GREATNESS OF SPEARMINT

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 58, 6 September 1934, Page 10

GREATNESS OF SPEARMINT

Spearmint, .winner of the Derby at Epsom and the, Grand Prix de Paris in 1906, was unquestionably the • greatest; horse sired by Carbine in England. He stood, out both as a .racehorse and a sire as Wallace, the greatest Australian son of Carbine, did in.his native land. In a recent issue of London "Sporting Life," Warren Harding recalled .that .Grand'Prix, win of Spearmint and said: ."Bernard, Dillon, who,. rode Spearmint, had 'sensed' overnight, that the trouble, might not'come from the French Derby winner ' Maintenon so much., as from, the too-pressing attentions .of the. FrancoAmerican jockeys. This, "lie thought, might be the case, especially over that section of ■ the lla6ngchamp * track on the far 6ide which is vhidden from view from the stands. Accordingly . he made haste from the start, "got the rails, and from there ' dared tlie: others to do their best or their .worst. He engaged ■such- ■ 'as tackled him in a series of sprints. Maintenon, the fleetest horse in his own. domain, was 'done to a cinder' sotne way; before the finish, so that,two considered inferiors, Brisecoeur and Storm, eventually- beat; him. Many years after. I was staying at Poissy with trainer Duke, who was in charge of the Vanderbilfc stable, and that particular Grand Prix race cropped up in conversation. I remember Duke's tributes to the winner's performance. 'Spearmint.' he declared, 'was a horse and a half.'"

Two well-known North of England owners, both patrons of the stable of Dnbson Peaenek at- Midrlleham. died on July 10. They were Mr. W. Kineaid Lennox and Mr. W. B. Smith. Mr. KinPaid Lennox bred Glenside, winner of the 1011 Grand National at Aintree for Mr. R. Bibby. He also bred Twelve Pointer, who won the Cambridgeshire of 1928 for the Duke of 'Westminster.