SURPRISE RESULT

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 85, 7 October 1936, Page 15

SURPRISE RESULT

&■ ST. LEGER STAKES

BOSWELL GALLANT VICTQR

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

-<•■ ; ■ LONDON; September 12. ,* Doncaster was not a particularly happy meeting from the punters' point of view, for on every day of the four there were so many unexpected results. This annual fixture is an important 'ssociai event, and is attended by all people who are keen racegoers. A "'notable absentee this year, and one much missed, was the Earl of Lonsdale, who had always previously entertained a house party. This year he did not feel equal taiiie unavoidable fatigue. Of the' many, important evetfts on . the programme, tne outstanding one is, «?of courser the' St.''Leger' Stakes. In ;Anticipation of the judge's verdict, many gallons "of printer's ink were 'Ssed,"and; many thousands of words were written by the several racing specialists of each- daily and weekly journal published throughout the land. .^They had been writing for weeks. Scarcely one of the forecasters had the -good luck' to name the ultimate win■;ner; It was a surprise result. ■ A PROLONGED STRUGGLE. " Mr William- Woodward, the wellAmerican owner and fchairman -"-of the New York Jockey Club, and. the owner of Omaha, won the race 'with Boswell from Mr. A. G. Smiths Fearless Fox and H.H. Aga Khans Mahmoud. '-:■ The tussle; over the I*2 Smiles was prolonged and exciting. "v-i' Of the:field, numbering thirteen, "Lord Astor's Rhodes Scholar was a v favourite, but he never appeared .'-.'to have a winning chance, his nearest " 'approach to the leaders being on enter- . iing the straight,.where he was■ about "fifth." When the field was sent on its :" way,"R. Dick began to steady .this "r: colt,. but' he .had' difficulty in doing so, !7 because the horse was fighting for his 1 -head. Rhodes Shcolar finally settled J: down, and as the turn into the straight »»-was approached he was still well;; be•hirid. He was brought on the outside, "but 'that long stride" that had been so '"effective at Ascot and Sandown availed him nothing, as he made no headway, being well beaten over .three furlongs from home and-finishing tenth. '"'.... Boswell was the first to show in 'iifront, but, when ,'the field properly "-settled down, Pizarro (owned by Lord ;>Glanely> showed the way to Esquemeling (Mr. James A. de Rothschild) •-and' Fearless Fox, with Boswell travelling smoothly and within easy reach. ' A T&ere was little change in the order until approaching the turn for home, when Foxfield (Sir Abe Bailey) was "pushedforward and Esquemeling began "'•to'lose ground. Pizarro was still in aSfront reaching the straight, being hard pressed. by Fearless Fox and Foxfield, with Boswell in.a. handy and challenging position. " ;•■■■'. Pizarro the: first to- crack, and ■■ -'immediately Boswell' came through to ■taike his place. Fearless Fox showed magnificent fight, and Boswell had a . ..worthy rival.. Sternly they fought for "supremacy. Boswell was in front -afor cthe, -first .-time, at .the"distance. Fearless Fox continued to press,' but - «well •-■ as- Stie- battled - Boswell had 'that .necessary pace to keep his challenger and.win. comfortably.. /■;'. . Mahmoud came on the scene about two furlongs .from home... For a few _, strides that .pace' he showed to win ;:the Derby promised to make him-a seri- .'- ous factor. Hopes were hot realised, „ as a furlong out he-had revealed- the ■ limit of; hisresources,-:and finally he "was a little fortunate, to be placed', ,:, as-he ,was only just',ahead of Magnet ; :: <Lord Hirst). and Thankerton '.(Mrs.. J. Shand). Foxfield could not maintain the gallop, neither could Esquemeling, , and such .as Raeburn" and .His Grace '"were never prominent." Mahmoud is now to be retired.to the stud. <"i~ TRAINER AND JOCKEY. ■;-■' After the race Captain C. Boyd'^Rochfort, the winner's trainer, said: "I have always considered Boswell to Tie a great horse. I told everybody to -back -him for the Derby on the strength of his excellent form in his ■ gallops." In that race he was not in ''the first twelve on the,hard ground. Pat Beasley, the successful jockey, .said: "I always felt I would win. I ' made my effort about one and a half furlongs, from home, because I was afraid that Mahmoud, who was going •well with me, would beat, me for 'speed.' The funny tiling about BosYell. is that he has always been'a •good-horse'; but. has only ..oust, proved . it.; Possibly he is an/ autumn horse." .■..The hopes of the winning stable had ' ;previously ■ centred round • Frecipitation (owned by' Lady Zia Wernher), !,,but.. the. horse -developed heel-bug, t -wMch. has been.very troublesome.'.at ;\Newmarket, and'had to be scratched. .-Even; on the'night before the race ■ ;there was a ■ doubt whether Boswell '""•was developing the same malady, but he proved to be well enough to run the race of his life. * „.. Mr. Woodward was not present. He one of the oldest and -most ■ stud-farms in the r United '•States -of America^ and his colours ~» have been doing well this year. Boswell was not bred abroad, as he hails 'Jfom-the stud of Major Arthur Boyd--ijtochfort, in Ireland, from which other good winners have come in recent ;>^easons.- There is no. American blood in the St. Leger winner, as he is by 'tbrd Derby's BoswortH (himself ' second in the St. Leger), out of Flying sGaIU by Sir -Galahad 111 out of •filante, by Sardanapale from High Flyer, by, Flying Fox.S ' '"the-disappointments. '-■The Aga Khan' travelled from Aix- " ies-Bains by air to' see Mahmoud,, who ■Was much fancied, contest the classic. ■'At the final- .turn into the straight *ftopes were raised of the colt's getting in touch with the leaders. However, Boswell always had the whip hand i over, both him and Fearless Fox. Mahmoud was first in the Derby and: second in the Guineas, and now ;:he is to have his first season at the *Egert6n Stud. .Mr. Frank Butters, the trainer, said: "Mahmoud clearly does not stay ■ the St. Leger distance. I "think he would just.about have won at a mile and. a half." Further, it is '- pointed-but that Mahmoud displayed ■"figns\:Ot cracked heels on all four v .^Because so much was expected,of him, Rhodes, Scholar is considered to ■have beeh'the most complete failure •'of the race. HijS_poor display is attributed, to the 'fact -that- he has become a hard puller for the, first six ifurlongs, • His jockey'was struggling desperately, to keett ■•■him in check, -and when the colt had;finished pulling 'lie was done with. In the straight the effort he made to improve his position" Was feeble. ' ■ , The northern hope was Thankerton, who: was so much fancied to win the Derby. He finished fifth. . Another success for Mr. Woodward and Captain Boyd-Rochfort was the Rous Stake's; an important two-year-old event The. winner. Gallalane, was bred in tiie United States and is by Sir Galahad 111, who was imported to America after standing several years in France. Ridden by P. Beasley, the jockey of the-week, Gallalane was a clever winner by a neck and three-■ "fiarts of a length respectively from ' Gfandjo arid Nadushka. " Nadushka Is: "a French-Bred colt by Vatout from' , Fleche dOr, and is a half-brother to ifcofd'FingaU's yearling that made the top price of the Dublin sales. The ■satrie stable also won the Champagne Stakes with' Foray. I