THE ASCOT GOLD CUP

Evening Post, Volume CXXIII, Issue 142, 17 June 1937, Page 13

THE ASCOT GOLD CUP

"FOREIGN" ATTACK

OMAHA'S GOOD PROSPECTS

The Gold Cup, the star item of the Royal Ascot Meeting now in progress and the foremost event of the English year for the stayers, has had much added interest during the last two years because of the assaults of foreign hoi-ses on'the coveted prize. On each occasion it was difficult to see beforehand how the attacks could be warded off by the home defenders,. but to the delight of English breeders there arose each time a star that was able to save the day. Again this year foreign horses will strive to wrest away the honours, but, despite their numbers, they are apparently not feared quite so greatly as unbeaten Brantome was two years ago and the Kentucky Derby winner Omaha was last year. The Gold Cup, which will be decided today, is run over a distance of 2i miles. The horses carry set weights according to age and sex, geldings being ineligible. Th ■ weight for three-year-olds is 7.7, for four-year-olds 9.0, and for five-year-olds and older horses 9.4, with an allowance of 31b for fillies and mares. The number of starters is generally about 10, but there were fewer the last two years. There are some owners who would rather win the Ascot Gold Cup than the Derby, as the race is regarded as the truest test of real stamina that any event in the whole year provides. It is rarely that classic colts and fillies are left in the field, however, as the race comes so soon after the Derby •and there are easier races for horses of the age on the Ascot schedule. Only four three-year-olds figure in the 34 entries that were made for this year's Cup, and none of them were runners in the Derby or Oaks. OMAHA AND QUASHED. Omaha and Quashed will probably have the opportunity of fighting last year's titanic battle over again. The American horse last June made a wonderful effort to catch the English mare, and just short of the post had done so, but a final response from Quashed sealed the issue by the very narrowest of margins. Omaha has now been in England for eighteen months instead, of six months, and this may make all the difference. Quashed resumed her career at Chester on May 6 last, when she ran unplaced in the recently-instituted Ormonde Stakes, 13 furlongs, a race she won in its inaugural contest last year immediately preceding her Ascot victory. Sha was expected to have her next outing at Epsom, where Omaha was to have opened his present season's racing, in the Coronation Cup, 1$ miles on June 3. The result of the Coronation Cup was not cabled. A month ago Omaha was evidently pleasing his trainer, Captain C. BoydRochfort, in his progress. "Augur" wrote about him on May 13 as follows:— "It i 1 pleasing to note that the patient policy pursued with Mr. William Woodward's brilliant horse has had the desired effect of-sobering this high-couraged, yet temperamental five-year-old. At his best I doubt if there is a horse in the country capable of defeating Omaha, and if the prize is destined to fall to Freemason Lodge it is reasonable to expect that the American champion will be the successful representative." BOSWELL ALSO ENGAGED. Mr. Woodward has two other horses engaged in the Gold Cup, Flares (a younger full-brother to Omaha) and Boswell. Boswell won the St. Leger Stakes last year, and although he has ssessesooeessoseseeeooeseec Trotting News will be found on page 20. aceccoooscoeosaaseoecsogooc so far been disappointing as a four-year-old it was not till fairly late last year that he came into winning form One of these horses will probably take his place in the field to act as a pacemaker, for it was the lack of such assistance that probably cost Omaha last year's race.

Mr. Woodward has supplied the runner-up the last two years, as Alcazar was second to Tiberius two years ago, so few would begrudge him success today, except that it would mean the temporary1 ousting of the English thoroughbred from the most irrportant all-age honours in the land. Besides the American challengers there was a strong numerical contingent of French horses among the field at nominations. Challengers from across the Channel included Mansur (son of Sardanapale), Quorn II (son of Asterus), Bokbul (son of Blandford). Lorenzo de Medici (son of Vatout), Carius (son of Pharos), Le Vizir (son of Clarissimus), Lc Due (son of Flamingo), Fantastic II (son of Aethelstan), Bel Aethel (son of Aethelstan), Mubarak (son of Massing), Sultan Mahomed (son of Massine), and Gongalonier (son of Cadilm). It is interesting to note that the Aga Khan's only two representatives in the field are his French-bred three-year-olds Mubarak and Sultan Mahomed. The Begum Aga Khan is the owner of Le Due.

One of the leading English, defenders this year, outside of Quashed, may be Sir Abe Bailey's Son-in-Law horse' Valerian, who on Tuesday won the Ascot Stakes and is evidently an improved horse this year. Tiberius showed like improvement in winning the race for Sir Abe by many lengths two years ago. That was the occasion on which Brantome. finished down the course; but the two horses who followed Tiberius home were Alcazar and Denver 11, ■so there were other "foreigners" to beat off. Sir Abe this year, besides Valerian, has Cecil (winner of last year's 23 miles Queen Alexandra Stakes at Ascot, the longest flat event of the year), Satsuma, and the three-year-old Vergilius (fullbrother to Valerian) to call on if required, and Cecil for one has the