!) from blazing sunshine to cool, cloudy, breezy days, with a considerable amount of rain on the third afternoon —Gold Cup day. The attendance throughout was admirable. The monev put through the twinkling electric totalisator— £310,081 for the meeting was a record for this countrv. Last year's total was £298,891. This sum has nothing whatever to do with the transactions with the bookmakers, who must have ha ! . a very good Ascot, judging by the few favourites who obliged. The Biggest Successes The most successful owner was 11. H. the Aga Khan, who had seven winners: the outstanding trainer. Mr Frank Butters, with nine races to hi-, credit: and the jockey most often first past the post was Gordon llichards. with five wins. Flach day there are seven events to be decided, or '.> M races for the meeting. To the turf enthusiast Ascot is the great race fixture of the year, where the pick of England's bloodstock - is to be and it is the onlv meeting in the country where there is no selling race.

The first, race, the Queen Anne Stakes, was established in 1711. The winner was the third favourite. Sir Alfred Butt's Spend a Penny, in a field of If!. The principal event of the openim' day is the Ascot Stakes, two miles, one of the most important handicaps of the meeting. .Its result was one of the unexpected, for it was won by the outsider, Hands Off (Embargo —My Pretty Maid), owned by Mr F. W. Dennis, a well-known Lincolnshire agriculturist. The Gold Vase was carried off by another outsider. Sir Charles Hyde's Duplicate, winning from the greatly fancied Bright Bird, belonging to Lord Astor. Duplicate put up a remarkable performance, making every yard of Cie running, and at no mild pace, either; indeed, when they had gone half a mile the lield must have been strung out more than 100 yards, with Bright Bird and Alcazar the last pair. Bright Bird closed up more rapidly than Alcazar, and came into a good challenging position in the straight, but he could make no real impression on the winner. When Duplicate ran in a seven furlong race at Newbury it looked as if he did not get the distance, and this impression seemed to be confirmed when he was beaten by Potiphar over 10 furlongs at Chester; yet at Ascot' this son of Son and Heir proved himself to be a natural stayer. Sir Charles Hyde, who owns the "Birmingham Post," looked a very proud man; Lord Astor. in the unsaddling enclosure with Bright Bird, looked a very puzzled man. Dumbfounded! But greater chagrin was to be experienced, for with surprise results in most events, the success of Lord Glanely's Colombo, ridden by W. R. Johnstone, was a foregone conclusion in the valuable St. James' Palace Stakes, of one mile. There were only four runners. The one thought most likely to trouble the hot favourite was Lord Astor's Law Maker, but the one that got first home was Lord Rosebery's Flamenco. Onlookers could not believe their eyes when they discovered in the first furlong that Colombo was being led by at least three lengths. Coming into the straight Flamenco came right away from the rails, and many people thought he had run wide. As a matter of ,fact, it was a piece of very good generalship on the part of Harry Wragg, for he was heading for the middle "of the course, where the going was most true. Colombo made up ground in the straight, but seemed to lack his old fire. Until his defeat- on Derby Day, Colombo had won nine races, and his proud owner thought he would never be beaten. His late form is puzzling racing people. "Hotspur" thinks Johnstone must have intentionally eased his colt, expecting to challenge and win in the straight. "We must assume in this case that Johnstone was riding to orders," he says. A Beautiful Filly Lord and Lady Lonsdale were in the unsaddling stall after the Queen Mary Stakes, for their beautiful National Stud filly, Carctta, by Phal-) aris or Solario out of Daumont. by; Diligence, won this event for fillies.] beating a big field very stylishly. Lord] Lonsdale is one of the best-known people at all the meetings, but Lady Lonsdale is not so frequently scon. They were supremely happy at their success. Lord Glanely's Rose of England filly was much fancied, but she tired at the end of four furlongs.

Royal Hunt Cup

The second day was remarkable for more unexpected results, but Ihe biggest surprise came at the end of the seven furlongs 155 yards handicap, the Royal Hunt Cup, the chief event of the day. There were 29 runners. The winner was Mr Crum Ewing's four-year-old Caymanas (Papyrus—Eagle's Eyrie), ridden by Cecil Ray, and trained by Easterbee at Stockbridgc. About half-way the leaders were North Devon, Earlston, Caymanas, Shrewton, Highlander, Solfatara, Young Native, and Duodecagon. A quarter of a mile from home Caymanas held a good lead, and won easily by one and a half lengths from Lord Derby's Highlander, with Mr Heath's Young Native third. Luck plays a big part in racing, and it was certainly on the side of Cecil Ray, as he was engaged only at the eleventh hour to ride Caymanas. His mount was always going well and as soon as Earlston and North Devon showed signs of weakening Ray seized his opportunity and, once the colt had taken the lead, he kept on strongly, to resist all challengers. Alluvial wns always some way behind, and could never improve. Rentonmark, the French horse, ran a good race, only to find his weight prohibitive. He was not disgraced, and just missed a place. Many hoped that the King would see his horsee. The Abbot, win. Two for the Aga Khan On the same afternoon Felicitation, who never won a race as a three-year-old, scored a much overdue victory in the Churchill Stakes, and so added to the successes of Frank Butters's stable. The conditions were all in fnv.-ur of Ihe Aga Khan's colt, who v- Made favourite. Felicitation was soon setting the pace, and. without being off a tight rein, won in a canter. ' Solar Boy and Angelico tried to get within striking distance after going a mile, but the leader was always galloping heartily, and, increasing his lead before reaching the last bend, he drew right away in the straight to give the opposition no quarter. Less expected was the success of the A?a Khan's two-year-old Shahali (Sansovino —Teresina), who readily turned the tables on Gynerium in the Chessam Stakes. When they met at Newmarket it was the Aga Khan's colt's first outing, and that race had

