MAT. DAWSON.

Auckland Star, Volume XXV, Issue 152, 27 June 1894, Page 3

MAT. DAWSON.

Old Mat. Dawson, the trainer of Ladas, has iv his long and honoured career bad many equine celebrities through his bands. Like Lord Rosebery, he is a Scotchmen, and, together with his threo almost equally famous brothers, was brought up at Gullane. Mat. Dawson's father was tho firsb to train racers for Mr James Merry, the Scotch ironmaster. Twenty years later, Watt himself had charge of Mr Merry's horses. The firsb classic winner prepared by Mat. Dawson was Mr —afterwards Sir John—Wauchope's Catherine Mayes, who, ridden by Marlow, won the Oaks in 1853. lb may be interesting to mention here thab Catharine Hayes was a daughter of Lanercost, who is also pub down by many as the sire of Haricot, the grand dam of Hampton, Ladas's sire. Sir John Wauchope remained one of Mat. Dawson's sbauncheab friends up to the day of bis death, which occurred last year: In 1857 Dawson advised Mr Merry to buy Lord John Scotb's stud in one lob. The prico paid. for the horses—Lady Sneerwell, Valentia, Rambling Katie, Windhound, Pleny, Phryne, and Windbound—was £6,060. For some time both Prince and Dawson brained for Mr Merry, and they ran firsb and third respectively with Sunbeam and Blanch of Middlebie in the Sb. Leger of 1858. On Prince resigning his position Dawson book sole charge of tbe stud. One of his earliesb triumphs waß with Saunterer in the Goodwood Cup of 1858. For Mr Merry, Dawson amongst obher races won bbc Derby of 1860 with Thormanby. Directly Mat saw the colb in tbe sale ring he said, " Pub him down to Mr Merry." The colb was terribly hard-worked as a two-year-old, running in no fewer than 14 races. The son of Melbourne was specially prepared for the Derby, which he won cleverly, Custance being in the saddle. In bis "Riding Recollection and Turf Stories " Custance says ; "Mr Merry is reporbed to have won about £85,000 ovor Thormanby's Derby. I recollect Mr Dawson telling me he never saw such a sight in his life as the table at Mr Merry's house in Eaton-square one nighb when Thormanby's master and his wife were counting oub the notes and putting the ehaques togebher." In the following year Dawson just missed winning the Derby with Dundee, who was beaten a head by Kettledrum. In 1863 Buckstono was third, and a twelvemonth labsr Scobtish Chief hunted Blair Abhol and General Peel home. In 1886 Mat Dawson ceased to train for Mr Merry and moved to Newmarket. He trained Julius, who won the Cesarewitch with Bsb on his back; whilsb Speculum, whose City and Suburban record was only beaten the obher day by Grey Leg (trained, by the way, by G. Dawson, Mab'a nephew) was also under his care. Obher winners prepared by Dawson were Sterling, Cherie.andCamballo. Old-timo sportsmen sbill love to dwell on bhe wonderful success of the late Lord Falmouth's horses. Such a record as his lordship and Mat Dawson mado well desorves notice, and I here append a list of victories gained in the "classic " and mosb importanb weighb - for - age races :—The Derby, twice ; St Leger, throe times; Two Thousand Guineas, three times; One Thousand Guineas, four times ; Ouks, four bimes; Dewbursb Plate, bhree times ; Greab Yorkshire Stakes, bwice ; Prince of Wales' Stakes, bbree times; Woodcobe Stakes, once; July Stakes, once: Chesterfield Stakes, four times ; Richmond Stakes, four times; Champagne Stakes, bhree times ; Middle Park Plate, once ; Clearwell Stakes, nine bimes in 15 years; Criterion Stakes, twice: Queen's Vase, twice; Jockey Club Cup, bwice; and Champion Stakes, once. Mat. Dawson prepared Sb. Simon for mosb of his engagements. He won bhe Sb. Leger with Lambkin in 1884, and again in the following year with Melton, who had also cnptured the Derby. He also trained Buccaneer whon thab game son of Privateer won bhe Greab Ebor Handicap. His lasb classic winner was Mimi, who won bhe One Thousand Guineas in 1891. For some bime Met. Dawson bas been unable bo walk any distance, and he has never yeb seen Ladas run in public. He bhinks thab he never recollects exactly the same stamp of colb as Ladas.