SPORTING

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 123, 28 May 1925, Page 7

SPORTING

THE DERBY

WON BY MANNA

(UNITED PKES3 ASSOCIATION—COPTItIGHT.) (REUTEU'S TBUidIIAM.) (Received 28th May, 10.30 a.m.) LONDON, 27th May. The following is the result of the DERBY STAKES, of 60 soys, with 3000 soys added. For three-year-old colts and fillies. Colts 9.0, fdlies 8.9. One mile and a half. S. Morriss's b c Manna, by Phalaris —Waffles, 9.0 1 H. H. Aga Khan's b c Zionist, by Spearmint—Judea, 9.0 2 A. K. Macomber'b b c The Sirdar, by M'Kinley—Gibbs, 9.0 :'.. 3 Miserable conditions prevailed for the Derby, with cold, driviug rain, and a hurricane of wind ; yet the crowd, most of whom were sheltered in the lee of buses, taxis, and char-a-bancs, appeared larger than ever. The King and Queen, accompanied by the Duke -and Duchess of York, Prince Henry, Princess Mary, and Viscount Lasce'lles, received an ovation. The going was sticky, and the course became cut up during the early races The barrier ascended to a fair start. Priory Park took the lead from Manna, Canstantine. Delmagarry, Virginian, St. Becan, Vicot, Dignity, Zionist, and Solario, with Cross Bow heading tlie others. After a quarter of a mife had been covered Dalmagarry forced the pace/ pursued by Manna. Priory Park, Constantine, St. Becan, Vicot, 'Zionist, The Sirdar, Warminster, and Runnymede. With six furlongs to go Manna joined Dalmagarry, who was beaten descending the hill to Tattenham Corner, where Zionist went up second, followed by Warminster, The Sirdar, St. Becau, Cross Bow, and Solario. Two furlongs from home Manna- drew away, and won' in a canter by eight lengths", with two lengths between second and third. Warminster was fourth. Time, 2min 40 ! o-ssec.

The Derby result confirms the running of the Two Thousand Guineas, and Manna now. joins the fairly select band of winners of both races. Although some of the cables have stated thTifc Donoghuo was to ride the. .French colt Ptolemy 11. at Epsom, news received in Australia seemed to denote that he would be on Manna. The crack horseman shines at Epsom, and probably no horseman of the past two or three decades lias understood so well the tricky Surrey course. Manna's Derby victory will bring more into prominence his sire, Phalaris, whose progeny won over £22,----000 in the Old Country last year. Phalaris, of course, is by Polymolus, and his dam, Bromus, is by Sainfoin from Cheery, by St Simon 'out of Sunrise, going back to Sunshine, from whom descend Gay Crusader, Martian, Bouiform, and the recent New. Zealand St. Leger winner Quiescent, among numerous other good horses. Phalaris was a good galloper himself, winning over . £5400 in stakes, but he lias reached greater heights in his-new sphere, whence he retired m 1919. Manna was bought as a yearling for 6300 guineas by his trainer, Fred Darling, who was acting on behalf of Mr. H. E. Morriss, a gentleman who has business interests in China. He was a very good-looking youngster, showing wonderful quality, but, according to the British Bloodstock Breeders' Review, at the end of his two-year-old career he had not made as much growth as might have been expected of such a youngster, and that hs lacked scope. Of course, it was added that his frame might expand during the winter months, and presumably he has improved in that direction. Manna started five times last season. He made his first appearance at Saudowu Park in ths rich National Breeders' Produce Stakes. Such . good reports were circulated about him that he was an odds-on favourite, but ran very green, and was beaten into third place. His next start was in the Richmond Stakes at Goodwood. Again a good favourite, and he won comfortably. Then followed a second to Picaroon in the Imperial Produce Stakes at Kempton Park, and a third to Picaroon and Solaris in the Middle Park Stakes at Newmarket. He wound up the season by winning the Moulton Two-year-old Stakes at Newmarket. As Picaroon beat him each time they met at two years, possibly Manna was a trifle lucky that Picaroon had to be scratched for the Derby owing to going wrong.

Zionist was one of nine nominated for the Derby by the Aga Khan. His chief interest to New Zenlanclers is that he' is a grandson of Carbine, Spearmint, his sire, being the Derby winner of 1906. Zionist was a fairly well-per-formed two-year-old," for in four starts he won three races, and finished fourth in the last. He was not produced until September, when he won the Autumn Foal Plate at Newbury. Ho then won the- Cleanvell Two-year-old Stakes at Newmarket First October -Meeting, and at the Second October Meeting, oii the same d;>v as Manna, •scored "in the TMoOlton Stakes, he won the Dewhurst Stakes. ' In all three races he did not lihvo tin: highest class juveniles to beat. In thc'jlursf, Park Great Two-yc-iv-old'Stakes he could finish only fourth to Diomcdcs, Prompt, and Loddinglon.

. The Sirdar did better than his compatriot, the more-discussed Ptolemy UJ3y patriots, the fact that two oi' the British three-year-olds finished in front of a French colt will be hailed with some measure of satisfaction. The Sirdar did not race-in England last yeov. and the only event of importance in which he was seen out in Franco, according to available records, was the Prix de Saint Firmin, a five-furloii<; event, in October, in winch ho finished second to Acthdsta.ii. Mr. A. K. Macomber, his owner, races very extensively on the Continent, and originally had eleven nominations for the Epsom Derby this year.