been of great benefit, as he now won in good style. After going halfway Gynerium began to get into a good position, and, while he did take the lead, his advantage was short lived. Gynerium began to hang, as he had done in his earlier races, and Shahali, coming with a strong challenge, asserted himself to win in good style from Winandermere. The Ascot Gold Cap Another surprise and disappointment! Lord Derby's Hyperion was thought a certainty, though not for 37 vears has a winner of the Derby gone on to capture the Ascot Gold Cup. Felicitation took it for the Aga Khan, so fresh had been the horse after the Churchill Stakes of the previous day that Mr Butters suggested this second outing. Wearing blinkers at exercise he became a reformed character. The owner agreed, with the result that Felicitation, ridden by Gordon Richards, after forcing the pace, won by eight lengths. Hyperion looked beautiful in the paddock', but doubts were expressed whether Lord Derby's colt had been through a sufficiently severe long distance preparation to enable him to stay to the bitter end. Weston rode a waiting race in the hope that Felicitation would come back to his mount. But Felicitation, after reducing the Italian colt Crapom and the American horse, Mate, to what are picturesquely described as masses of almost inert muscle tissue, continued to cover the ground with long, wellbalanced, unchecked strides. Making a superb effort. Hyperion reduced the gap between them, and became second about 200 yards from the winning post. But he could not sustain his effort.

The Gold Cup is worth more than £C>OOO to the owner of the winning horse, though the honour of leading in the horse is worth infinitely more. Felicitation is by Colorado out 6f Felicita, by Cantilever out of Best Wishes, by Neil Gow out of Simonath (dam of Flamboyant and the Cesarewitch winner Bracket), by St. Simon out of Philomath, by Philammon. As Bracket was by Cantilever, she was three-parts sister to Felicita, the dam of Felicitation. Two- Year-Old's Seventh Victory Lord Carnarvon's three-year-old, Satyr, was considered past the post before the race for the Fernhill Stakes started. When it was over, after a terrific battle, he was beaten by a two-year-old called Knighted, owned by !\li Chris. Jarvis. Knighted was bought at Newmarket for 250 guineas ;>■■ a yearling. Since last April, at Alexandra Park, he has had raven races and has won them all, going from strength to strength. Previous in Ascot he won an event at Doncasier worth £1000; the horse is now worth many thousands. Oaks Winner Beaten

Light Brocade, winner of the Oaks, was another favourite who finished unplaced over the Old Mile; 11 runners. Her trainer, Frank Butters, had won five races at the meeting. There was much surprise over her very moderate display, for not only was she beaten, but she was never in the race wifli a chance. She was conceding 141b to the winner, and several others in the Coronation Stakes, which went to Mr Marshall Field's Foxcroft (filly by Foxlaw-Girandola by Swynford). The Last Day— Remarkable Achievement There was a triumph for that popular ten-year-old horse, Brown Jack, who carried off for the sixth successive year the longest event under Jockey Club rules, the Queen Alexandra Stakes of two miles six furlongs 85 yards. Of course, his partner in triumph was Steve Donoghue. The people along the course and in the paddock were madly excited. Brown Jack (Jackdaw—Querqftidella by Kroonslad.) was tackling the strongest opposition he had ever confronted since the year he beat Old Orkney. It was n very strongly run race; Brown Jack had his usual pacemaker, Mail Fist, and Benskin was started to make the pace for Loosestrife. When they had gone a mile Gordon Richards, on the latter, took up the running, but before the turn to the straight he was uone with. Solatium then moved up and led the field round the turn, but more than a quarter of a mile from home Donoghue took Brown Jack to the front and he won readily by two lengths. He not only won, but he covered the distance in nearly 16 seconds faster time than last year His owner. Sir Harold Wernher, has decided that Brown Jack will not again be raced at Ascot, though he will remain in training. Brown Jack is referred to as the marvel of the century. There never was, and probably never will be, a horse like him. Very anxious was Ivor Anthony, the trainer. He said: "I couldn't watch the race m case he was beaten, so I sat under the trees in the paddock. When I heard that wonderful cheering I knew that everything was all right and came to cheer him, too" ~ P ,'° . datp . Brown Jack has won },-«} Ktake mor iey on the flat, ana £ 1.->O4 over hurdles. Other Results Mr J. A. Dewar gained the Jersey Stakes with Medieval Knight, who galloped on resolutely to win by a short head and a neck from Grey Carey and Haytime. Grey Carey may have been a little unlucky, for H. Wragg could not find an opening on him and finally had to burst through between Medieval Knight and HayThe flying Myrobella, whose last nice in public this may have been, was beaten a furlong out in the King's Stand Stakes, which Gold Bridge won or the second year in succession. Although he had only a neck to spare over Furrokh Siyar, Lord Beatty's gco I sprinter was an easy winner. AUSTRALIAN RACING PRINCE POMBAL WINS AT ASCOT (UKITED PRBSS ABSOCUTIO»-BY ELBCTaiO TEXZQBAPB—COPTHGHT.) ( Received August 6, 9.20 p.m.) SYDNEY, August 0. At the Ascot race meeting to-day, the following v, as the result of the BANKI'ELLERS' FLYING HANDICAP, ' PRINCE POMBAL 8-6 D. Munro 1 Martingale 7-5 .. Knox 2 Dover Patrol 8-12 .. Cook 3 Nine horses started. Won by two lengths. Time, lmin 2Hsec.