RACING Huge Prize Offered For Irish Derby

Press, Volume CI, Issue 29828, 22 May 1962, Page 5

RACING Huge Prize Offered For Irish Derby

From an original entry of 627 horses, 144 have been left >n at the second acceptance stage for the Irish Sweeps’ Derby, to be run at the Curragh on Saturday, June 30. This means that, with entry and acceptance fees added to the £30,000 put up by the sponsors, Irish Hospitals’ Sweepstakes. the amount in the pool stands at £64,570, and that after the £lOO final acceptance on June 30 the prize fund is likely to approach £70,000.

Twelve countries are still represented. Owners in the United Kingdom are respons.ble for 42. Ireland for 41. France for 28. the United States for 18 and Italy for six. Everything points to the race being of a truly international character. The 18 Ameriean-owned horses entered include Sebring (one of the present second favourites for the Epsom Derby*, Mr Billy B. Life Long and Larkspur, all trained by Vincent O’Brien: Mac's Cabin (P. J. Prendergast), Solpetre (K. Kerr), and McCann (H. V. S. Murless). One of the most interesting of the American entries is Sir Ribot. He is trained in the United States, and ran fourth in ' the Kentucky Derby earlier . this month. By Ribot out of Monarchia (by Dante). Str Ribot made the record price in Britain or Ireland for a foal of 21.000gns trhen sold at Newmarket in 1959. He won the Californian Derby Trial at Tanforan very easilv before contesting ♦ the Kentucky Derby. Sir Ribot is owned by Mr Fred Turner jnr. and trained by'Frank Childs, who won the Kentucky Derby with Tomy Les in 1959. A huge horse standing 17 hands. Sir Ribot is a true stayer and will not be troubled to get a mile and a half.

Another American-owned horse engaged in the Curragh race is Mr C. W. Engelhard's Romulus, trained in England by R. F. Johnson Houghton. . .

Romulus was installed favourite for '.he Epsom Derby after his second in the 2000 Guineas earlier this month. The Irish Sweeps Derby heralds the third era of the Curragh. which is the headquarters of Irish racing. The first era ended in May. 1922, when the British Army left. Often, in those days, more than a hundred British officers in a cavalcade streamed after hounds. They rode in point»to-point races and at the famous Punchestown races nearby. Several of the officers owned adjacent farms and considerably improved the buildings and fencing. The second era started with the take-over of the Curragh military establishment by the Irish army, whose officers have continued to hunt with the local packs. During the second era a major reconstruction of the stands on the Curragh racecourse tock place concurrently with a great improvement in amenities. Six miles long and three miles wide, the Curragh is bisected by the main Dublin road which goes on to the town of Kildare and thence to Waterford and Cork. AU the land to the north is devoted to racing. The course itself is an elliptical circuit exceeding two miles. It is possible to use the two courses for a mile and. a half race; even the inner course has an easy bend with a radius of about 600 yards leading into the straight

which measures about three furlongs. The land both sides of the road is used for training and provides numerous gallops, a different one of which is used each day. Variety Irish sportsmen claim it would be no exaggeration to state that all the undermentioned events could take place on the Curragh simultaneously and perhaps with little or no interference with each other:— A military review. Troops shooting at the rifle range. Trainers’ strings at exercise. Race meeting with car parks occupied. The Kildare Hounds drawing the covert for a fox. The Naas Harriers scenting furze clumps for a hare. A prize fight. On the perimeter of the Curragh are the famous training establishments from which many classic winners of recent times have come. They include Rossmore Lodge (P. J. Prendergast), Loughbrown Stables iR. Featberstonhaugh), and Stepaside (N. Rogers). On the south of the dividing road is an excellent 18hole golf course, also a hospital supported by the proceeds of the Irish Sweep Stakes and by individual donations of owners, trainers, and others. On the north side near Crotanstown is a monument erected to mark “Donnelly’s Hollow.’’ where

on December 13. 1815, Dan Donnelly, the Irishman, beat George Cooper, the GipSv from England in an historic bare-fist prize fight. High sloping banks surmount three sides of the plateau to provide a natural amphitheatre.