THE ENGLISH DERBY.

To win the English Derby with a horse of one's own breeding w tho apex of a true sportsman's ambition ; and failing that, to win that time-honoured event with a horse acquired by weight of money is also a highly desirable thing, judging by the large figures offered and paid for some of the horses engaged in the Coronation Derby. Mr W. C. Whitney paid £10,000 for Nasturtium, Mr Faber paid 21.000 guineas for Duke of Westminster, an offer of 20,000 guineas wa3 refused for Ard Patrick, and 35,000 guineas was refused for Sceptre. All these amounts were paid and offered mainly with tho desire to win this years race. To follow up his success with Yolodyovski, Mr W. 0. Whitney gave £10,000 for Nasturtium, principally with the object of winning the much-ooveted Blue Ribbou of the English turf. Unfortunately, Mr Whitney's colt met with bad luck and could not unolergo a preparation that would fit him to run a mile and a-half race. Jn addition to Nasturtium, Mr Whitney also brought another colt from America who claimed a Derby engagement ; but, while he was apparently able to be constantly on the training track, he did not develop into a Derby horse. Mr J. Gubbins, who owns and bred Ard Patrick, this year's winner, aUo won the race with Galtee More, who is a halfbrother to this year's winner. Galtee More was sold to the Russian Government for 6omething like 25,003 guineas, and some few months back Mr Gubbins refused 20,000guineas for Ard Patrick. Mr Gubbins has a small but select collection of blood stock at his place, called Knockany Stud. It was there that Aid Patrick was bred, and his pedigree runs as follows : —

St. Florian, tl.e sire of Ard Patrick, belongs to Bruce Lowe's Xo. 20 family, and no horse of that family has ever sired a classic winner until Mr Gubbins's Irisbbrecl colt captured this year's Blue Ribbon, and on that account the '•Special Commit bioner" of the London .Sportsman did n'»t greatly fa\our the colt't, Derby chance when writing of thi-> year'a Derby colta some few months back. This year's Dorby will be numbered amongst the most sen«atioi.al on record, on account of the onoimous amount of wage-r-ing which took place over the event. The amount <>i money for whu-ii Sceptre was suppoitcd vould, if tho usbta new-, i^ correct, i-end her out the hottest fnvumite that !ia-< ever started in the race. She started at evens in a field of 17, and was- supported in one night to win half a million of money. Ard Patrick has been a good performer both during his two-year-old career oncl thii season. Ard Patrick made his first appearance as a two-year-old in the Imperial -Produce Stakes at Kempton Park, winch lie won in good style. He also won the Clearwell Stakes at Newmarket, but he was beaten a head in th© Dewhur-i, Plate by Game Chick. This season Ard Patrick .was third to Sceptre and Pistol in the Two Thousand Guineas, and subsequently won the Newmarket Stakes, but was disqualified for bumping, the race going to the Carbine colt Fowling Pier-e. Ard Patrick has been one of the ruling favourites during the winter and the spring of this year, and has been consistently supported for tho race he has just won. Some few years ago, when the £10,000 stakes given by proprietary clubs sprang .into existence, many writers said that the English Derby stood an excellent chance of being knocked into oblivion by theee colossal stakes; but the famous iace has during the patt two or three years taken a fresh lea=e of life, and now sportsmen and bre-eders are patronising it with renewed interest.

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