THE TURF.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16690, 24 October 1914, Page 6

THE TURF.

f The famous Doncaster meeting with its St Leger is taking place as I write. There was a time not so many years ago when considerable doubt was entertained as to the holding of the meeting, but the military considerately came to the rescue by removing the troops that were encamped on the town moor. The result ("Centaur" writes) is a race meeting at a time.when tho nation is passing through the gravest crisis in her history, when every other nation involved would never dream of such a thing. Truly, we are a nation of sportsmen that can do this thing. There were thousands present, though there were many thousands fewer than would have been the case with affairs in a normal state. i The open space called the Town Moor, to which access is free, contains some,thousands of folk who evidently can still find time for distraction from the grave concerns of tho moment. In the cheap enclosures there was a big crowd, and in the paddock there were plenty of folk, but in the members' enclosure only a very few gathered. We are told that the receipts were £3OOO below those of the correspouding day last year. That is tho town of Lancaster's loss. The wonder is that the deficit was not substantially more. The conclusion is that racing in England is a wonderfully yirilo institution, and that many are willing to pay heed to his Majesty's request that it should be continued as far as possible. For many loyal subjects realise, as has been pointed out before, that racing as an industry must go on, if only for the reason that the nation's horse supply is closely dependent upon it. It will be a long, long time inde§d before there is any racing again at Hoppegarten in Germany, Baden-Baden in Austria-Hungary, Brussels and Ostend in Belgium, and Longchamps, Auteuil and Maison Lafitte in France; yet in England, while the crisis is greatest, we have racing holding its own. Do not let it be supposed that those present at Doncaster are callous to the tremendous issues at stake or unwilling to bear their share of the Empire's heavy burden at this time. They, are, as we have endeavoured to point out, merely assisting to keep going; a sport which is closely allied with an industry that provides a livelihood for many thousands. In the years to come it may stand as a monument to the wonderful self-control of this nation that, while the greatest battles in the history of nations were waging, horsefacing was going on at Doncaster, and that still another St Leger race was being added to the long record dating back to the eighteenth century. Mention has been made of the fact there were many thousands to look on at the opening events of the four-days' meeting. It was, at any rate, satisfactory to note that those eligible to belong to the new Army were not in force. The circumstance shows that the young manhood of the country has a proper appreciation of the liigher duty that is expected of it. As customary, the Champagne Stakes was a strong attraction of the first day. A year ago the race was won bv that phenomenon The Tetrarch. That was the last time the horse was seen in public, and one recalls that, following his usual custom, he just cantered in from Stornoway, who previously had won the Gimcrack Stakes at York. This time the racewas singularly interesting because of the opposition of Earl Cadogan's Redfern and Colonel W. Hall Walker's Let Fly, two crack two-year-olds that had run a great raco at Goodwood for the Molecombe Stakes, on which occasion Redfern won by a head. Thus thoro could at any rate bo very little between thaw. None of the p*»«* run-1

ners had any following: and, indeed, the race became a match between the two. Onco more Let Fly swerved a good deal, and it was undoubtedly duo in a measure to this idiosyncracy that Redfern was enabled to hold on arid win by a neck. This is tho second hard race the two colts have had, and they are both showing 6igns of their experiences. Redfern is no doubt a highclass'colt, but I strongiy incline to the view that the best two-year-old is either King Priam (by Your Majesty), or Roseland (by William the Third")/ Redwood won the Great Yorkshire Handicap for the Yorkshire owner, Mr V. T. Thompson. The horse had been beaten at Manchester on the Saturday before for the Prince Edward Handicap by Mr Hulton's Green Falcon, who, however, had succumbed to both Bowman and Fiz Yama. Thus it came, about that Green Falcon was preferred to Redwood now, but tho latter came away in great stylo and won easily from Lord Derby's Mariano. Lord Lonsdale's Warlingham dropped right out after once looking all over a winner. This result involved a sharp reversal of form, but then the distance, of the, Doncaster race, was shorter than that of tho Prince Edward Handicap. There was a curious result to a soiling race: Sir William Nelson's Grammont and.Mr Solly Joel's Bugler Boy dend-heated, and when they came to run off the latter won by a short head. Then the winner was objected to for bumping, but the objection was overruled. Truly an exciting dead-heat. Mr Horatio' Bottomley's Jarnac ±l. won the Doncaster Welter Handicap, being heavily backed to do so, bearing in mind the limited extent of betting generally. Drinmore failed once more. He has indeed lost the public a lot of money this year. Mr George Faber's Tip Top easily won the Clumber Maiden Plate and thus quite successfully endM the first day of the Doncaster meeting. Tho raco for the St Leger may well be regarded as an historic one in view of the circumstances. in which it was run. Even up to the end of last weok it was not absolutely certain that the race would take place and one of the stewards of the Jockey Club was in consultation with the War Office on the subject. The arrangements, however, were persevered in, and further testimony of the King's desire that racing should continue was afforded by tho entering of his horse Brakespear. The race was won, however, by Mr Jaclo Joel's Black Jester, the favourite, Kennymore, being second, Crossingham, also owned by Sir J. Thursby, third. Black Jester was quite unablo to stay a mile and a half in the Derby, ■ind yet he won over a mile and threequarters at Doncaster, beating several horses, including Hapsburg and Peter Tho Hermit, that in their turn had beaten him at Epsom. Mr Jack Joel, the owner, has won three of the five classic races this year, for in addition to tho St Leger he carried off the Oaks nnd One Thousand Guineas. This makes his second win in the - St Leger, winning with Your Majesty, and being twice second, first with Prince William in Troutbeck's year and with White Magic last year, when Night Hawk won.