A ROYAL WIN.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19345, 25 June 1928, Page 12

A ROYAL WIN.

THE KING'S FIRST " CLASSIC."

SCUTTLE'S VICTORY,

(TBOX ova OWJT CORRESPONDENT.)

LONDON, May 16

It gave all the racing correspondents great pleasure to chronicle the details regarding the King's first classic race triumph, which His Majesty achieved at Newmarket, when his brilliant three-year-old filly, Scuttle, bearing the Roval colours, won the Que Thousand Guineas by a length from Lord Dcwar s Jurisdiction, with Lord Derby's Toboggan six lengths further behind. The crowning glory of the victory, which (as Hotspur writes in the Daily Telegraph") means so much for the good of the Turf in this country, was that the King was a witness, and was therefore able to engage in the thrills of what was quite a dramatic race, and' then to note with unconcealed delight tlie acclamation and immense satisfaction of the people. Accompanying His Majesty were the Prince of Wales and Princess Mary, who derives _ vast pleasure in the breeding and racing of the horses of the king and Viscount Lascelles. Loid Lascelles himself had been down for a few days with influenza, but was able to anticipate complete recovery by making the journey _ from London. Thus, there were all the signs and portents of the anticipated triumph, and though they were noted with much satisfaction, it scarcely required this evidence to emphasise the big chance which Scuttle was known to possess. swee p 3 take with lOOOgns added, was worth £8470 to His Majesty. Not since Minora wofi the Derbv for King Edward in 1909 had the Roval colours triumphed in a classic race. As Prince of Wales, of course, the late King scored a succession of such victories. King George's successes have been on a much more modest scale, and Weather vane's Boyal Hunt Cup in 1923 was his previous most important win. . , His Majesty and Princess Mary went to the box in which Scuttle was saddled by her trainer (W. Jarvis), watching the simple but meticulously. careful operation with keen interest. Scuttle was almost everyone's choice. But confidence became violently disturbed by happenings at the post. The starter was out to make the start from a stand according to the ukase of the Stewards. Had the horses gone into position like counters into their respective slots and thon assumed a statuesque pose all would have been well, but there was the usual restiveness, and shortly ! Scuttle became the most unsettled of the party. She was so seriously illi behaved that onlookers feared she was going to lose the race before starting for it. Obviously her antics, her stubbornness to yield to the coaxing of Childs, must be sapping her vitality. In .those few moments there was suspense which almost hurt. Back she went, sidling, backing, and doing her best to get further behind the waiting line of horses. They must have been awful moments, but the jockey never lost his patience, which iB also true or the starter. Then came a moment when she was in a fair position again, anu the starter gave the signal. The tape shot upwards and the race had begun, though, without Scuttle among those that had got off fairly. It was, of course, her own fault that she must have lost several lengths. It was.when the leaders were leaving the Bushes and the non-stayers were quitting that the situation underwent a dramatic change. Childs asked the filly to pull out more, and as he found her responsive, he drove her up to Jurisdiction, and just before entering the Dip the Royal victory began to assume definite shape. She had got the better of Jurisdiction when in the Dip she swerved and lost a length. It enabled' Jurisdiction to prolong her big bid, and that bid would have been successful had it not been for the stamina and longerstriding action of Scuttle. Beautifully balanced again and urged forward by a touch from the whip, she raced like a piece of machinery up th£ hill. The cheering had already broken out, and it grew in volume when it was realised that Jurisdiction was held and beaten. "The King! The King wins!" was the cry when it was seen, 150 yards from , the post, that Richards, was using the whip, while Childs was riding easily m the knowledge that his mount had quite a iot m reserve. Here was' a performance such as is seldom seen of a filly winning a classic race after meeting with such serious difficulties, even though most of them had been of her own making. It stamped her at onco as being altogether exceptional and an even brilliant classic winner among fillies. Scuttle was bred at the Royal stud at Sandriiifcham, which is managed by Major F. Fctherstonhaugh. "Hotspur" recalls that when Scuttle's dam, Stained Glass, was in training at Egerton House, Mr Richard Marsh was the King's trainer. They were thinking quite a lot of her. when one day at exercise she fell and fractured her pelvis. For some time afterwards she was in her box in a sling, and no horse could have been a better patient. The decision to persevere in saving her for stud purposes proved to be a happy one indeed. The classic winner of last week is the result She has again been mated, with Captain Cuttle, who, by the way, in something like two months' time, will be en route for his permanent home in Italy. Scuttle is one of the first batch of yearlings that Major F. Fctherstonhaugh, manager of "the King's stable, had the honour of breeding for His Majesty. The "Sporting Life" remarks:— • "King George's first victory in a classic race has been received with the utmost pleasure and enthusiasm by the sporting public, who made his filly. Scuttle, favourite for the One Thousand Guineas, and so benefitted from their Sovereign's success. It was a popular victory in every sense of the word, for the race provided a strong overseas challenge to the Royal candidate, apart from severe Home opposition. "The connexion of the Royal Family with the greatest national sport iSj and always has been, a matter of satisfaction, and the success of the King oa this occasion was acclaimed as joyously as were the three victories of King Edward in the Derby, l when, as Prince of Wales, he first won with Persimmon and then with Diamond Jubilee, and afterwards, as the reigning Sovereign, with Minoru. "It is a big event in the life of racing men when the Royal colours flash first past the winning post. It is to them a symbol of the complete understanding that exists in sporting matters between the subject and the Sovereign, and in no other country in the world does this prevail. To delight in the struggle for supremacy between horse .and hors6 is the natural heritage of an Englishman, and the fact that this pleasure- is shared with his people by a beloved Sovereign honours a sport which appeals to every section of the community." Now many people anticipate that Scuttle will win the Oaks.