1964 CLASSIC HORSES—X Irish Fillies Take High Rating

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30419, 18 April 1964, Page 6

1964 CLASSIC HORSES—X Irish Fillies Take High Rating

[By NIGEL GEE] Mesopotamia was the top filly in the English Free Handicap, 21b above the best in England, Crimea 11, and 51b below the best colt, Talahasse. After her first race she was beaten only by the best two-year-olds in England and Ireland, respectively, Talahasse and Santa Claus. Of the three races she won, the most remarkable was her end-to-end victory in the Chesham Stakes at Royal Ascot by 10 lengths. And though she was eased up, her time was faster than that of an older sprinter which won on the same afternoon.

Her main problem this year is that being small, she may make less than average progress. If that fear is groundless, she will do well ia the classics, and she will be a stayer. Her sire Zarathustra won the Ascot Gold Cup and her dam the Irish Oaks. Won Back Price Another Irish filly. Pour- ■ parler, achieved a high place in the English Free Handi-’ cap, 31b below Mesopotamia. She ran in three countries. ■ Ireland, England and France, in 1963. but she won only in England Her English races, the National Stakes at Sandown and the Lowther Stakes at

York, were well-chosen, since they netted her over £BOOO. In between these two races she was third to the smart French colt Djel in the Prix Robert Papin. She was a fairly costly yearling, £7350, since she is a half-sister of a very good filly Display, which was second in (the 1000 gns of 1962. Raced In Hood At one time it seemed she 'did not have a single-minded dedication to racing and a ■hood was tried for the i National Stakes. She discarded it subsequently, however, and ran quite honestly. Pourparler ran only at five furlongs last season, but as she is by Hugh Lupus, she

should, like Display, be able to stay a mile. She may not go much further, but she will be a formidable contender for the 1000 gns. Palmavista won two races in France and was beaten in all four for which she ran in her native Ireland. She was finally unplaced in the race won by Santa Claus. She is not easy to assess, but the French think quite highly of her, for Red Vagabonde, which she beat, is high in their Free Handicap. A mile is her likely limit May Be Stayer All Saved should be a stayer, for she is by Never Say Die and her dam won the Irish Oaks and was shortheaded out of the Epsom Oaks. All Saved won one of her five races and was a length and a half behind Scissors when she was third in ‘ the Timeform Gold Cup, form equivalent to about Bst 101 b in the English Free Handicap. Of the more obscure Irish fillies I rate Patti and Tragedy, which is in the Derby as well as the fillies’ classics, the most promising. Both should stay a mile and a half.

Tragedy, by Milesian, won her only race easily, and Patti, by Pinza’s sire Chanteur, started an odds-on favourite for her one race, in which she was fourth behind the promising English. fillies. King’s Mistress and Alzara.— (All rights reserved)