THE CESAREWITCH.

Lyttelton Times, Volume C, Issue 11751, 1 December 1898, Page 6

THE CESAREWITCH.

Sir J. Miller's Chaleureux. 4yrs, 7st 61b, won the Ce&arewitch, run over two miles two furlongs and thirty-five yards, in 4min 2seo, and the value of the stakes was £945. Last year Mr Jersey’s Merman, syrs, 7st 51b, won in 3min 69 2-ssec, and the race was worth £985 ; while in 1896 Mr W. M. Low’s St Bris, Sjgrs, 6st- 61b, occupied 4min 16 4-ssec, the stakes amounting to £935. The previous season, when Air C. J. Blake’sßoekclnve, 4yrs, 6st 101 b, was successful, the time was 4roin 2 2-ssec. the -stakes being represented by £IO4O, and in 1894, on the occasion of the victory 7 of Sir J. Blundell Maple's Childwick, 4yrs, 7st 91b, the value was £1035, hub the race was not timed, owing to the fog and rain prevailing while it was being nm.

In his notes on the Cesarewitch. the “ Special Commissioner ” of the London “Sportsman” writes-Heminius did not. come under observation, being saddled at the Ditch stables. Of the others it was pretty easy to pick out the best. I suppose no one would dispute that Merman was by far the finest horse in the paddock, though, my dream as to his finishing third behind two light-weights was destined to be fulfilled, nor could there bo much doubt that Merman and Chaleureux were the most thoroughly trained of the lot. They were both perfect pictures of clean, hard condition, strung up to the very highest point, and as well as they could possibly be. Survivor had come on a, lot since I saw him,at. the last meeting. He is - a lengthy, powerful, big-boned horse that might win any, thing, from a Cesarewitch to a Grand National, but I should imagine his trainer would have liked a rather longer time in which to get him ready, or at any rate to have known for certain at an earlier period for what race to prepare him. It may he that he stopped shortly after passing the Bushes, because he had really reached the length of his tether,, but on the other hand it is possible that a few more strong gallops would have enabled him to stay home. Anyhow, such a commanding position did he hold a.t the Bushes, where Allsopp was Sitting perfectly ■ still, that those who were stationed at that place made haste to try and back him for the Cambridgeshire. Cbaleureux is the very cut of a stayer--light,-lithe, wiry, clean of limb,-and without an ounce of'lumber. The stout blood of John Davis and Fandango on his dam’s side, no doubt has much to do with his stamina, uniting, as it does,' the brothers .Voltigeur and Barnton. Merman is also built to stay, but he is on a much more commanding scale than Chaleureux, with splendid, lengthy shoulders, and enormous depth of girth and heart room. His legs, on which he wore no cloth or bandage, are still the same cast-iron models which served him in such good stead last year. I watched the race as usual from the far side of the course, and an anxious time it was waiting to see the flag go up away by the Ditch gap, which told that the invisible field was‘now under the starter's orders. Then came the fall of the flag, and the excruciating interval between the start and the time when first they come in sight facing for home. The crowds of hacks scurrying across from the Ditch towards the Bushes, tells you that there is not long to wait now, and presently the black line of heads comes to the crest of the ascent out of the gap. The heads grow into jockeys and horses now as advance, and, strange to say, the field is stiii so well together that it is practically impossible to say what is in front, and there is no tail as they near the Bushes. Sloan, on Asterie, is seen to be prominent on the left, so is Cbaleureux. Survivor, as I am assured, by those on the spot, is right there still pulling. Hetminius is going well, and Merman, on the right, is staying on under the whip, just as he did last year. Down the hill Asterie does not come along as we arc accustomed to see Sloan’s mounts, and Madden at once takes the opportunity to shoot Chaleureux to the front, lead of two or three, lengths inimcdicitelA. Perhaps Asterie, like Galtee More last year, was really faltering at this-point, and Sloan may not-be to 1 blame. Anyhow, i the mare put in 'sorae vastly.-better work up the final hill, though, she. never looked like .troubling the winner. ■ Meapwhile, good old Merman had fairly got at Herminius, and with indomitable bulldog courage worried him out of the third place. It was a splendid exhibition of gameness and stamina, and showed him to be-a- greater horse this year than he was last. The honours of the race certainly rested with him. and after seeing the horse being put to rights in his box subsequently I was glad to learn that the stable commission had at any rate been covered _by the place money. “Poor old fellow, he did run well, didn't he?” said Mr Jersey, and 1 should imagine no one who saw the struggle would sav otherwise. The time. Amin 2sec, though fast, is not quite so fast as that ot last vear or when Sheen won. Chaleureux was bred by Lady Stamford, and his dam, L'Ete, is now at the Cobham stud, where she lias a verv fine, blazedaced chestnut fillyfoal by Bn 1 ini, and is safe in foal to Carnage, who is just the horse to sire another Cesarewitch winner out of her. Chaleureux was, within mv own knowledge, sold by Mr Mosenthal to Mr W. Cooper for IOOOgs to lead work for Newhaven 11., and when he won in the July week here and was bought bv Mr W. T. Jones, .who agreed to give him up if Mr Cooper really wanted him back, the latter gentleman turned the offer over to Sir James Miller, who took the horse, and thus kept him in Blackwell’s stable. It goes without saying that Blackwell himself deserves the very greatest credit for what tie has done with this horse, and those trainers who graduated with Mathew Dawson are always worth, following. Mr Robert Peck’s view of the finish was that Merman, Chaleureux and Ilerininius at even weights over the Cesarewitch course would run a very close race, but,' I should have my bit on Merman lor such’"an event. _____