EASY ECLIPSE VICTORY

Evening Post, Issue 49, 26 August 1936, Page 15

EASY ECLIPSE VICTORY

So smashing was the performance of Lord Astor's Rhodes Scholar in winning the Eclipse Stakes at Sandown Park last month, following as it did his similarly easy triumph over the Derby winner Mahmoud at Ascot, that this good colt is now an automatic and- a short-priced favourite for the season's final- classic, the St. Leger Stakes, which will be run at Doncaster •jn September 9.

The , outstanding superiority, of Rhodes Scholar to his eight opponents in the Eclipse Stakes made the race seem a little tame. There was none who could challenge his supremacy. His stable companion, Portfolio, on his pacemaking mission, went' into the lead at once, and Rhodes Scholar settled down second. When they had gone about a furlong in the straight R. .Dick took Rhodes Scholar to the Cront, and he strolled away from the others. He edged a little from the rails on to the better going, but from the moment he took the lead there was to all intents and purposes only one in the race. '■ '■'..-.. - l

It was the fifth occasion on which Lord Astor had won the ' Eclipse Stakes, for before he succeeded to the peerage he took it With Buchan, and the same colt was successful in the following season. Then he won it feir the third year in succession with Craig an Eran, while two years later Sali^ ash beat his more fancied stable companion, Bold and ißad.

The name of Rhodes Scholar appeared on the card as having been "bred in France," and this considerable stake will be credited in the tables to French breeding.- This is really entirely . wrong, because Lord Astor for some, years, in seeking good. crosses for his mares, has patronised sires standing in, France. So it was that hesent his St. Leger winner, Book Law, to be covered in France by Lord Derby's horse Pharos, and as the produce, which was Rhodes Scholar, was dropped iri~ France in the following season he :became technically "French bred."

It is not worth considering the point now whether, if ho had been able to run for the Derby, Rhodes Scholar | would have won. It isnot too certain that a colt of his conformation would have come down the .hill'well,' but he showed his, superiority tp the Derby winner, Mahmoud, at Ascot. There seems no reason why Rhodes Scholar should not stay the St. Leger distance. He strode up the. hill well in the Eclipse Stakes and finished full of running. Although many Eclipse winners have come from Manton; Rhodes Scholar is the first for which i the present trainer there, Lawson, has ' been' responsible. The colt looked | beautiful, and was an immense credit to him. , Next to the winner one'admired most the King's colt Fairey. He, ran well i and finished third. It appeared at one ' time that he would finish second, .but i he has no great .turn of finishing speed, i and His Grace, who.ran his best race | of the season, beat him. Theft has not yet refpund his good form of last year, j The Aga- Khan came to see his colt,1 who was second favourite; 'run, but i he was beaten out of a place, finishing ; about a length behind Fairey., ' ,