THIRD GREY TO WIN

FEATURES OF THE DERBY

(By "Rangatira.")

The result of this year's Derby has many interesting features.. Most notable among them is that the time was a race record; Mahmoud is only the third grey ever to have won the event; and the Aga Khan has how not only won two successive Derbies but has within a few years supplied first and second in .the' Two Thousand Guineas, the Derby, and the St. Leger.

The last grey to win the Derby was the filly Tegalie, a daughter of Cyllene, who scored- a smashing victory in 1912. The other was a colt who scored in. the early history of the race over 100 years ago. Except for Tagalie no grey had ever been placed in the Derby since -1833, when Grey Momus, the favourite, ran third and afterwards won the, Ascot Gold Cup. Turf history nevertheless might have been different if the French colt-Holo-causte, a grey, had not broken a fetlock in the 1899 race, for Tod Sloan always declared afterwards that .but for the accident the. colt would have won, even though it was Flying Fox who scored that year. .

The first of the classics in which the Aga Khan gained first and second places was the ; St. Leger in 1932, in which Firdaussi and Dastur filled the places. Last, year Bahram and Theft were first and second respectively in the Two Thousand Guineas^ The Indian potentate's previous Derby ' winners were Blenheim (sire of Mahmoud), victor- over Iliad in 1930, and Bahram, last.year. ;

Mahmoud is not only a grey, he is very nearly a white, and no doubt he will become white in a few years. He .is described as a very.pretty, colt, and. because of his colour, is hard to fault or praise. He looks a light sort, but in reality is not so. He is certainly rather light of bone and lacks the shoulder and quarters of Bala .Hissar. but he has hard and clean legs. He is by Blenheim, a son of Blandford and a Derby winner, out of Mah Mahal, a daughter of Gainsborough and the flying Mumtaz'Mahal, by The Tetrarch from whom he gets his colour. It is a branch of 'the No. 9 Bruce Lowe family, and traces back through the Americus—Palotta mare Americus Girl. /i

Mahmoud was never regarded as the Aga Khan's first string for the Derby, as Bala Hissar was earlier preferred' and later Taj Akbar. It was thought that the distance might be too far, for he is not strictly bred to stay on his dam's side; nor, except for his Derby win, had Blenheim been really tested for stamina. His colour suggested that he had thrown more to his dam, which lent colour to the belief that he would at best be a short middle-distance horse. However, the Derby has revealed that he possesses great stamina for which Gainsborough must be regarded as probably responsible in the main.- .

Mahmoud's first appearance on a racecourse was not impressive. He participated, with others, in a false start for. the Spring Stakes at Newmarket. He covered the full course, but did not take part in the actual race, which was won by his stable companion Windsail. He theri ran at Ascot in the New Stakes, when he finished third, the winner being his great rival, the Bossover colt, since named Wyndham. He was now beginning to come into his real form, for he won the next three races for which he started. He won the Exeter Stakes over six furlongs on the July course at Newmarket in admirable style, and followed up that success by winning the Richmond Stakes from Confession Boy, to whom he was giving a stone. He was a clever winner of the Champagne Stakes at Doncaster from Abjer and the Bossover colt, and then came his last race for his first season,, the Middle Park