A THREE-CORNERED RACE

Evening Post, Volume CVI, Issue 81, 3 October 1923, Page 10

A THREE-CORNERED RACE

POSSIBLE RESULT OF PAPYKUS'S VISIT TO U.S.A.

Whether a three-corner international thoroughbred championship race will be established with a contest every year in the country oT the holder of the trophy emblematic of supremacy will depend upon tho consummation of negotiations that are now under way, states the "New York Times" on 12th August. The idea was conceived in. the United States by members' of the Jockey Club, who have been quietly at -work, but; had hoped that their efforts would not be made public until all plans had been completed for a match race, which, it was hoped, would include the winner of the English Derby, Epinard, the best three-year-old in France, and the champion of the three-year-old .division in America.

The latter is still in doubt, although the Rancocas Staple's Zev was the unquestioned leader of three-year-olds until an accident of training forced his temporary retirement. If the international race is finally arranged, the American candidate for the honour of meeting -the best of the three-year-olds of England and France will have to be determined by later racing.l Zev, it is expected, will be back at the races before long. The whole plan of an international race is decidedly tentative. It was the idea of Major August Belmont and other members of the Jockey Club and leading owners of the American Turf that such a contest could not be otherwise than a great benefit to thoroughbred racing on both sides of the water, that it would prove an event tremendously attractive to the sport-loving public, and could not fail to have an important bearing on the thoroughbred breeding industrV.

In a general -way the -plan -was to offer a substantial purse, to be subscribed by American sportsmen for the initial event, with a permanent trophy. It has been suggested that the purse for the first race be no less than 100,000 dollars, -witha trophy of permanent value to be raced for each year in the country of the winner of the previous year. When and where the race will take place provided the plans are worked out to a\successful conclusion remains to be arranged. ■